ANAEROBIC DEGRADATION OF PHENOL IN WASTEWATER AT AMBIENT TEMPERATURE

An upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor was able to remove over 98% of phenol up to 1.26mg/l in wastewater with 12h of hydraulic retention time, corresponding to 6g COD (l/day) Results showed that benzoate was the key intermediate of phenol degradation. Based on DNA cloning analysis the sludge was composed of five groups of microorganisms. Desulfo-tomaculum and clostridium were likely responsible for the conversion of phenol to benzoate which was further degraded by Syntrophus to acetate and H2/CO2. Methanogenous lastly converted acetate and H2/CO2 to methane.