Eight fungi known to degrade lignin-like structures, were screened for their ability to degrade organic coal extract in aqueous medium. The substrate was a chloroform extract of low-rank coal. The process of substrate degradation, including the cleavage of functional groups, depolymerization and dearomatization was evaluated on the basis of chromatographic and spectral data. Gas chromatograms, high-performance size-exclusion chromatograms, IR and H-1 NMR spectra are discussed in the paper. (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.