Influence of Phenol-Polluted Air on the Structure and Microbial Populations of Aerobic Granuels

The phenol-polluted air was degraded by aerobic granules at a high phenol loading rate and the characteristics of aerobic granules were investigated. The morphology and structure of aerobic granule changed greatly when they degraded phenol-polluted air. The white bamboo-shaped filamentous bacteria grown were completely covered on the surface of aerobic granules at the phenol loading rate of 1.5 kg m^-3 d^-1. While the ECPs production increased sharply. The special phenol utilization rates (SPUR) of filamentous bacteria and core part of aerobic granules were 2.35, 1.62 mg phenol g^-1 VSS min^-1. The phenol degradation rate of filamentous bacteria was 97.94 %, which was higher than the 95.77% of cores. The PS, PN, ECPs of filamentous bacteria were higher than that of cores, respectively. And PS / PN value of filamentous bacteria was lower than that of cores, so filamentous bacteria were able to tolerate the toxicity and high phenol loading. The filamentous bacteria on the surface of aerobic granules were the Dominant phenol degradation micro-organisms.