During a fungi survey in the brazilian Atlantic Forest in São Paulo, São Paulo State, Brazil, polypores growing on decaying wood were collected and fragments of the basidiomata were used to obtain isolates in pure culture. A total of 37 isolates were obtained and 23 species were identified. Cultural features of Bjerkandera atroalba, Henningsia brasiliensis, Rigidoporus undatus, and Steccherinum reniforme were described for the first time. A total of 31 isolates were evaluated in terms of their ability to oxidize the Remazol brilliant blue R dye (RBBR) and guaiacol. The results of these tests indicate that all isolated species were associated with white rot in the wood. Laccase and peroxidase activities were detected by drop tests using solutions of α-naphthol and pyrogallol. Production of cellulases and siderophores was detected with carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) and chrome azurol S (CAS) agar, respectively.

Fifty-five isolates of filamentous fungi were studied regarding their ability to decolorize Remazol brilliant blue R dye. The fungi were isolated from soil in the Baixada Santista region, which is contaminated with industrial residues containing a mixture of organochlorine compounds, mainly hexachlorobenzene. The fungi were grown in liquid malt extract medium with 0.02% of dye and shaken at 200 rpm for 14 days at 28 ± 2ºC. Two types of behavior regarding the dye were observed: adsorption and degradation. Eupenicillium baarnense SSP1951 and SSP1952 and Eupenicillium crustaceum SSP1953 presented high RBBR decolorization and were then analyzed regarding their ability to degrade 14 C-hexachlobenzene (4138.31 mg HCB per kg soil) during a 56 days culture at 28 ± 2ºC. Eupenicillium crustaceum SSP1953 was able to reduce n-hexane soluble 14 Ccompounds (24.6%) and to form non-extractable 14 C-residues (20.5%). The same behavior was also observed in the two E. baarnense strains (SSP1951 and SSP1952) but the percentages were lower than those obtained for Eupenicillium crustaceum. The main action of Eupenicillium spp on HCB is to transform it into nonextractable 14 C-residues as confirmed by the gas chromatography results.

Reactive dyes are found in the final effluents of the textile industry and cannot be removed by conventional treatment processes. The use of basidiomycetes appears to be an effective strategy to degrade dye molecules. In this paper, the parameters that favor decolorization of diazo dye were assessed using basidiomycetes immobilized in Luffa cylindrica. Different concentrations of saccharose and urea were assessed, in addition to the introduction of an enriched synthetic effluent. Results showed that the best decolorization occurred at the highest concentration of saccharose and the lowest of urea. It was observed a high biosorptive capacity of the solid support, which decreased when the effluent was enriched with saccharose and urea due to consequent increase in microbial activity. Using the enriched effluent, Pleurotus ostreatus decolorized about 70% within 48 hours, and Trametes villosa decolorized 58% after 240 hours. Peniophora cinerea did not respond to the conditions tested.

The initial alkaline pH and the concentration of sodium chloride in the synthetic liquid medium were a key factor in the capability of twenty-five white-rot fungi strains to decolorise the dye Reactive Blue 19. Six strains decolorised 90% of the dye at pH 8.0, and only Peniophora cinerea decolorized 90% of the dye at pH 9.0. Fourteen strains were capable of decolorising the dye in saline medium (sodium chloride 10 g l -1 ). P. ostreatus, P. cinerea and T. villosa were able to decolorize the dye both in medium with initial pH 8.0 or in saline medium. These three strains were selected and evaluated for simulated alkali-saline textile effluent decolorisation in different conditions: time of cultivation for effluent addition (0, 5, 7 and 9 days), initial pH (4.5 and 8.0) and agitation (0 and 120 rpm). P. ostreatus and P. cinerea decolorised the alkali-saline textile effluent by 93.0 and 25.4%, when the medium's initial pH was 8.0 or 4.5, respectively, and the effluent was added in the 7th day of growth. T. villosa decolorized 40% when the effluent was added on the 9th day of cultivation at pH 4.5. Agitation increased the effluent decolorisation by T. villosa, but inhibition was observed for P. cinerea and P. ostreatus. The results showed that each fungus presented a specific behavior in relation to the best culture conditions for decolorisation of alkali-saline effluent containing reactive dyes. The strains of P. ostreatus, P. cinerea and T. villosa were considered as promising alternative for the biodegradation of this effluent, employing the strategy of effluent addition after a certain period of fungal growth.