BACKGROUND: This work reports the kinetic and biodegradability analysis of bisphenol A (BPA) Fenton oxidation. An experimental study was carried out within the variables H2O2/Fe (II)/BPA in the range 10/3/1 to 50/3/1 and at temperatures of 25-70 degrees C. Kinetics of the environmental parameters dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) were analysed. RESULTS: The concentration of H2O2 and the temperature have a strong influence on the kinetics of Fenton mineralization of BPA. Working at 70 degrees C, the measured DOC values matched that calculated using the measured organic acids, which demonstrates that the oxidation reactions proceeded at a sufficient rate to form organic acids. Moreover, as BPA solutions are not easily biodegradable, the biodegradability of the solution during Fenton oxidation was studied by means of respirometry assays, evaluating the short-term biochemical oxygen demand (BODst)/COD ratio. CONCLUSIONS: The kinetic models proposed are capable of predicting the rate of H2O2 consumption and the oxidation of DOC and COD as a function of the temperature. Under the process conditions tested the treated effluents increased their biodegradability, facilitating compatibility with further biological treatment. (C) 2014 Society of Chemical Industry