Optimal biodegradation of phenol and municipal wastewater using a controlled sequencing batch reactor.

This work presents the results of the application of an optimally controlled influent flow rate strategy to biodegrade, in a discontinuous reactor, a mixture of municipal wastewater and different concentrations of phenol when used as a toxic compound model. The influent is fed into the reactor in such a way to obtain the maximal degradation rate avoiding the inhibition of the microorganisms. Such an optimal strategy was able to manage increments of phenol concentrations in the influent up to 7000 mg/L without any problem. It was shown that the optimally controlled influent flow rate strategy is a good and reliable tool when a discontinuous reactor is applied to degrade an industrial wastewater.