## 6 Types and Mechanisms of Removing Xenobiotics from Water
### Types of Lacase- Assisted Removing Xenobiotics from Water
#### 6.1.4 Plasticizers  
The consumption of plastics has increased significantly in the last few decades. As a consequence of the huge market demand, the production of plastics increased from 1.7 million tonnes in 1950 to 438 million tonnes in 2017 [228]. Only 10% of plastic waste is recycled; a significant part ends up in landfills or into the environment, which is why it is necessary to develop methods for its effective disposal [228; 229]. Materials made of plastics are widely used in everyday life, mainly as food packaging. Primary packaging is typically made of polyethylene. Polymers used in the production of packaging are supplemented with various additives that improve their properties. Such an additive to plastics is BPA (2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane) [230]. BPA is a monomer in the production of polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins and a plasticizer in the production of plastics. These materials are used in food storage containers or bottles and cans for food and beverages [230]. BPA is also an important ingredient in adhesives, flame retardants, paints, protective coatings, automotive lenses, compact discs, construction materials, thermal paper and dental sealants and composites [213]. The global production of BPA exceeded 4.6 million tonnes in 2012 and will grow at a rate of 4.6% annually from 2013 to 2019 [231; 232]. BPA can diffuse into food and beverages. BPA migration from packaging increases during exposure to sunlight and elevated temperatures [230]. People are exposed to the adverse effects of BPA mainly through the consumption of food and beverages stored in plastic containers, bottles and cans. In living organisms, BPA mimics the structure of estrogen and binds to estrogen receptors [233] and, therefore, disrupts the proper functioning of the endocrine system, even at low concentrations. Excessive exposure of people to BPA can lead to cardiovascular, endocrine and immunological disorders, diabetes and obesity [230]. Research has shown that BPA exhibits genotoxicity, reproductive toxicity, endocrine-disrupting activity, cytotoxicity, neurotoxicity and hepatotoxicityoxicity [232]. In women, its presence in the environment has been linked to breast cancer [234], polycystic ovary syndrome, miscarriage, endometrial disorders and premature birth [9; 213; 230]. In men, BPA has been associated with lower semen quality, fertility, sex hormone levels and sexual dysfunction. BPA tends to accumulate in aquatic animals, hence its bioaccumulation along the trophic chain. The human consumption of marine fish containing BPA may cause its presence in the human body [230]. Therefore, restrictions on the use of BPA have been introduced. The maximum total daily intake (TDI), according to the US Environmental Protection Agency (US Environmental Protection Agency, 2010), is 0.05 mg/kg body weight/day, and according to EFSA and the European Commission (EC), it is 0.004 mg/kg body weight/day. The EC has also set a specific migration limit for BPA in food at 0.5 mg kg\({}^{-1}\) (European Food Safety Authority, 2015; European Commission, 2018a; US Environmental Protection Agency, 2010) [233]. BPA enters aquatic ecosystems from a variety of sources, including production plants, wastewater as a result of incomplete treatment, leachate from landfills and leaching from nonrecycled plastics [230]. In the surface and bottom water of the Gulf of Gdansk, BPA values up to 277.9 ng L\({}^{-1}\) were recorded [235]. Biodegradation and adsorption are the main BP removal routes in wastewater treatment plants [139; 236]. WRFs convert BPA through an enzymatic oxidation reaction into a much less reactive substance. The oxidized form of BPA does not bind to ER\(\alpha\)-dependent estrogen receptors. The product of BPA oxidation catalyzed by laccase is 2,2-bis(4-phenylquinone) propane [139; 140]. Two isoforms of lacases isolated by [PERSON] et al. (2023) from _T. harzianum_ S7113 have been used in the biodegradation of BPA [77]. The isoenzymes differed in their tolerance to the presence of Na\({}^{+}\) ions.