PHENOL ANAEROBIC DEGRADATION IN BATCH REACTORS ON FERMENTATIVE CONDITIONS

Abstract

The goal of this research was to assess phenol degradation on different nutritional conditions. The reactors were carried out in a batch fed with phenol, sulfate and yeast extract, at 30+1oC, under 150 rpm agitation. The reactors fed with phenol (240 mg.l-1) and yeast extract obtained 100% degradation efficiency in 11 days. The reactors fed with phenol (234 mg.l-1), sulfate (162.5 mg.l-1) and yeast extract; and phenol (256 mg.l-1), sulfate (500 mg.l-1) and yeast extract obtained degradation efficiency of 98.8% and 99.3%, respectively, in 17 days. Such efficiencies were obtained by the addition of yeast extract in the reactors, in the beginning of the essays. The analyzes of Molecular Biology had confirmed that the present bacterial community in inoculum remained in the reactors, although to have been operated under distinct nutritional conditions. These conditions had propitiated the permanence of bacterial populations capable to degrade phenol; to leaven phenol and to use sulfate as aceptor electron end.