Phenol and phenolic compounds that extensively used in several industries are toxic and lethal to living organism even at low concentration. The release of this agent to environment causes pollution especially in water sources. Removal of phenol from industrial effluent is important for environmental protection. Removal of phenol and phenolic compounds from soil or wastewaters can be achieved through biodegradation by bacteria. This study was aimed at biodegradation of phenol using psychrophilic and cold-tolerant bacteria isolated from Binalood Mountain. In this investigation, 86 strains that isolated from Binalood Mountain were selected for their ability to degrade phenol, using mineral salt medium containing phenol as sole source of carbon and energy. Preferred strains were selected using culturing bacteria in higher concentration of phenol. We investigated the growth and removal curves of the bacteria in media with 200, 400 and 600 mg/l of phenol. A total of 86 bacterial strains, 20 strains were degraded phenol and among them 2 strain was chosen as preferred strains. It was observed that these 2 strains grew and removed all three concentrations of the phenol over 240 hours. Findings showed that Binalood Mountain is potent source of phenol degrading bacteria and these bacteria can be used as new sources for treatment of phenolic effluent.

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