Phenol Removal from Petroleum-Contaminated Wastewater Using Alcaligenes faecalis

The treatment of industrial wastewater contaminated with petroleum products is a difficult task due to the presence of a large number of toxic substances, including phenol. This study proposes using a biopreparation based on the bacterial strain resistant to a number of biocides and capable of utilizing phenol and petroleum hydrocarbons, Alcaligenes faecalis DOS7, for phenol removal from oil refinery wastewater. Experiments conducted on a pilot laboratory setup showed that adding the biopreparation based on A. faecalis DOS7 to the activated sludge of existing aeration tanks increased the efficiency of wastewater treatment for phenol by 1.7 times and for petroleum products by 1.5 times. Potential for the process optimization is discussed.