Most chlorophenols (there are 19 different types) are very poisonous. They are used in the wood industry and for the production of pulp and paper. Besides they can be found in wastewater of the chemical industry, even if chlorophenols are not used or produced in that plant.

At the moment (1993) only few experience is available with removal and/or destruction of chlorophenols (see table below).

Experience with several processes:

Process	Chlorophenols	Related compounds	Common compounds
Extractive soil cleaning	-	?	+
Foamflotation	-	?	+
Fluidized bed heaters	-	?	+
Supercritical oxidation	-	-	-
Thermal hydrodechloration	-	-	-
Thermal treatment of soil in furnaces	-	+	-
Activated sludge	?	+	+
Powdered activated carbon treatment (PACT)	?	?	+
Treatment with H2O2 / O3	?	?	?
Upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB)	-	?	+
Rotating biological contactor (RBC)	-	?	+
Adsorption	+?	+	+
Reversed osmoses	-	?	+
Flotation	?	+	+
Pervaporation	-	?	+
Chemical oxidation	-	+	+
Wet air oxidation	-	?	+
Photocatalytic oxidation	-	-	-

The next table gives a summary of promising processes for removel of chlorophenols in the future: