Development of protocols for assessing the effect of phenol on the dry anaerobic digestion process

Abstract

The study was conducted to develop protocols for assessing the effect of phenol on the dry anaerobic digestion process. The experimenter was carried out in two phases. Phase I was designed to observe the effect of increasing phenol concentrations on the process and to assess phenol monitoring program. Phenol addition from 50 mg kg$\sp{-1}$ to 168.75 mg kg$\sp{-1}$ through three additions did not have a deleterious effect on the fermentation process since the system has a stable performance. The effect of phenol concentrations from 168.75 mg kg$\sp{-1}$ to 379.65 mg kg$\sp{-1}$ could not be determined since both reactors failed. Phenol monitoring program covered specific issues such as: sampling from heterogenous compost material at different stages of the digestion process, phenol quanitification using extraction technique, and high-performance liquid chromatography measurement. Phase II was designed to develop a standard operating procedure for phenol analysis and extraction from the organic fraction of municipal solid waste. Alkaline water and the solution of 95% of 0.1 N sodium phosphate and 5% acetonitrile were the best extractants. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)