Abstract: In order to clarify the mechanism of enzymatic degradation organochlorine insecticide chlordane by the white rot fungus Phlebia brevispora, the degradation characteristics of chlordane was determined by the crude enzyme extracted from this strain by pure culture, ultrasonic fragmentation and centrifuge separation. The results showed that, chlordane was degraded about 33.2% and 10.4% by intracellular enzyme and extracellular enzyme within 20 min. At pH 5.0 and 32℃, the crude enzyme showed greatest degradation activity (49.9% ), with its Michaelis-Mentn’s constant (Km) and maximum degradation rate (Vmax) of 3.49μmol/L and 8.38μmol/min, respectively. The results of metabolites analysis indicate that extracellular enzyme can degrade chlordane through dehydrogenation or dehydrochlorination, and intracellular enzyme can transform chlordane to some hydroxylated metabolites through hydroxylation or substitution of chlorine atom by hydroxyl group.