Oxygen Utilization By Decay Fungi for the Evaluation of Wood Preservatives

The fungitoxic value of pentachlorophenol, coal tar creosote and CCA as wood preservatives was evaluated in the laboratory to compare the oxygen utilization method with the standard soil-block method. Three brown-rot fungi, Lentinus lepideus, Lenzites trabea, and Poria monticola were used on test specimens sawn from sapwood of southern pine (Pinus sp.). The white-rot fungus, Polyporus versicolor, was used on specimens sawn from the sapwood of sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua). Test blocks, after treatment and inoculation, were incubated for 2, 4, 6, or 8 weeks. At the end of each incubation period, respiration of the fungi in the test blocks was measured and weight loss due to decay determined. These data indicate that threshold values can be measured as accurately by oxygen utilization as by loss in weight, but 6 to 8 weeks incubation is necessary to obtain results comparable with those previously published.

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