Bactericidal Action of Ultraviolet Radiation on Air-Borne Organisms

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Abstract
The air centrifuge as used for determining the bacterial contamination of air moving through a duct at low relative humidity was found to be selective in gathering the bacteria. This seems to account for the conclusion of other investigators that a bacterium floating in air at low rel. humidity is less resistant to u.-v. than is the same bacterium on agar or when suspended in a liquid medium and that the bactericidal action of u.-v. is greater at low than at high rel. humidity. Expts. are also described which show that bacteria may be injured by heat, Grenz rays, or x-rays so that the surviving organisms are less resistant to u.-v. radiation thus indicating that the "single photon hit" theory is incompatible with exptl. data.

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