A study of the biodegradability of 4-chloro-3-methylphenol by aerobic biological treatment

A study was undertaken to determine the biodegradability of 4-chloro-3-methylphenol by aerobic biological treatment. Respirometric studies were conducted to examine 4-chloro-3-methylphenol's toxicological effect and biodegradation rate. A bench scale experiment using a ten-liter, acrylic-based, pilot-scale bioreactor was set up to further validate the biological aerobic degradation of 4-chloro-3-methylphenol through activated sludge processes. Microbiological analysis revealed 4-chloro-3-methylphenol to be readily degraded in the presence of gram-negative aerobic bacteria identified as Oligella ureolytica and Moraxella. The study confirms 4-chloro-3-methylphenol is readily degraded at concentrations in excess of 85 mg/L with greater than 99.97 percent removal.