Phenol and its derivatives are organic compounds that are characterized by hydroxyl group attached to them. These compounds are widely used in industrial application and are recognized for their presence in industrial effluents of chemical industries, coal and gas industries, dye, textile and pharmaceutical industries. There potential to cause significant environmental damage and heath issue due to their toxicity and persistence in water has made the reduction and removal of phenolic derivatives a priority among researchers and scholars. Among the industrial effluents dyes are major source of contaminants, Azo dyes form almost 70% of the total water contamination which consist of 4-nitrophenol. These pollutants not only cause odour problems but also it reduces oxygen in water bodies and blocks the sunlight. However, adsorption and catalytic degradation can be used to reduce 4-nitropehol to 4-aminophenol by using AgNPs as catalyst. The phenolic contaminants are majorly sourced by anthropogenic and natural sources. The anthropogenic sources involve effluents from industrial sectors as phenol serves as a vital part of many products like paints, medicine, lubricants, herbicides and pesticides. Natural sources which consist of dead plants, animals and microorganism also contributes in phenolic contamination. These phenolic contaminants if not treated properly may be hazardous to humans pg. 12 and may have adverse environmental impact. USEPA has categorized phenol and its derivatives such as chlorophenols, nitrophenol and dimethylphenols as potential toxic pollutants that cause vomiting, skin irritation and burning, they may also damage vital organs like kidney, lungs or liver. Silver nanoparticles due to their high surface area and reactivity, Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR), Surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) are used as a catalyst in Adsorption, Catalytic degradation and Photocatalytic degradation of phenol from water system. Metal oxides such as TiO2 and ZnO are used in phenolic degradation. These mechanisms depends on factors such as size and morphology and environmental factors such as pH and temperature. AgNPs of small size are ideal for removal of phenol as it has high surface area resulting in increased number active sites for adsorption and catalytic degradation. Spherical nanoparticles are commonly used. However, triangular and cubic AgNPs have greater removal efficiency, because of its high surface area. Typically, slightly acidic to neutral pH (5-7 pH) is preferred for the removal of phenol from waste water, as high pH may cause electrostatic repulsion. High temperature with light exposure enhances photocatalytic degradation of phenol and its derivatives. Phenols are rarely found in isolation and are always with organic and inorganic contaminants that might occupy the active sites on the surface of AgNPs, thus reducing the efficiency of phenol removal.