METABOLISM OF PAH BY FUNGI AND CORRELATION WITH EXTRACELLULAR ENZYMATIC-ACTIVITIES

The activity to metabolize the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) phenanthrene, anthracene, pyrene, fluorene and fluoranthene by Tramete s versicolor, Pleurotus ostreatus (white rot fungi), Laetiporus sulphu reus, Daedaela quercina, Flamulina velutipes (brown rot fungi), Marasm iellus sp. (litter decaying fungus) and Penicillium sp. M 1 (isolated from a PAH contaminated soil sample) were compared. Screening methods for the presence of exoenzymes (peroxidases, polyphenoloxidases, ''rad ical generating'' enzymes) were evaluated for their use in screenings for fungi degrading PAH. Laetiporus sulphureus and Penicillium sp. M 1 cometabolize several PAH with rates comparable to white rot fungi. In most of the cases the patterns of extracellular peroxidases indicate the potential of fungi to degrade PAH.