Degradation of pentachlorophenol in soil by Phanerochaete chrysosporium

Biodegradation of pentachlorophenol (PCP) by Phanerochaete chrysosporium was examined in nonsterile soil. The rate of mineralization of PCP was essentially linear for at least 27 d and increased almost linearly with increasing concentration of PCP (from 50 to 1600 ppm). At 100 ppm no PCP was found at 18 d while 40% of the added PCP was present as pentachloroanisole (PCA), and mineralization continued linearly. Both PCP and PCA were found after 18 d when the initial concentration of PCP was 800 ppm. The rate of mineralization of PCA also increased with increasing concentrations of PCA, however the increase was not linear. Essentially no radioactivity was found in either the aqueous or volatile organic fraction during the mineralization of either PCP or PCA.