title: Aerobic degradation of phenolics and aromatic hydrocarbons in presence of cyanide.
abstract: Present study focused on the degradation of a mixture of phenol, cresol, xylenol, quinoline, and indole along with cyanide, commonly found in coke oven wastewater, using aerobic mixed culture. It was found that xylenol and indole were difficult to degrade, when the concentrations were above 250 mg/L. It was observed that free cyanide (2.5mg/L and above) has the potency to holdup the oxidation of organics (250 mg/L) until the cyanide concentration drops to a minimum level. Final TOC in the mixed pollutant system was less than 4 mg/L, indicating the absence of other organic byproducts. Experimental results highlight effect of free cyanide on removal of organics and the combined toxic influence of cyanide and organics on the microbes treating coking wastewater. The proposed mathematical model was able to predict the biodegradation of mixed pollutant system satisfactorily.
authors.affiliation: Environmental and Water Resources Engineering Division, Department of Civil Engineering, IIT Madras, Chennai 600 036, India.
authors.forename: Naresh K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Ligy
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Philip
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Murty Bhallamudi
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D001420:Bacteria, Aerobic / Q000378:metabolism*; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D002852:Chromatography, Ion Exchange; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006841:Hydrocarbons, Aromatic / Q000378:metabolism*; D008954:Models, Biological; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010636:Phenols / Q000378:metabolism*; D011190:Potassium Cyanide / Q000378:metabolism*; D012722:Sewage / Q000382:microbiology; D013056:Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet; D062065:Wastewater / Q000737:chemistry*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000378:metabolism*; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D006841:Hydrocarbons, Aromatic; D010636:Phenols; D011190:Potassium Cyanide; D012722:Sewage; D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical