• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.603-608
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• 2010

More than 8 millions of chemical have been used for human activities and lots of chemicals can not be degraded by microbial activities in this world. To show the biodegradability of a chemical, biodegradability index (B.I.) is suggested using aerobic biodegradability by $BOD_5$/COD, anaerobic biodegradability by methane potential (M.P.) and toxicity by the luminiscent bacteria. In this study, PVA (polyvinyl alcohol), HEC (hydroxy ethyl cellulose), 2,4,6-TCP (tri-chloro phenol) and 2,4-DCP (di-chloro phenol) are used for test chemicals. Though they show little toxicity, PAV and HEC have low B.I. because they are polymers having high molecular weight. That means that there are no bacteria that has enzyme to degrade polymer molecules. Also, anaerobic treatment is suggested better than aerobic treatment from B.I. 2,4,6-TCP and 2,4-DCP show high toxicity and have low B.I. Their low biodegradabilities seem to be originated from their toxicities. If B.I. is used in wastewater treatment, better treatment process can be suggested and finally it can lead our society to make more environment-friendly chemicals.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.72-80
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• 1996

This study was carried to investigate the biodegradability of phenol wastewater in the sluge blanket-packed bed reactor(SBPBR). The reactor consisted of two regions. The lower region was a sludge blanket of 0.5 m height and the upper region was a packed-bed. The phenol and COD concentration of the effluent, the gas production and the composition of gas were measured to determine the performance of the anaerobic wastewater treatment system as the phenol concentration of the influent was increased from 600 to 1800 mg/l. Stable biodegradation of phenol wastewater could be achieved with the anaerobic treatment system from 600 to 1200 mg/l of the influent phenol concentration. But the SBPBR system was getting more serious at 1800 mg/l of influent phenol concentration. At the steady state of the influent phenol concentration of 600-1200 mg/l, the treatment performance showed the phenol removal efficiency of 94.5~96.3%, the COD removal efficiency of 93.3~96% and the gas production of 4.94~9.64 l/day.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.1001-1007
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• 2003

Metal ions contamination may inhibit microorganisms involved in the biodegradation of organic compounds and affect biodegradation rates. Therefore, it is likely that bioremediation of xenobiotics-contaminated soils and waste will require inoculation with efficient biodegrading microbial communities, with capabilities of being resistant to heavy metals as well. Two different transconjugants (Pseudomonas sp. KMl2TC and P. aeruginosa TC) were constructed by conjugation experiments. Results on MIC, induction and growth inhibition strongly indicated that arsenic-resistant plasmid, pKM20, could be mobilized, and the newly acquired phenotype of pKM20 was not only expressed but also well regulated, resulting in newly acquired resistances to $As^{5+},\;As^{3+},\;and\;Sb^{3+} in\;addition\;to\;Cd^{2+},\;Zn^{2+},\;and\;Hg^{2+}$. The phenol- degradation efficiencies of Pseudomonas sp. KMl2TC were maintained significantly even at high heavy metal concentrations at which these efficiencies of P. aeruginosa TC were completely impaired. The results in this study on the effects of heavy metals on phenol degradation, especially after conjugation, are the first ever reported. All the results described in this study encourage to establish a goal of making "designer biocatalysts" which could degrade certain xenobiotics in the area contaminated with multiple heavy metals.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.7
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• pp.1068-1077
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• 2006

Pseudomonas sp. PhCN strain, which has the potential to utilize phenol and cyanide as a sole carbon and nitrogen source, was isolated. A comparison of the effect of cyanide on phenol degradation and vice versa by strain PhCN showed that the degradation time was significantly delayed by an increase in either phenol or cyanide concentration, and the greatest activities were obtained in basal medium containing a low concentration of cyanide and phenol. This strain contained two plasmids of approximately 120 kb (pPhCN-1) and 110 kb (pPhCN-2). Plasmid curing experiments produced a plasmid-free strain as well as strains containing either the 120- or the 110 kb plasmid. The strains were tested for their ability to utilize phenol and KCN. The results demonstrated that the ability to utilize phenol was encoded by the 120 kb plasmid, whereas the ability to utilize cyanide appeared to be encoded by the chromosome.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.203-209
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• 1994

The bacterial strain which utilizes phenol and degrade TCE was isolated from an industrial waste site. The bacterial strain was named as T5-7 and identified as an Acinetobacter species. After phenol-induction, the strain T5-7 removed TCE efficiently without cell growth. So, it seems that TCE degradation was not related to cell growth. TCE degradation increased when initial cell concentrations of phenol-grown T5-7 were high. In the presence of phenol, initial degradation of TCE was delayed but total amount of degradation was not affected at final stage. The strain cultured in 0.1% yeast extract did not degrade TCE, which indicates that phenol induction was essential to the TCE degradation.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2000.04a
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• pp.410-413
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• 2000

Lab-scale trickling bioreactor(TBR) containing the biofilm of Pseudomonas cepacia G4 was developed for the treatment of trichloroethylene(TCE) in a waste gas stream. The effect of phenol feeding on the efficiency of TCE biodegadation in TBR was investigated with the change of inlet phenol concentration from 0 to 4.71 ppm. When 0.94 ppm of phenol was supplied, the best performance of TBR was maintained with the TCE removal efficiency of 58.1%. These results showed that the appropriate supply of phenol could stimulate TCE removal efficiency in TBR.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.96-103
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• 1996

The objectives of this study were to examine the biodegradation of phenol using the anaerobic fluidized bed reactor(AFBR). Mixed microorganisms were selected from the anaerobic digestion tank, and could be adapted to high concentration of phenol by increasing the phenol concentration 600-3600 mg/l step by step. The results were summarized as follows: 1. The average removal efficiency of phenol was 90%, decreased by increasing concentration of phenol, and then a shock range was 1200~2400 ppm. 2. The production rate of biogas in overall limits was proportional to the concentration of influent phenol. 3. At steady state, compositions of gases were $CH_4$ 55~60%, $C0_2$ 34~43%, respectively. These were similar to that of the theoretical estimates. 4. The production rates of biogas and methane per the molarity of phenol removed were linearly increased, 56.45 l gas/mol-phenol and 29.20 l $CH_4/mol$-phenol. Using this biogas, the recoverable energy was 269.1 kcal/mol phenol. It was 120.2 kcal/g-COD, transforming into the chemical oxygen demand. 5. The bulk of microorganisms existed in suspended section of fluidized bed with type of biofilm and its concentration was 340 mg/g-media. In conclusion, the anaerobic treatment of pure phenol was possible and its removal efficiency, introducing the AFBR, was successful. Also toxic organic compound such as phenol was biodegradable and was recoverable as resource of energy.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.119-126
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• 1996

Influence factors and efficiency characteristics for treatment of wastewater containing phenol were studied with using Pseudomonas sp. B3. It took 130 hours to remove phenol, when only activated sludge of terminal disposal palnt of sewage was innoculated in batch culture, but it was required just 36 hours, when bacteria degrading phenol and activated sludge were simultaneously innoculated. If only phenol an carbon source was used, it necessary 36 hours for biodegradation of phenol, while glucose was added to medium, it took 73 hours. It was revealed as excellent effluent and SVI, when the F/M ratio, COD and phenol concentration were 53mg/l and 1.2mg/l, respectively, and optimum F/M ratio was revealed 0.31. The reactor were seriously shocked as reducing hydraulic retention time at constant phenol concentration more than increasing phenol concentration at constant hydraulic retention time, when volumetric loading rate was increased to $0.8kg\;phenol/m^3{\codt}d$ from $1.6kg\;phenol/m^3{\codt}d$. And also the effluent phenol concentration was 34mg/l after starting 12 hours of shocking and reactor was recovered as steady state after 65 hours of changing in the former test. Although the effluent phenol concentration was maximum value with 12mg/l after starting 20 hours of shocking and reactor was recovered as steady state after 54 hours of changing in the later test.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.743-748
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• 1996

For the biological treatment of phenolic resin wastewater containing phenol and formaldehyde, a phenol-degrading yeast was isolated from the papermill sludge, and then identified as Candida tropicalis PW-51 according to morphological, physiological and biochemical properties. The strain was able to degrade high phenol concentrations up to 2,000mg/l within 58 hours in batch cultures. Phenol-degrading efficiency by the strain was maximum at the culture conditions of a final concentration of 9 $\times$ 10$^{6}$ cells/ml, 30$\circ$C and pH 7.0. The mean degradation rate of phenol was highest at 45.5mg/l/h in 1,000mg/l phenol from 500mg/l to 2,000mg/l phenol. Because the enzyme activity of catechol 1,2-dioxygenase increased in the course of degradation of phenol, it seems that this strain degrades phenol via the ortho-cleavage of benzene ring. The isolate C. tropicalis PW-51 could be effectively used for the biological treatment of phenolic resin wastewater.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.61-66
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• 1998

A microorganism which degrades phenol and co-metabolizes trichloroethylene (TCE) was isolated from Yangsan stream after enrichment in a medium containing phenol as the sole carbon source. The isolate EL-43P was identified as the genus Rhodococcus by its morphological, cultural and physiological characteristics. Phenol-induced cells of Rhodococcus sp. EL-43P degraded TCE. Toluene and nutrient broth could not replace the phenol requirement. The optimal conditions of initial pH and temperature of media for growth were 7.0~9.0 and $30~50^{\circ}C$, respectively. Rhodococcus sp. EL-43P could grow with phenol up to 1,000 ppm. Growth was inhibited by phenol at a concentration above 1,500 ppm. It was observed that Rhodococcus sp. EL-43P was able to degrade 90% of phenol (1,000 ppm) after 40 h in a culture. Phenol-induced cells of Rhodococcus sp. EL-43P degraded 95% of $5{\mu}M$ TCE in 6 h. Rhodococcus sp. EL-43P hardly degraded TCE above $100{\mu}M$.