Abstract
A phenolic resin industrial wastewater containing about 41,000 mg/l of phenol and 2,800 mg/l of formaldehyde was biologically treated by a mixed culture GE2 immobilized on ceramic beads. This study was carried out with three experimental groups : Control-only added the sludge of papermill wastewater ; GE2 treatment-added GE2 to Control ; Ceramic treatment-applied ceramic carrier to GE2 treatment. When the original wastewater was diluted 80 times with aerated tap-water, influent COD$_{Mn}$ WaS 1,140 mg/l and that of the effluent was in the range of 22-35 mg/l, which was not much different among the experimental groups. However, at 20-times dilution, influent COD$_{Mn}$ was 4,800 mg/l and the effluent COD$_{Mn}$ of Control, GE2 treatment and Ceramic treatment was 179, 128 and 94 mg/l, respectively. COD$_{Mn}$, removal efficiency by Ceramic treatment was the highest, at 98.0%. At this time, the effluent phenol concentration of Control, GE2 treatment and Ceramic treatment was 10.71, 7.93 and 5.60, respectively. As the dilution times decreased, the removal efficiency of COD$_{Mn}$ and phenol did not change much, but COD$_{Mn}$ and phenol concentration of the effluent increased. Consequently, it is likely that the phenolic industrial wastewater containing phenol and formaldehyde can be biologically treated using a GE2 and ceramic carrier and that at 40-times dilution, the effluent completely meets the effluent standards for industrial wastewater treatment plant.