Anaerobic degradation of phenol using an acclimated mixed culture

Summary Anaerobic methanogenesis of phenol using mixed cultures derived from cow dung and municipal sewage sludge and adapted to phenol was done in batch reactors. The phenol degradation rate depended on the period in which the culture was acclimated to phenol. Interference in phenol uptake by glucose was observed. Consumption of both phenol and acetic acid was observed when an acetate-adapted culure was used. A phenol-acclimated culture was able to degrade dihydroxy phenols thus indicating the feasibility of cross-acclimation.Offprint requests to: P. Ghosh