Anaerobic degradation of phenol and sodium benzoate was examined at 37°C under different gas atmospheres or in the presence of various inhibitors. In the degradation of phenol, benzoate was formed significantly under the H
2/CO
2 atmosphere.
Anaerobic degradation intermediates of phenol and benzoate were examined under the nitrogen atmosphere in the presence of 2-bromoethanesulfonate, chloroform and molybdate.Benzoate, propionate, acetate and hydrogen were detected in the degradation of phenol, but cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone were not detected. Cyclohexane carboxylate, propionate, acetate and hydrogen were observed as degradation intermediates of benzoate.
In the phenol acclimated sludges, phenol was degraded via benzoate even in the absence of hydrogen and carbon dioxide in the gas phase ; thermodynamic calculation of free energy changes revealed that the reductive carboxylation of phenol to benzoate proceeds even under low hydrogen pressures.
The phenol degradation consortia were sensitive both to the inhibitors and the change in sludge concentration due to the addition of fresh media, while the benzoate degradation consortia was tolerant to these environmental changes. Addition of sludge fluid was effective to increase the degradation rate of phenol.
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