Three microbial consortia were screened for their ability to degrade phenolic resin, resole as a sole carbon source. These microbial consortia were derived from soil samples collected from a phenolic resin manufacturing plant site. Among the consortia, the test consortium, designated as MS2, displayed approximately 70% degradation of the substrate, 100 mg of resole per liter, within the fist twelve days of incubation but the degradation was inhibited. During the incubation period, pH was decreased from 7.0 to 2.7, and the resole degradation became inhibited under the conditions. UV-scans of spent culture showed that the wavelength of maximum absorption was 261 nm for resole.