Response of low-strength phenol-acclimated activated sludge to shock loading of high phenol concentrations

Abstract

(ii) investigate the degradation pathways and (iii) model the growth and biodegradation kinetics, all under the condition of increasingly higher phenol concentrations (step-up shock loading). With the use of activated sludge acclimated to phenol concentration of 140 mg∙ℓ−1 (low-strength phenol-acclimated activated sludge), complete degradation of phenol with a COD removal efficiency of more than 95% was achieved up to 1 050 mg∙ℓ⁻¹ of initial phenol concentration. At low initial phenol concentrations, the experimental results were indicative of the meta-cleavage pathway for phenol degradation. When the initial phenol concentration was above 630 mg∙ℓ⁻¹, the degradation results were indicative of both meta- and ortho-cleavage pathways. The values of the Haldane kinetic parameters indicated a low degree of inhibition exerted by the presence of increasing phenol concentration. This was substantiated by the observation that the rate constant of phenol removal decreased by only 33% even though the initial phenol concentration was increased by 15 times from 70 to 1 050 mg∙ℓ⁻¹.
Thus, the activated sludge acclimated to only 140 mg∙ℓ⁻¹ of phenol could successfully treat up to 1 050 mg∙ℓ⁻¹ of phenol without experiencing complete inhibition during the degradation process.

Keywords: Phenol removal, low-strength phenol-acclimated activated sludge, degradation pathway, Haldane kinetic parameter