Removal of phenolic compounds from raw industrial wastewater by Achromobacter sp. isolated from a hydrocarbon‐contaminated area

Abstract

AbstractThe discharge of raw industrial wastewaters, specifically coking wastewater, represents a severe environmental problem. In this work, a phenol‐degrading aerobic strain isolated from a hydrocarbon contaminated site, Achromobacter sp. C‐1, was tested for degrading raw coking wastewater to explore its potential for use in biological treatment. Initially, phenol degradation was reached after 24 h of inoculation in synthetic wastewater [600 mg/L of phenol]. The maximum specific degradation rate was 0.436 h–1 found in the concentration 300 mg/L. In a raw industrial wastewater containing a mixture of phenols as carbon source [phenol 370 mg/L, m‐cresol 100 mg/L and o‐cresol 60 mg/L], 90% biodegradation of a mixture of phenols was achieved after 80 h of inoculation. Following the biodegradation process to remove the colour from the wastewater, polishing was performed by activated carbon adsorption, resulting in a clear wastewater (without colour and contaminants) ready for industrial reuse purposes. These results provided useful information about use of the phenol‐degrading bacteria for bioaugmentation in industrial wastewater treatment improving the quality of final wastewater. The quality of the resulting wastewater was confirmed by mass spectrometry analysis. This work shows the biodegradation process could be a cost‐effective and promising solution for the treatment and reuse of phenolic wastewater.