Degradation of fluorene, anthracene, phenanthrene, fluoranthene, and pyrene lacks connection to the production of extracellular enzymes by Pleurotus ostreatus and Bjerkandera adusta

The degradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) was studied in li quid cultures of Bjerkandera adusta and Pleurotus ostreatus during 7 weeks of cultivation. During only 3 days of incubation, B. adusta removed 56% and 38% of fluorene and anthracene, while P. ostreatus degraded 43% and 60% of these compounds other PAH were degraded to a lower extent. Except for anth racene in cultures of P. ostreatus, all PAH were removed uniformly during t he cultivation time but fluorene and anthracene were degraded faster than o ther PAH. Supplementation of liquid cultures with milled wood decreased the concentration of PAH in the solution and diminished the degradation of PAH . The fungi produced valuable activity of manganese-dependent peroxidase; l accase was secreted only by P. ostreatus and was strongly induced by the ad dition of milled wood. The production of the oxidative enzymes did not corr elate directly to the metabolisation of PAH. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.