Degradation of 4-chlorophenol by the white rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium in free and immobilized cultures

4-Chlorophenol (4-CP) degradation was investigated by suspended and immobilized Phanerochaete chrysosporium conducted in static and agitated cultures. The best results were achieved when experiment was carried out in a rotating biological contactor instead of an Erlenmeyer flask, for both batch degradation and repeated batch degradation. The relative contribution of lignin peroxidase (LiP) versus manganese peroxidase (MnP) to the 4-CP degradation by P. chrysosporium was investigated. 4-CP degradation slightly increased and a high level of MnP (38 nKat ml−1) was produced when P. chrysosporium was grown at high MnII concentration. High LiP production in the medium had no significant effect on 4-CP degradation. 4-CP degradation occurred when P. chrysosporium was grown in a medium that repressed LiP and MnP production. This result indicates that LiP and MnP are not directly involved in 4-CP degradation by P. chrysosporium.