Biochemical degradation of soil humic acids and fungal melanins

Studies were conducted to compare properties and biodegradation of fungal melanins from Aspergillus niger and Cladosporium cladosporiodes with those of humic acids from soils and brown coal. Compared to the humic acids the fungal melanins contained more functional groups, were less hydrophilic and had relatively high molecular weights. Under the conditions of incubation the melanins were found to be more readily degradable than the humic acids studied. The changes in elemental composition, optical parameters and the decrease of molecular weight, observed for both fungal melanins during degradation, made them more similar to soil humic acids. (C) 2002 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.