VERFAHREN ZUR BIOLOGISCHEN DESULFONIERUNG VON SULFONIERTEN ORGANISCHEN VERBINDUNGEN IN ABWAESSERN

The biodegradation of sulphonated aromatic compounds and especially of aromatic sulphonic acids and sulphonates in process waste waters (effuent) or discharges from treatment plants is achieved by treatment with green algae or with a cellular extract obtained from green algae by mechanical cell disintegration and cell wall separation, especially with algae or extract from green algae of the genus Scenedesmus obliquus, Chlorella vulgaris or Euglena gracilis, where the duration of treatment when using cell extract is somewhat reduced and amounts to at least 10 minutes, while the duration of treatment when using green algae is at least one hour. The separated green algae can be used again after regeneration. The pH of the treatment is not critical and has an optimum value of 5.5 to 7.5.