PHENOLIC PROBLEMS SOLVED WITH
HYDROGEN PEROXIDE OXIDATION
Edward J. Keating, Technical Service
Richard A. Brown, Research Chemist
Edward S. Greenberg, Research Chemist
Industrial Chemical Group
FMC Corporation
Princeton, New Jersey 08540
INTRODUCTION
Phenolic wastes are one of the most prevalent forms of chemical pollutants in industry
today.   Among the major sources of phenolic waste discharges are insulation fiberglass
manufacturing and petroleum refineries. Other sources of phenolic waste include: smelting
and slag operations, organic products manufacture, synthetic resin manufacture, textile mills,
steel making, paint stripping, plywood, hardboard and wood preserving (Table I).
The problem of phenolic wastes is complex. They include not only phenol (C6}\ OH), but
also an assortment of many organic compounds. Just counting all possible chlorophenols,
one arrives at a total of nineteen distinct compounds, several of which are shown in Figure 1.
Multiply this number by the variety of single type compounds possible and by the number of
combinations of different substituted phenols (i.e., chloro cresols) and the problems
associated with phenolic waste treatment becomes apparent.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established phenolic discharge limitations for a number of industries. The Best Practical Control Technology Currently
Available (BPCTCA) for 1977 has established phenolic levels of 0.1 jug/g-    In 1983
under the Best Available Control Technology Economically Achievable (BACTEA) the
phenolic discharge levels are lowered to 0.02 /tg/g [ 1 ].
Phenolic discharges can create problems in three areas: toxicity to marine life, taste
and odor, and oxygen depletion of the receiving water.   Phenols are toxic to fish and
marine life at about 2 /ig/g; lower concentrations cause an objectionable taste in the
fish flesh.   Objectionable taste and odor in potable water can result from small amounts
of phenols.   The taste and odor problem is greatly magnified when the phenol combines
with chlorine to form chlorophenols.   Phenols in sufficient concentrations can lead to
an oxygen depletion upon discharge, since they have a relatively high Chemical Oxygen
Demand (COD).   Unsubstituted phenol has a theoretical COD of 2.38 mg 02/mg phenol.
EXPERIMENTAL
Metal catalyzed hydrogen peroxide is effective in the oxidation of many phenolic
compounds.   Case histories include the batch treatment of wastes high in phenols, post
treatment to remove the last traces of phenols from a biological treatment system effluent and as an emergency backup to other treatment methods.
For the laboratory evaluation, three possible types of substituted phenols-nitrophen-
ols, chlorophenols, and cresols (methylphenols)-were of particular interest, since they
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