Optimization of Biodegradation of Phenol in a Refinery Effluent Treatment Facility | Chapter 11 | Recent Advances in Biological Research Vol. 5
Background: Regulatory agencies in Nigeria and all over the world demand that refinery wastewater (RWW) meet stipulated regulatory limits before discharge into the environment. Biodegradation of toxic hydrocarbon constituents of these effluents, such as phenol, has remained a challenge with regards to compliance with regulatory requirements. Aims: This study investigated the effect of micronutrients and macronutrients on the biodegradation of phenol in RWW. Methods: The micronutrients used in the study were CoSO 4 , MnSO 4 , ZnSO 4 and CuSO 4 while the macronutrients comprised urea and NPK. Range-finding and optimum concentration tests were performed for each of the nutrients. The experiment was carried out in a 3L Erlenmeyer’s flask incubated in a rotary shaker under experimentally determined optimum cultural conditions, using a fractional factorial design. Phenol concentration (mg/ml) was monitored daily throughout the experiment using spectrophotometric method....