This study investigated the growth kinetics of a psychrotroph, Pseudomonas putida LY1, while growing on phenol as a sole carbon and energy source. This bacterium could completely biodegrade 200 mg/L phenol across a temperature range from 2.5 to 35 degrees C, with an optimum temperature of 25 degrees C. High initial phenol concentrations (800 mg/ml) were inhibitory to bacterial growth. At lower concentrations of phenol, the growth kinetics correlated well with the Haldane model. The Haldane parameters of psychrotrophic P. putida LY1 were almost within the range reported for other organisms in previous literature. This information on a psychrotrophic organism is of great importance for low temperature bioremediation of contaminated environments. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.