Polychlorinated phenols have been one of the most commonly used biocides. In recent time they have been increasingly eliminated from the marked. Because of their high stability, they are still present in numerous products, including impregnated wood. In our research we studied in vitro the influences of pentachlorophenol and/or sodium pentachlorophenolate on mycelial growth of four wood degrading fungi: brown rot Coniophora puteana, and white rot Grifola frondosa, Hypoxylon fragiforme, and Trametes versicolor. Nine concentrations of a tested compound (0.078, 0.156, 0.313, 0.625, 1.25, 2.5, 5.0, 10.0, and 20.0 mmol/L) were prepared by a dilution method in dimethylsulphoxide (DMSO). These are concentration ranges similar to those of the spent impregnated wood. Two different experimental settings were used: testing of multiple concentrations in Petri dishes, by application of absorption papers; and testing of individual concentrations in separate test tubes, which enabled the determination of minimal inhibitory concentrations. The results showed that all tested fungi grew rather well at low concentrations of pentachlorophenols, but at higher concentrations their growth was progressively reduced or totally inhibited. The resistance of fungi to pentachlorophenol and sodium pentachlorophenolate was species specific.

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