The purpose of the present study was to determine whether Trichosporon cutaneum R57 was able to grow and utilize some phenol derivatives: resorcinol, 2.6-dinitrophenol. 3-nitrophenol, 4-nitrophenol and m-cresol as sole carbon and energy source. The results obtained showed the ability of the strain to develop by degrading these compounds, except 4-nitrophenol. Resorcinol and 2,6-dinitrophenol were utilized in 27 h in yeast nitrogen base (YNB) medium while 3-nitrophenol and in-cresol were only partly degraded in this period of time, The growth of T. cutaneum using YNB containing one of the phenol derivatives as the sole carbon and energy source was compared with the growth of cells in YNB with the same concentration of the phenol derivative plus 0.3 g l(-1) phenol. Both compounds were simultaneously utilized by the mechanism of cometabolic degradation. HPLC analysis of the centrifuged culture medium showed an increased degradation rate of resorcinol. Resorcinol and phenol were completely degraded in 18 h. No significant change of the degradation rate for 2,6-dinitrophenol and 3-nitrophenol was observed. The combination of m-cresol and phenol exhibited inhibiting effects with negligible degradation of phenol and m-cresol in 27 h. The biodegradation of the phenolic derivatives by cells of T. cutaneum R57 immobilized onto polyamide and polyacrylonitrile granules and fibers was also studied, The results were similar to these obtained from free cells. although the period of biodegradation was found to be by ca. 3 h longer. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.