Aromatic compounds are widely distributed in nature and free phenols are frequently liberated as
metabolic intermediates during the degradation of plant materials. In recent years the natural supply of
phenolic substances has been greatly increased due to the release of industrial byproducts into the
environment. Effluents from petrochemical, textile and coal industries contain phenolic compounds in
very high concentration; therefore there is a necessity to remove phenolic compounds from the
environment. Among various techniques available for removal of phenols, biodegradation is an
environment friendly and cost effective method. This paper describes about the various sources of phenol,
various microorganisms involved in the biodegradation including aerobe and anaerobe, effect of
environmental parameters on phenol degradation and kinetic analysis of biodegradation, and various
reactors used for biodegradation.
Key words: Phenol, biodegradation, microorganisms, reactors