Characterization and bioremediation of birch condensate

Birch (Betula papyrifera Marsh) condensate collected from a veneer plant in Michigan was analyzed for its major chemical constituents. This condensate contained carbohydrates and lipids. In the lipid fractions, triglycerides were the most abundant component (35-40%), followed by phenolic compounds ( 30%) and waxes (25-30%). Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) and P ast Atom Bombardment (FAB) MS were used to identify 14 lipid compounds. A w hite rot fungus, Phanerochaete chrysosporium [Burdsall-lombard, 5176, HHB-6 251], was tested as a means for the bioremediation of the condensate. P. ch rysosporium reduced the total organic content (TOC) of the condensate from 350 ppm to 22 ppm and the color intensity from 0.614 to 0.355 absorbance un its, after 2 weeks incubation in a liquid medium containing yeast and pepto ne at pH 5.