This study examined the feasibility of using an algal-bacterial process for removal of phenol and NH4
+
-N
from differently diluted coke wastewater with simultaneous production of biomass. Under illumination,
microalgal-bacterial (MSB) cultures performed complete phenol degradation at all dilutions of coke
wastewater while sole microalgal culture (MSA) degraded a maximum of 27.3% of phenol (initial concentration:
24.0 mg L1
) from 5-fold diluted wastewater. Furthermore, the MSB culture had the highest rate
of NH4
+
-N removal (8.3 mg L1 d1
) and fatty acid production (20 mg L1 d1
) which were 2.3- and 1.5-
fold higher than those observed in the MSA cultures, probably due to decreases in toxic organic pollutants.
Multivariate analyses indicated that co-cultivation of activated sludge was directly correlated with
the elevated removals of phenol and NH4
+
-N. In the presence of sludge, adequate dilution of the coke
wastewater can maximize the effect of bacteria on NH4
+
-N removal and biomass production.