NATURAL PRODUCTION OF CHLOROFORM BY FUNGI

Chloroform production was detected in the headspace of pure cultures o f the basidiomycetes Mycena metata and Peniophora pseudopini and the d euteromycete Caldariomyces fumago. The average production rates were i n the range of 0.07-70 mu g/l culture fluid/day for Caldariomyces fuma go and 0.7-40 ng/l culture fluid/day for the basidiomycetes; they depe nded on the composition of the medium, pH and the initial concentratio n of oxygen. In incidental cases, chloroform was identified in the hea dspace of pure cultures of the basidiomycetes Agaricus arvensis, Bjerk andera sp. BOS55, and Phellinus pini. It is suggested that fungi are i mportant sources of elevated concentrations of chloroform in soil air. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.