The present work describes the use of zero-valent Fe in the form of commercial steel wool as a possible catalyst in the hydrogen peroxide oxidation of phenol in waters. The process was studied as a set of batch experiments on a bench scale, simulating the treatment of a contaminated mine water or wastewater from a coal beneficiation operation with an initial phenol concentration extended to 200 mg/L. The effects of the following variables were studied: pH (5 to 9); steel wool mass ratio per volume of effluent (1 g/L to 7 g/L); hydrogen peroxide concentration (1 g/L to 3 g/L) and temperature (25 degrees C to 45 degrees C). The best experimental conditions studied led to a reduction of phenol concentration from 200 mg/L to less than 0.5 mg/L in 120 mm reaction time. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.