RECOVERY OF MICROORGANISMS FROM POTENTIALLY LETHAL RADIATION DAMAGE

摘要

Dose response curves for inactivation of microorganisms are central in the design of any process intending to use irradiation for the improvement of the microbiological quality of any treated materials, be it food or medical supplies. Under some conditions a fraction of irradiated microorganisms is able to recover from a potentially lethal dose. This recovery phenomenon must be considered in determining the efficacy of irradiation in microbial inactivation. In this work the recovery phenomenon was examined in eleven species of microorganisms. Variables examined included dose, radiation type, post-irradiation holding temperature, and nutritient medium used to culture the organism. Kinetics of damage repair and fixation were also examined. Results indicate that, for certain species of microorganisms, recovery can significantly lower the killing efficacy of irradiation.