Some black-stain fungi are known to exhibit resistance to carbon-based preservatives. However, the cause of this resistance is unclear. The fungi may have mechanisms to tolerate these chemicals, or they may be able to degrade and detoxify them. Fungi capable of degrading carbon-based preservatives are of interest for possible bioremediation of carbon-based preservative-treated wood at the end of its service. Moreover, such fungi could potentially facilitate the colonization of carbon-based preservative treated wood by decay fungi. Two strains of Aureobasidium pullulans and two strains of Epicoccum purpurascens were evaluated for their ability to degrade three commonly used carbon-based preservatives: propiconazole, tebuconazole, and DDAC. At low and medium concentrations propiconazole and tebuconazole were found to be vulnerable to degradation by one of the Epicoccum purpurascens isolates. Where biocides are needed to control the growth of black-stain fungi on wood, a combination of biocides with different chemistries should be used to minimize the risk posed by resistant strains.

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