Final AD performance was impaired by initial phenol concentrations above 1.00 g/L.
Beyond an initial phenol concentration of 2.00 g/L methanogenesis was totally blocked.
Methanosarcina and Syntrophomonadaceae proportions declined from 0.50 g/L of phenol.
Methanoculleus and Synergistaceae proportions increased from 0.50 g/L of phenol.
Phenol was totally degraded up to an initial concentration of 1.50 g/L.