Simultaneous Removal of Phenol and Nitrate in an Anaerobic Bioreactor
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 132, Issue 9
Abstract
Phenol and nitrate are two major pollutants simultaneously occurring in several industrial wastewaters. In this study, a 110-day gradual enrichment of an anaerobic culture has been carried out at in an anaerobic bioreactor for continuously treating a synthetic wastewater containing phenol and . The results showed that the enriched culture can utilize phenol as a sole electron donor and nitrate as a sole electron acceptor. At the end of the enrichment (on Day 110), 93.3% of phenol and 98.0% of were simultaneously removed at a hydraulic retention time of in the anaerobic bioreactor. The removal of required about chemical oxygen demand as the electron donor. Batch tests further revealed that cresol, nitrophenol, and monochlorinated phenol (MCP) could exert detrimental influences on the treatment abilities of the enriched culture. However, the inhibitory effects of cresol were impermanent, as compared to those of nitrophenol and MCP. In order to operate the anaerobic bioreactor steadily, high concentrations of cresol should be diluted before being fed while the existence of nitrophenol and MCP in the bioreactor should be avoided.
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Acknowledgments
The writers thank wastewater treatment company (Singapore) for the supply of the anaerobic sediments. This work was partially supported by the Open Project Program of the State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology as well as the Department of Education of Jiangxi, China.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 132 • Issue 9 • September 2006
Pages: 1073 - 1077
Copyright
© 2006 ASCE.
History
Received: May 12, 2005
Accepted: Dec 5, 2005
Published online: Sep 1, 2006
Published in print: Sep 2006
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