Acta Scientiarum Polonorum
Silvarum Colendarum Ratio et Industria Lignaria

In the work, an attempt was made to evaluate quickness of mycological biodegradation of paper products, with various percentage content of cationized starch and resinous glue, with help of FT-NIR spectrophotometric analysis. As a biotic factor – Ch. globosum axenic culture and mixture of microfungi: A. niger, T. viride, P. funiculosum were used. As a criterion of biodegradation, one assumed resistance to overgrowth of samples’ surface by test mycelium, and determined self-breaking, having completed mycological test on the 2nd, 4th, 7th, 10th and 14th day of observation. For the needs of research, one selected cellulose sulfate bleached deciduous pulp from which, together with the above listed pulp additives, sheets of paper were created, everything in laboratory conditions. Starch and resinous glue additives as packing of deciduous pulp caused an increase of susceptibility to overgrowth by test fungi, in comparison to samples without any additives. Paper products infected by Ch. globosum microfungus, generally showed bigger tendency towards biodegradation. Usage of FT-NIR spectroscopy allowed to analyse the complex process of degradation of ligno-cellulose material. Changes in the case of peak intensity of degraded waste paper pulps, were mainly noticed in the case of functional groups of cellulose C-H (4280 cm-1), C-H2 (4404 cm-1), and O-H groups (range 4620-4890 cm-1). Simultaneous usage of several independent methods of degradation degree evaluation, enabled objective interpretation of results, and the carried analyses mutually support the obtained research results.