Re: Radiation Sterilization

[don@radpro.uchicago.edu]

The dose required appears to depend on (1) the amount of reduction in the
population of bacteria that you want to achieve and (2) the inherent 
susceptibility to radiation of the microorganisms you have to destroy.
Your researcher may have to experiment to determine the proper dose.  
Note also that higher doses might produce radiolytic by-products that 
could interfere with the research.  

A review of irradiation in the processing of foods appears in the May 1994
issue of Food Science & Technology, pp124-144.  This may provide some 
helpful insights.  One of the articles mentions that certain species of Vibrio
bacteria can be reduced by "5 to 10 orders of magnitude" with a dose "as low
as 1 kGy"   

Hope this helps - gotta run.

___________________________________________________________________

Don Jordan                          Tel. (312) 702-6299
Office of Radiation Safety          Fax        702-4008
The University of Chicago           email: don@radpro.uchicago.edu
1101 East 57th Street, Room 11
Chicago, Illinois  60637  
                -- Any opinions are the author's --