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Phenolic compounds are toxic and ominously present in industrial effluents, which can end up in water bodies, causing potential damage to living organisms. This study employed the dried biomass of freshwater green microalgae Chlorella vulgaris to remove phenol and 2-chlorophenol from an aqueous environment. C. vulgaris was grown under different phosphorus- (P) starved conditions, and biomass was treated with sulfuric acid. It was observed that reducing the P level enhanced the lipid content by 7.8 times while decreasing protein by 7.2 times. P-starved C. vulgaris dried biomass removed phenol and 2-chlorophenol by 69 and 57%, respectively, after 180 min from the contaminated water. Acid-treated P-starved C. vulgaris dried biomass removed phenol and 2-chlorophenol by 77 and 75%, respectively, after 180 min. Thus, an economical and eco-friendly P-starved and acid treated C. vulgaris biomass has better potential to remove phenol and 2-chlorophenol from contaminated ground water and industrial wastewater.
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