Aspergillus niger AN 400 foi inoculado em reatores em batelada para remoção de fenol de meio sintético, na presença e ausência de glicose. O experimento possuía: 5 reatores de controle (grupo 1) com meio contento apenas fenol; 5 reatores (grupo 2) inoculados com fungos e com meio com fenol e sem glicose; e 5 reatores (grupo 3) inoculados com fungos e com meio com fenol e glicose (5 g/L). Os reatores foram agitados a 200 rpm, a 30°C, durante 5 dias. A concentração média inicial de fenol foi de 323 mg/L e a de matéria orgânica, de 696 mg DQO/L, meio sem glicose, e 6058 mg DQO/L, meio com glicose. Os reatores do grupo 2 removeram 48% de fenol e 21% de DQO, enquanto que os reatores do grupo 3, 100% de fenol e 93% de matéria orgânica. Não houve redução significativa de fenol e de DQO nos reatores de controle. A assimilação foi a via principal de remoção de fenol.

Batch reactors were inoculated with Aspergillus niger AN 400 to remove phenol from synthetic media with and without glucose. The experiment was set by: five blank reactors (group 1) with media containing only phenol; five reactors (group 2) inoculated with fungi and with media containing only phenol; and five reactors (group 3) inoculated with fungi and with media containing phenol and glucose (5 g/L). These reactors were kept at 30°C under stirring of 200 rpm during 5 days. The mean initial concentrations of phenol and COD were 323 mg/L and 696 mg COD/L for the media without glucose, and 6058 mg COD/L for the media containing glucose. The reactors of group 2 removed 48% of phenol and 21% of COD, while the reactors of group 3 removed 100% of phenol and 93% of COD. There was no significant reduction of phenol and COD in the blank reactors. The assimilation was the main pathway of phenol removal.