Study of 4-t-octylphenol degradation and microbial community in granular sludge

In this study,the authors have investigated the effects of various factors on both aerobic and anaerobic degradation of 4-t-octylphenol (4-t-OP)in granular sludge.In comparison,the aerobic degradation rate was much higher than that of anaerobic degradation.The optimal pH values for 4-t-OP degradation in granular sludge were 9 and 7 under aerobic and anaerobic conditions,respectively.And the degradation rate decreased with an increase in the initial 4-t-OP concentration.Addition of yeast extract or homologous compounds such as phenol also enhanced the 4-t-OP degradation,especially under the aerobic condition.To investigate the bacterial community in this study,the denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis(DGGE)method was applied,based on the primers,for the 16S rDNA V3 region of bacteria,γ-proteobacteria and bacillus were identified as the major species of sludge.