Biodegradation of toluene in a two-phase partitioning bioreactor--impact of activated sludge acclimation.

A two-phase partitioning bioreactor was considered to remove toluene contained in a biodegradable organic phase by activated sludge (AS). The selected solvent was hexadecane. In a first step, the biodegradation of toluene dissolved in hexadecane by AS was examined.