Anaerobic biological treatment of phenolic wastewater at 15–18 °C

Low-temperature, or psychrophilic (<20 °C) anaerobic digestion has been proven feasible for the mineralisation of simple wastewaters. In this study, hybrid expanded granular sludge bed-anaerobic filter (EGSB-AF) bioreactors were used to evaluate the feasibility of psychrophilic digestion for the treatment of phenol-containing wastewater. Efficient chemical oxygen demand and phenol removal were observed at organic and phenol loading rates of 5 kg COD m−3 d−1 and 0.4–1.2 kg phenol m−3 d−1 (400–1200 mg phenol [l wastewater]−1), respectively. There was no long-term accumulation of volatile fatty acids in the reactor systems. Methanogenic activity was developed under psychrophilic conditions but anaerobic methane-producing populations remained mesophilic throughout the trial of 415 days.