Phenols are considered as one of the most toxic organic contaminants in waste water as they are highly toxic, even at low concentrations . The European Union Directive 2455/2001/EC has set a limit of 0.5µgL -1 of phenolic concentration in drinking water with its individual concentration not exceeding 0.1µgL -1 . Due to their non-biodegradable nature, they remain in the aquatic system for a long time . According American Conference of Government Industrial Hygienist (ACGIH) the exposure limit of phenol on skin should be less than 5 mgL -1 . Exposing to high concentration of phenol to skin can cause blisters and burns . Once in the system they metabolize and transform into reactive intermediate form such as quinone, which is known to form covalent bonds with protein, thus exhibiting toxic effects to humans . For instance, catechols have the tendency to damage DNA by destroying some proteins in the body . Phenols and its derivatives were identified as stable priority chemical pollutants by US Environmental Protecting Agency (EPA) , which are summarized in Table . Phenolic derivatives such as chlorocatechol, nitrophenol, chlorophenols and aminophenol are also categorized to exert toxic effects on humans . Burning sensation in throat and mouth can be caused by chlorophenols . Chlorophenols poisoning may also damage liver, kidney, lungs, digestive system and skin . Bisphenol A which is a biphenol known to disrupt the development of mammary glands and delay the onset of puberty in female . Liquids that contain high phenolic concentration (1g) if ingested can cause fatality to humans as it may damage heart, kidney, liver and other internal vital organs . In a study, Alshabib et al. reported that acute phenol exposure may cause complication of central nervous system and exposure to fumes containing phenol can damage internal organs such as lungs, kidney, liver heart, and spleen. Due to these effects, strict limits on effluent discharge are amended. Therefore, an effluent discharge is limited to 0.05 mgL -1 in the water system ; for non-chlorinated water it is 0.1 mgL -1 and chlorinated water is 0.001-0.002 mgL -1 .