High-molecular-weight polymers were produced by a crude concentrated supernatant from ligninolytic Phanerochaete chrysosporium cultures in a reaction mixture containing pentachlorophenol and a humic acid precursor (ferulic acid) in the presence of a detergent and H 2 O 2. Pure manganese peroxidase, lignin peroxidase, and laccase were also shown to catalyze the reaction.