Phenol

Phenol is an organic substance used as a precursor to make many important compounds, including chlorophenol, nonylphenol, and catechol. Phenols are found in a huge range of products, including antiseptics, mouthwash, medications, food and cosmetics preservatives, adhesives, epoxy resins, paper and pulp, paints, building material preservatives, polyurethane, dyes, textiles, and pesticides.

While phenols do occur naturally in the environment, human-made phenols are largely derived from petrochemicals. The concentrations of phenols in wastewater must be reduced to very low levels to protect human and animal health.

Desotec provides full-service sustainable activated carbon filtration solutions that adsorb phenol in wastewater and groundwater, rendering it safe for discharge to the natural environment or as input for wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs).

Companies in industries including petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, food production, and waste management are required to meet phenol limits set by the environmental authorities and WWTPs. Phenol can be found in wastewater from condensate, chemical reactions, and cleaning processes, among other industrial sources. Desotec has the answer: mobile and sustainable filters for water pollution control. Our activated carbon filters are a simple plug-and-play technology. The filters are easy to install and replace, requiring minimal production downtime. Our full-service solution also includes safe and sustainable handling of filtration waste.

Soil and groundwater at former industrial sites can require treatment before the land is safe for reuse. The wood preservative creosote, which contains phenols, is now heavily restricted on environmental grounds, but is still commonly found at such sites. Where industries are still in operation, land can require remediation after leaks or spills of substances containing phenol.

Desotec supplies mobile water filters to remediation companies for the treatment of soil and groundwater. Groundwater is extracted, passed through the activated carbon filter, then returned to the ground or sent for disposal.

Our plug-and-play filters are ideal for remediation work, ensuring that complex construction projects proceed smoothly. Because of their small footprint, our filters can fit into crowded construction sites. As they are mobile, our filters can be installed quickly and can start working immediately in emergency situations.

The use of phenol is governed by the EU’s REACH regulations, the EU’s Water Framework Directive, the UK’s Water Framework Directive, and in national and regional legislation. Some phenol derivatives are subject to special controls. Concentration and emissions limits are defined directly through a phenol index under ISO 6439 or are included in the chemical oxygen demand (COD) limits. WWTPs set their own acceptance limits to protect their biofilters. Desotec’s sustainable activated carbon filters bring down phenol concentration below emissions limits. In an emergency, our mobile water filters can be installed rapidly to ensure business continuity.