The New Jersey Institute of Technology's
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Title:	The Biodegradation of phenol and O-chlorophenol using activated sludge bacteria
Author:	Colish, Jeffery
View Online:	njit-etd1984-022 (vii, 164 pages ~ 4.0 MB pdf)
Department:	Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry
Degree:	Master of Science
Program:	Chemical Engineering
Document Type:	Thesis
Advisory Committee:	Lewandowski, Gordon (Committee chair) Bozzelli, Joseph W. (Committee member) Kristol, David S. (Committee member)
Date:	1984-09
Keywords:	Phenols -- Biodegradation Water -- Purification -- Organic compounds removal
Availability:	Unrestricted
Abstract:	The biological degradation of phenol up to 500 ppm and 0-chlorophenol up to 40 ppm was studied in an aerated 4.0 liter hatch reactor using activated sludge bacteria from the Livingston, N.J. wastewater treatment plant. From the concentration versus time data, kinetic rate constants were determined for phenol (@ 100 ppm) and o-chlorophenol (@ 20 ppm and 40 ppm). Air stripping was determined to be an insignificant removal mechanism for the compounds studied. It was noted that the acclimation times decreased with repeated exposure to a particular concentration of phenol or o-chlorophenol, and that the activated sludge bacteria first had to be acclimated to phenol before they could significantly degrade o-chlorophenol. The effect of addition of amino acids on the rate of o-chlorophenol degradation was also studied. These were found to decrease the rate of biodegradation of 40 ppm o-chlorophenol.