Mehdi Ahmadi - Associate Professor, Environmental Technologies Research Center & Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
Nemat Jafarzadeh - Professor, Environmental Technologies Research Center & Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
Ali Babaei - Associate Professor, Environmental Technologies Research Center & Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
Nadali Alavi - Associate Professor, Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Zeinab Baboli - Senior Lecturer, Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Behbahan Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Behbahan, Iran.
Mehdi Vosoughi Niri - Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, Iran
zeinab ghaedrahmat - Senior Lecturer, Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Behbahan Faculty of Medical Sciences, Behbahan, Iran & Student research committee, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran

Background: Phenolic compounds are found in wastewater of many industries such as pulp and paper, textile, petrochemical, oil refineries, production of phenolic resins, plastics, coal furnace, tannery, rubber reclamation plant, fertilizers, coke, paints, rubber, decolorizer, resins, rubber and phenol- formaldehyde resin industries. This study aimed to evaluate Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR) performance in phenol removal from wastewater. Methods: The MBBR with Hydraulic Retention Time (HRT) of six hours was operated for ۱۰۵ days. The effect of phenol concentration (۰-۵۰۰ Mg/L) on the MBBR performance was assessed in three phases of ۰-۱۰۰, ۱۰۰-۳۰۰ and ۳۰۰-۵۰۰ Mg/L phenol concentration. Results: In this study, at phenol concentration of ۱۰۰ Mg/L, phenol and COD removal efficiencies were ۹۵.۵-۹۷% and ۹۴%, respectively. The removal efficiencies for phenol concentrations of ۳۰۰ Mg/L and ۵۰۰ Mg/L were ۹۴.۵-۹۶.۵% and ۹۲-۹۴.۵%, respectively. Conclusion: Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR) is a promising method for phenol removal from wastewater.

Wastewater, Phenol, Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor, Biological process, Bioreactor