Phenol degradation performance by isolated Bacillus cereus immobilized in alginate

► High degradation efficiency of immobilized B. cereus at high phenol concentrations. ► Immobilized strains indicated improved tolerance towards phenol toxicity. ► pH 6.7 and 6.9 and 3% alginate were optimum for two different bacillus strains. ► Haldane model represents well the phenol degradation kinetics. ► One month storage time and over 80 days of reusability during phenol degradation.