Biological phenol degradation using microalgae-bacteria symbiosis

This research explores the phenol degradation efficacy of microalgal-bacterial co-culture (MBC) systems for phenolic wastewater under varying light intensities. Microbial community analysis revealed adaptive shifts, notably the increased abundance of specific microalgae and bacteria crucial to the phenol degradation process. The genus Parachlorella among microalgae exhibited the highest dominance due to its resistance to phenol toxicity. In contrast, the dominance of bacterial species varied significantly depending on light intensity and the characteristics of the seed community.