FUNGAL DEGRADATION OF PENTACHLOROPHENOL BY MICROMYCETES

Until recently, pentachlorophenol (PCP) has been used extensively in the wood industry and in agriculture (Crosby, 1981). Numerous reports have shown that PCP was degraded in the environment, but the degradation is slow (Rochkind et al., 1986) and the pollution of many terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems persists. Most of the studies concerning its biodegradation deal with bacteria while its metabolization by fungi has been seldom investigated (see reviews by Engelhardt, 1986). Recently, results concerning Phanerochaete chrysosporium have been published (Mileski et al., 1988: Lamar et al., 1990; Lamar and Dietrich, 1990; Lin et al., 1990). We screened a wide range of fungi for their activities towards PCP, with focus on the possible role of phenoloxidases.