Feasibility study of microbial regeneration of spent activated carbon sorbed with phenol using mixed bacterial culture

The feasibility of regeneration of powdered activated carbon sorbed with phenol has been studied. A mixed bacterial culture, isolated from hydrocarbon polluted sediment, has been firstly acclimatized to the different concentrations of aqueous phenol solution and then it's immobilization on the powdered activated carbon is carried out. Substrate utilization and bacterial growth kinetics are also studied using Haldane equation. After the complete consumption of the phenolic compounds, the particles are examined using SEM for the biofilm morphology. The complete biofilm is not observed, rather clusters of biomass in the pits and crevices of the carbon particles and inside the macro pores are seen. Scattered colonies of microorganism are spotted on the surface of activated carbon. The experiments are also conducted to determine the extent of bioregeneration. The bioregeneration is not complete and found to be 57.5%.