Abstract
The use of certain selected strains of fungi to reduce the waste water strength from steam-peeled potato effluent and the recovery of the biomass produced by the fungal mycelium was studied. The fungus Neurospora sitophila NRRL 2884 was effective in reducing the chemical oxygen demand (COD) of the potato effluent, inducing 69 and 90% reduction of the original COD value after 24 and 48 h of fermentation, respectively. The fungal biomass produced from the waste water was 1.30 and 1.65 g/1 (dry wt) of mycelium, respectively, and contained a crude protein content of 39%.