TREATMENT OF FOREST INDUSTRY EFFLUENTS WI TH TOXIC AND RECALCITRANT COMPOUNDS BY WHITE-ROT FUNGI

In the present work several systems based on the application of white- rot fungi for the treatmente of forest industry effluents (pulp and pa per, fibreboard and wood chips) with toxic and/or recalcitrans compoun ds are analyzed. Two options are considered: 1) The use of a bioreacto r with free or immobilized mycelia in which wastewaters are treated; a nd. 2) An equipment in which a previous production of ligninolytic enz ymes is carried out so as to be employed in a later stage. The first o ption have many operational and control problems which arises in biore actors with filamentous fungi; mean while, the industrial applicabilit y of the second option is only possible in case an efficient productio n at larger-scale is achieved.