Process for the degradation of one or more hydrocarbons

A process for the degradation of one or more hydrocarbons as present in an aqueous feed solution, wherein the one or more hydrocarbons are at least one of phenol, methyl phenyl ketone and methyl phenyl carbinol,

• wherein the pH of the aqueous feed solution is between 8 and 10 and has a chemical oxygen demand (COD) of between 50 and 120 g/L.
• wherein the chemical oxygen demand (COD) of the aqueous feed solution is lowered to below 50 g/L by dilution,
• wherein the degradation takes place in a bio-electrochemical cell comprising a culture of microorganisms, an anode and a cathode,
• applying a cell voltage between the anode and cathode such that electrons are transported from anode to cathode,
• wherein the one or more hydrocarbons are converted at the anode whereby carbon dioxide, protons and degradation products are formed, and wherein at the cathode carbon dioxide and the degradation products are reacted with the protons to methane to obtain a treated aqueous solution having a reduced content of the one or more hydrocarbons,
• wherein the anode and cathode are contacted with the aqueous feed solution having the chemical oxygen demand (COD) of below 50 g/L a and wherein an unobstructed transport of protons and degradation products is possible between anode and cathode, and wherein the degradation takes place in a series of two or more continuously operated bio-electrochemical cells thereby defining at least one upstream bio-electrochemical cell and one downstream bio-electrochemical cell and wherein the applied cell voltage in each bio-electrochemical cell is different.