Degradation of toxaphene by Bjerkandera sp. strain BOL13 using waste biomass as a cosubstrate.

The white-rot fungus Bjerkandera sp. strain BOL13 was capable of degrading toxaphene when supplied with wood chips, wheat husk or cane molasses as cosubstrates in batch culture experiments. Approximately 85% of toxaphene was removed when wheat husk was the main substrate. The production of lignin peroxidase was only stimulated when wheat husk was present in the liquid medium. Although xylanase was always detected, wheat husk supported the highest xylanase production. A negligible amount of beta-glucosidase and cellulase were found in the batch culture medium. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of toxaphene degradation by white-rot fungi.