Bioremediation of phenol using microbial consortium in bioreactor

Abstract

The aerobic bioremediation of phenol has been carried out in a specially designed bioreactor where activated cow dung slurry was used as a source of microbial consortium containing various concentrations of phenol i.e., 100, 250, 500, 1000 mg/L. A phenol concentration of 1000 mg/L was found inhibitory for cow-dung microbial consortium. Higher concentration (1000 mg/L) of phenol degradation was studied by phenol-acclimated cow dung slurry. The acclimated microbial consortium was found able to degrade higher concentrations of phenol. The present study proved effective in removing phenol of higher concentrations even over a period of 7 days (168 hr). The chemical oxygen demand (COD) has found direct correlation of bioremediation of phenol at concentrations where as decrease in biological oxygen demand (BOD) shows growth and metabolic activity of microorganisms under such conditions the phenol concentration was found decreasing to 100 % at the most in the bioreactor. The technology suggested proved useful for the bioremediation of xenobiotics compounds such as phenol.