[Microbial degradation of components of waste water from phenol-producing industry]. / Mikrobnaia degradatsiia komponentov stochnykh vod proizvodstva fenola.

Processes of aerobic biodegradation of components of phenol production sewage (phenol, acetophenone, dimethylphenylcarbinol, cumene hydroperoxide, alpha-methylstyrene, benzoate, and p-hydroxybenzoate) by bacterial strains obtained from the collection of Saratov Institute of Biocatalysis were studied. The metabolic reactions were shown to be oxidative and have a common catabolic sequence (cumene hydroperoxide-dimethylphenyl-carbinol alpha-methylstyrene-acetophenone-phenyl acetate-phenol-pyrocatechol-aromatic ring breakage). Benzoate and p-hydroxybenzoate were degraded through the formation of pyrocatechol and protocatechuate, respectively. Metabolic pathways were similar in model mixtures of components and sewage samples.