Phenol Degradation Rate Research Articles

Fast organic degradation on Ti- and Bi-based photocatalysts via co-deposited Pt and Ni3(PO4)2 nanoparticles

Environmental remediation via semiconductor (SC) photocatalysis has attracted great attention over the past three decades. However, prospect for large scale application is still under debate, basically due to the bottleneck of fast charge recombination and/or slow surface reaction. Herein we report a universal solution of speeding up organic degradation simply via co-deposited Pt and nickel phosphate (NiP). Several representative SCs have been examined, including TiO2 (anatase, rutile, and brookite) under a 320 nm light, and Bi-based SC (BiVO4, Bi2WO6, and Bi2MoO6) under a 420 nm light. In all cases, the rates of phenol degradation in aqueous solution always varied not only in the order of NiP/Pt/SC > Pt/SC > NiP/SC > SC, but also NiP/Pt/SC > (Pt/SC + NiP/SC + SC). Meanwhile, hydroquinone and benzoquinone were produced as the main intermediates, but their concentration was much lower than that of phenol decreased, especially for NiP-containing sample. The solid was characterized with several techniques, including photoluminescence and (photo)electrochemical measurement. It is proposed that Pt and NiP act as co-catalysts for O2 reduction and phenol oxidation, respectively. Such electron and hole transfer promote each other, additionally improving the efficiency of charge separation, and further increasing the rates of surface reactions. This work highlights the necessity of a versatile co-catalyst in SC photocatalysis.

Efficient phenol degradation by laccase immobilized on functional magnetic nanoparticles in fixed bed reactor under high-gradient magnetic field.

Enzymatic degradation of emerging contaminants has gained great interest for the past few years. However, free enzyme often incurs high costs in practice. The immobilized laccase on the polyethylenimine (PEI)‐functionalized magnetic nanoparticles (Fe3O4–NH2–PEI–laccase) was fabricated to efficiently degrade phenolic compounds continuously in a newly fixed bed reactor under a high‐gradient magnetic field. The degradation rate of continuous treatment in the bed after 18 h was 2.38 times as high as that of batch treatment after six successive operations with the same treatment duration. Under the optimal conditions of volume fraction of nickel wires mesh, flow rate of phenol solution, phenol concentration, and Fe3O4–NH2–PEI–laccase amount, the degradation rate of phenol kept over 70.30% in 48 h continuous treatment. The fixed bed reactor filled with Fe3O4–NH2–PEI–laccase provided a promising avenue for the continuous biodegradation of phenolic compounds for industrial wastewater in practice.

FOTODEGRADASI FENOL DALAM LEMPUNG TERPILAR TIO2 (PHOTODEGRADATION OF PHENOL ON TIO2-PILLARED-KAOLINITE

Photodegradation of phenol on TiO2-pillared-kaolinite was observed. Pillarization of kaolinite was conducted through intercalation of polyoxotitanium sol into clay suspension followed by calcination giving TiO2-kaolinite which showed an increase in specific surface area and total pore volume compared with the kaolinite. The analysis of XRD demonstrated no significant change on d-space of second order of kaolinite structure associated with 2q 26.61°, but diffractions with regard to 2q 25.3° and 48.0° interpreted for TiO2 anatase were seen on the diffractogram of TiO2-kaolinite. The significant decrease of phenol concentration was observed in the presence of both kaolinite and TiO2-kaolinite under UV illumination (hn ³ 365 nm) compare with the photoreaction without the kaolinite materials however the degradation rate of phenol on TiO2-kaolinite was faster than that on the kaolinite-only where 50% of phenol was consumed after 45 minutes of reaction. Kinetic study showed the photoreaction of phenol on TiO2-kaolinite follows the first order reaction with the reaction rate constant of 1.8 x 10-2 min-1.

Enhanced organics degradation by three-dimensional (3D) electrochemical activation of persulfate using sulfur-doped carbon particle electrode: The role of thiophene sulfur functional group and specific capacitance

For further enhancing the electrochemical oxidation performance, sulfur-doped carbon particle electrode was employed in the three-dimensional (3D) electro-assisted activation of persulfate process (ACS/PS/EC). Herein, an in situ S-doped activated carbon (ACS) was prepared and applied as the particle electrode as well as catalyst in ACS/PS/EC system. Several carbon particle electrodes with different annealing temperature were prepared and characterized via EA, BET, XPS and Raman spectra. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) was perform to obtain the specific capacitance and investigate the interfacial electron transfer of ACS particle. The results of comparative experiments showed significant synergy between electric and catalytic activations of PS. Especially, the as-prepared sample treated at 850 °C (ACS-850) exhibited an outstanding catalytic performance, and the phenol degradation rate was greatly improved by nearly 100% with the application of electric field. By comparing of several carbon particle electrodes with different functional groups and specific capacitances, it is revealed that thiophene sulfur functional group is the mainly active site for both electric and catalytic activation of PS, and the specific capacitance acts as assistant factor. Quenching experiments proved that the 3D electro-assisted activation of PS proceeded through both radical and non-radical pathway. Possible mechanism for ACS/PS/EC electrochemical process was proposed.

An efficient foam Ni/MnO2/Pd composite cathode for the electrocatalytic degeneration of phenol

In this study, a Nickel foam electrode modified with MnO2 and Pd (i.e., a foam Ni/MnO2/Pd electrode) was fabricated in two electrodeposition steps. First, MnO2 was deposited on a three-dimensional cross-linked Ni foam electrode with high porosity and surface area through cyclic voltammetry. Then, the constant current method was used to deposit Pd electrically on the Ni foam electrode. The foam Ni/MnO2/Pd cathode exhibited a phenol degradation rate of 91.6% at a current density of 2 mA/cm2 for 2 h. This phenol degradation rate was higher than those of foam Ni/MnO2 and foam Ni/Pd. Furthermore, the Pd on the foam Ni/MnO2/Pd cathode was immobilized by depositing another thin layer of MnO2 to form foam Ni/MnO2/Pd/MnO2, which reduced Pd loss in the cleaning process and improved reusability without decreasing the phenol degradation efficiency.

Highly-crystalline Triazine-PDI Polymer with an Enhanced Built-in Electric Field for Full-Spectrum Photocatalytic Phenol Mineralization

Herein, a conjugated triazine-perylene diimide (triazine-PDI) polymer photocatalyst is prepared, and its full-spectrum photo-oxidative activity is evaluated. Enhanced dipole promotes the generation and separation of photo-induced charges, while its high degree of crystallinity results in a strong built-in electric field, which provides channels for the rapid transfer of the photo-generated charges. The advantageous structural characteristics enable a phenol degradation rate constant of 0.191 h−1, which is which is 12.7 and 2.2 times greater than bulk g-C3N4 and supramolecular PDI, respectively. Besides, triazine-PDI’s deep VB position led to a high rate of mineralization, i.e., a 79% total organic carbon removal rate in 24 h, which is 38% higher than that of self-assembled PDI. In summary, this work demonstrates the critical influence of crystallinity and built-in electric field adjustments for PDI photocatalytic activity.

Greatly enhanced oxidative activity of δ-MnO2 to degrade organic pollutants driven by dominantly exposed {−111} facets

The reactivity of oxidizing materials is highly related to the exposed crystal facets. Herein, δ-MnO2 with different exposure facets were synthesized and the oxidative activities of the as-prepared materials were evaluated by degrading phenol in water without light. The degradation rate of phenol by δ-MnO2-{−111} was significantly higher than that by δ-MnO2-{001}. δ-MnO2-{−111} also displayed high degradation efficiency to a variety of other organic pollutants, such as ciprofloxacin, bisphenol A, 3-chlorophenol and sulfadiazine. Comprehensive characterization and theoretical calculation verified that the {−111} facet had high density of Mn3+, thus displaying enhanced direct oxidative capacity to degrade organic pollutants. In addition, the dominant {−111} facet promoted adsorption/activation of O2, thus favored the generation of superoxide radical (O2•−), which actively participated in the degradation of pollutants. The phenol degradation kinetics could be divided into two distinct phases: the rapid phase (k1obs = 0.468 min−1) induced by Mn3+ and the slower phase (k2obs = 0.048 min−1) dominated by O2•−. The synergistically promoted non-radical and radical based reactions resulted in greatly enhanced the oxidative activity of the δ-MnO2-{−111}. These findings deepen the understanding of facet-dependent oxidative performance of materials and provided valuable insights into the possible practical application of δ-MnO2 for water purification.

Construction of a novel supramolecular self‐assembly photocatalyst for full visible light spectrum photooxidation of phenol

AbstractThe sluggish full visible light response of organic supramolecular catalysts is a challenge that greatly restricts their development in the photocatalytic field. Herein, we successfully fabricated a K, Cl‐codoped Bi2WO6/perylene‐diimide(PDI) catalyst with a novel, general, and facile ultrasound assisted water bath heating method. The UV adsorption onset of K, Cl‐codoped Bi2WO6/PDI is redshifted from 750 to 760 nm compared with that of the heterojunction of Bi2WO6/PDI. Under visible light, the phenol is thoroughly mineralized into CO2 and H2O, and the phenol degradation rate was three times higher than that of pure Bi2WO6/PDI. The electrons transfer from PDI to K‐ and Cl‐codoped Bi2WO6/PDI according to the charge density difference calculation. The built‐in potential of K‐ and Cl‐codoped Bi2WO6/PDI could increase from 2.09 to 5.54 eV. The excellent full visible light spectrum photooxidation of phenol is attributed to the suitably strong built‐in potential at the heterojunction between PDI and K, Cl‐codoped Bi2WO6.

Carbonized polyaniline activated peroxymonosulfate (PMS) for phenol degradation: Role of PMS adsorption and singlet oxygen generation

N-doped carbonaceous materials are promising efficient catalysts for peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation. In this study, the high-efficient N-doped carbon materials were prepared by direct carbonization of polyaniline (PANI) at 700 °C–1000 °C. It was optimized that the CPANI-9 (carbonized polyaniline prepared at 900 °C) exhibited excellent catalytic performance to activate PMS for phenol degradation, which was efficient over a wide pH range (pH 3.5∼9). In the CPANI-9/PMS system, the PMS adsorption/activation was identified as the key step determining the reaction rate. The quenching experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance demonstrated that the non-radical pathway was dominant in phenol degradation and singlet oxygen (1O2) was the main active specie. Graphitic N, pyridinic N, defects and ketonic groups (CO) were identified as catalytic sites. Interestingly, only the presence of PO43− greatly decreased the phenol degradation rate and PMS decomposition. The CPANI-9/PMS system could also degrade effectively various organic pollutants, indicating that it had potential practical application.

Enhanced phenol degradation under different shock-stress in LAC/AS system: The combination effects of LAC toxicity mitigation and microbial community shift

The lignite activated coke-facilitated activated sludge (LAC/AS) process has proved to be an effective method for increase of phenol biodegradability, yet the interactions between LAC toxicity mitigation and microbial community shift remain unclear. In this study, the phenol degradation rate under different shock-stress for 51 days were investigated. LAC/AS system can tolerate higher phenol shock stress but phenol removal rate starts to descend at 200 mg/L. The system settling performance deteriorated as the filamentous bulking appeared after 40 days but the phenol removal rate was maintained. The results indicated that the microbial community tend to shift for phenol biodegradation when the effect of LAC toxicity mitigation subdued. However, the SVI increased sharply from 40 to 226 mL/g in a relatively long operation period along with the increase of floc size and reduction of TB EPS. Flavobacterium and Bacteroides were the dominated species in the LAC/AS bulking system, correlating to the sustained phenol removal. This work enhances our understanding on the interactions between LAC and microbial community in LAC/AS system, which can be employed for further optimizing LAC/AS technology.

Biodegradation of phenol by a highly tolerant strain Rhodococcus ruber C1: Biochemical characterization and comparative genome analysis

A novel phenol-degrading strain was isolated and identified as Rhodococcus ruber C1. The degradation analysis shows that 1806 mg/L of phenol can be completely degraded by strain C1 within 38 h, and the maximum specific growth rate (μmax=1.527 h−1) and maximum specific phenol degradation rate (qmax=3.674 h−1) indicate its excellent phenol metabolism capability. More importantly, phenol can be degraded by strain C1 in the temperature range of 20–45 °C within 72 h, and with longer degradation time, phenol can be completely degraded even at 10, 15 and 50 °C. The whole genome of strain C1 was sequenced, and a comparative genome analysis of strain C1 with 36 other genomes of Rhodococcus was performed. A remarkable gene family expansion occurred during the evolution of Rhodococcus, and a comprehensive evolutionary picture of Rhodococcus at genomic level was presented. Moreover, the copy number of genes involved in phenol metabolism was compared among genus Rhodococcus, and the results demonstrate high phenol degradation capability of strain C1 at genomic level. These findings suggest that Rhodococcus ruber C1 is a bacterium capable of degrading phenol efficiently in the temperature range of 10–50 °C.

Enhanced removals of micropollutants in binary organic systems by biomass derived porous carbon/peroxymonosulfate

Water pollution usually involves multiple pollutants, and their degradation mechanisms are complicated. In this study, we investigated the degradation of single and binary pollutants (phenol and p-hydroxybenzoic acid (HBA)) in water, using biomass-derived N-doped porous carbon (Y-PC) for peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation and we found better kinetics and efficiencies of degradation in binary pollutants than single pollutant systems. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), quenching experiments, and electrochemical tests indicated that •OH, SO4•−, O2•−, and 1O2 accounted for the catalytic oxidation of phenol/HBA, while the electron-transfer pathway had an additional contribution to phenol degradation. We unveiled that the HBA degradation rate was similar in the binary and single systems due to the non-selective attack of the micropollutants by •OH, SO4•−, O2•− and 1O2. However, phenol degradation rate was significantly accelerated in the binary phenol/HBA system as compared to that in the single phenol solution, due to the exclusive and selective role of electron transfer pathway. In the binary micropollutant system, a fortified electron-transfer pathway over phenol directly expedited its decomposition and contributed indirectly to this process. This study provides new insights into porous carbon-based advanced oxidation processes for the simultaneous removal of multicomponent contaminants in practical applications.

Tetrasulfonate substituted phthalocyaninatozinc (II) (ZnTSPc) modification on the two dimensional surface of ZnO: On-surface synthesis, interface characteristics, and its selective photodegradation under visible irradiation

The photo-degradative selectivity for a photocatalyst is strongly dependent to the specific interaction between the photocatalyst and substrate. Here, a hydrophilic functional molecule, tetrasulfonate substituted phthalocyaninatozinc (II) (ZnTSPc) was modified on the two dimensional (2D) surface of ZnO via an on-surface synthesis. In the synthetic process, the dangling bonds of zinc ions on the high active facet ((001) and (100)) of dumbbell-like ZnO (ZnO ZDs) were used as a template of cyclotetramerization reaction for ZnTSPc by an on-surface process, where 4-(potassium sulfonate) phthalonitrile was used as a precursor. Compared with pure ZnTSPc, a significant fluorescence quenching (96.3 %) for ZnTSPc/ZnO happened. The photogenerated electron-hole pairs were effectively separated by photoexcited electrons injecting from ZnTSPc into ZnO ZDs conduction band with a rapid charge transfer rate (6.1 × 107s−1). Under visible light irradiation, ZnTSPc/ZnO as a photocatalyst illustrates higher catalytic degradation rate for both phenol (PL) and methylene blue (MB) than those by using ZnO ZDs. Due to the hydrophilicity of sulfo groups on the peripheral substituted ZnTSPc, MB as a hydrophilic dye had strong attraction towards super-hydrophilic ZnTSPc/ZnO via π-π conjugation, but PL with hydrophobicity. The relative degradation rate of MB by using ZnTSPc/ZnO is 4.19 times faster than that of PL, illustrating ZnTSPc/ZnO with distinct photocatalytic selectivity under visible irradiation. The energy-band feature and mechanism for photoexcited electrons transition are illustrated based on electrochemical analysis.

Solid peroxides in Fenton-like reactions at near neutral pHs: Superior performance of MgO2 on the accelerated reduction of ferric species

Fenton-like reactions at near neutral pHs are limited by the slow reduction of ferric species. Enhancing generation of ▪ from solid peroxides is a promising strategy to accelerate the rate-limiting step. Herein, the H2O2 release and Fenton-like reactions of four solid peroxides, MgO2, CaO2, ZnO2 and urea hydrogen peroxide (UHP), were investigated. Results indicated that UHP can release H2O2 instantly and show a similar behavior as H2O2 in the Fenton-like reactions. MgO2 released H2O2 quickly in phosphate buffered solutions, which was comparable to CaO2 but faster than ZnO2. Metal peroxides induced higher initial phenol degradation rates than UHP and H2O2 when the same theoretic H2O2 dosages and Fe(III)-EDTA were used. MgO2 displayed a superior performance for phenol degradation at pH 5, resulting in more than 93% phenol reduction at 1.5 h. According to kinetic analyses, the generation rate of ▪ in the MgO2 system was 18 and 3.4 times higher than those in ZnO2 and CaO2 systems, respectively. The addition of MgO2 significantly promoted H2O2 based Fenton-like reactions by increasing production of ▪, and the mixture of MgO2 and H2O2 had an improved utilization efficiency of active oxygen than the MgO2 system. The findings suggested the critical roles of metal peroxides in favoring Fenton-like reactions and inspired strategies to simultaneously accelerate Fenton-like reactions and improve utilization efficiency of active oxygen.

Preparation of CoFe2O4/MWNTs/sponge electrode to enhance dielectric barrier plasma discharge for degradation of phenylic pollutants and Cr(VI) reduction

CoFe2O4/MWNTs/sponge electrodes were prepared by co-adsorption of CoFe2O4 nanowires and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) onto a pure sponge, which were combined in a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma reactor to enhance discharge performance. The optimum concentration of CoFe2O4 nanowires contained in the CoFe2O4/MWNTs/sponge electrode was 0.5 g/L with a degradation rate of phenol of 98.52 % in 40 min. The CoFe2O4/MWNTs/sponge–DBD system significantly had the highest energy utilization efficiency with the tip discharge formed by CoFe2O4 nanowires and uniform discharge zone enlarged by modified sponge electrode. Further, phenol, hydroquinone, nitrobenzene, and p-nitrophenol as phenylic pollutants combined with hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) were treated simultaneously in CoFe2O4/MWNTs/sponge–DBD system. CoFe2O4 nanowires in DBD process formed photocatalytic and Fenton-like reaction could enhance phenylic pollutants degradation and Cr(VI) reduction. The synergistic removal effect between phenylic pollutants and Cr(VI) was discussed and the reaction mechanism in the CoFe2O4/MWNTs/sponge–DBD system was also explored.

Recovery of mangrove sediment contaminated with fuel oil by endogenous microbial consortium

This work aimed to select a microbial consortium enriched with isolated microorganisms of mangrove sediment as to its capacity to recover sediment contaminated by lubricating oil. The promising microorganisms were selected using the colorimetric dichlorophenol indophenol technique (DCPIP) using lubricating oil as the carbon source, to evaluate the emulsifying and enzymatic activity of the microorganisms. The antagonism test was also used for further evaluation of the consortia. The fractional factorial experimental design methodology (2n) was used to establish the process conditions for the subsequent accomplishment of the degradation kinetics of the lubricating oil by the selected microorganisms and consortium. Eight bacteria and three fungi were evaluated, of which five were selected with a 36 h turn of the DCPIP indicator. Eleven microorganisms produce emulsifying substances and five produce enzymes. The results showed that the best consortium was B5F2F4, with a degradation rate of 95% of the phenol at 70 rpm in 250 μL of the oil. The kinetics of oil degradation showed a phenol degradation rate of 65% after 24 days of treatment. The microorganisms are suitable for the degradation of phenol, the main constituent of the oil, and can be used as a recovery model for environments contaminated with hydrocarbons.

Highly efficient removal and detoxification of phenolic compounds using persulfate activated by MnOx@OMC: Synergistic mechanism and kinetic analysis

Persulfate-based advanced oxidation technology exhibits great potential for hazardous organic pollutant removal from wastewater. Acceleration of pollutant degradation needs to be elucidated, particularly for heterogeneous catalytic systems. In this study, manganese oxide ordered mesoporous carbon composites (MnOx@OMC) were prepared by nano-casting method and used for persulfate activation to degrade phenol. Kinetics analysis indicate that the rate of phenol degradation using MnOx@OMC composites was improved by 34.9 folds relative to that using a mixture of MnOx and OMC. The phenol toxicity towards Caenorhabditis elegans could be totally reduced within 8 min. The different roles of MnOx and OMC in persulfate activation were confirmed to validate their synergistic effect. MnOx provided major active sites for persulfate activation in accordance with the surface Mn3+/Mn4+ cycle to induce SO4•− radicals. The OMC matrix provided the adsorption sites to enrich phenol molecules on the catalytic surface and promote the interfacial electron transfer process for persulfate activation. Moreover, a novel kinetic model with two distinct kinetic stages was established to verify the effects of phenol and persulfate on phenol removal.

Tailoring polymeric composite gel beads-encapsulated microorganism for efficient degradation of phenolic compounds

Phenol and its derivatives are highly toxic pollutants in industrial wastewater for the ecological environments, so there is essential attention to develop effective means of removing these harmful substances from water. In this work, the microorganism was immobilized into polymeric composite gel beads prepared by the effective recombination of natural abundant chitosan (CS) and industrial polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) for treating phenolic compounds. The degradation rate of 99.5% can be achieved to treat 100 mg·L−1 of phenol at 30 °C using the fresh resultant immobilized microorganism, where only 21.1% degradation rate was obtained by the free microorganism under the identical conditions. The recycling experiments of repeated 90 times to treat 100 mg·L‐1 of phenol displayed that the degradation rate of phenol was stable to 99% with the appearance of beads unchanged significantly, indicating the immobilized microorganism possessed excellent operating stability. Moreover, while the phenol derivatives of 100 mg·L−1 were treated catalytically including p-methylphenol, catechol, and o-aminophenol for 24 h by the immobilized microorganism, the degradation rates were all above 95%. The immobilized microorganism into PVA-CS polymeric composite with excellent operating stability and degradation activity would provide a feasible solution for treating phenolic compounds in water in industrial applications.

Visible‐light driven photodegradation of phenol over niobium oxide‐loaded fibrous silica titania composite catalyst

AbstractBACKGROUNDHeterogeneous photocatalysis has been demonstrated to be a promising alternative to treating emerging pollutants in wastewater. Phenol, an extremely toxic substance among existing pollutants, can cause long‐term unintended effects when improperly disposed. An effective measure to address this problem is to develop suitable heterojunctions. Among various photocatalyst, titanium dioxide (TiO2) appears to be an excellent photocatalyst in the degradation of organic pollutants.RESULTSSynthetization of well‐constructed heterojunction composite of niobium oxide (Nb2O5) and fibrous silica titania (FST) for enhanced photocatalytic degradation of phenol has been investigated. The photocatalytic performance demonstrated that 5 wt% Nb2O5 loaded on FST (5 Nb/FST) gave the maximum phenol degradation rate (1.70 × 10−2 mM min−1) of 10 mg L−1 phenol at pH 5 using 1000 mg L−1 catalyst within 180 min. Meanwhile, under the same conditions, 1 Nb/FST, FST, 10 Nb/FST and Nb2O5 only delivered 1.51 × 10−2, 1.30 × 10−2, 1.01 × 10−2 and 0.07 × 10−2 mM min−1, respectively. Further phenol photocatalytic degradation routes by 5 Nb/FST reveal that the main intermediates detected are hydroquinone, catechol, maleic, fumaric, and malonic acid.CONCLUSIONIn this work, 5 Nb2O5/FST composite, as an effective‐performance photocatalyst for phenol degradation, was well‐constructed. The advanced activity can primarily be attributed to the regulated Nb2O5 loading with FST and the effect of Nb/FST microsphere heterojunctions, synergistically. Besides, larger crystallite size, high impurity levels and Si‐O‐Nb and Nb–O–Ti bonds, offers excellent phenol degradation. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI)

Biodegradation of Phenol by Rhodococcus sp. Strain SKC: Characterization and Kinetics Study.

This study focuses on the kinetics of a pure strain of bacterium Rhodococcus sp. SKC, isolated from phenol-contaminated soil, for the biodegradation of phenol as its sole carbon and energy source in aqueous medium. The kinetics of phenol biodegradation including the lag phase, the maximum phenol degradation rate, maximum growth rate (Rm) and maximum yield coefficient (Y) for each Si (initial phenol concentration, mg/L) were fitted using the Gompertz and Haldane models of substrate inhibition (R2 > 0.9904, RMSE < 0.00925). The values of these parameters at optimum conditions were μmax = 0.30 h−1, Ks = 36.40 mg/L, and Ki = 418.79 mg/L, and that means the inhibition concentration of phenol was 418.79 mg/L. By comparing with other strains of bacteria, Rhodococcus sp. SKC exhibited a high yield factor and tolerance towards phenol. This study demonstrates the potential application of Rhodococcus sp. SKC for the bioremediation of phenol contaminate.