RELATIVE HUMIDITY AND THE KILLING OF BACTERIA II

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Abstract
Freeze-dried Micrococcus lysodeikticus (Ml) Escherichia coli (Ec) and Serratia marcescens (Sm) were kept in vacuo at 93% relative humidity. Ml survived prolonged exposure, Ec was killed slowly, and Sm was killed very rapidly. The same procedure was without effect on the endogenous and exogenous oxidative metabolism of Ml: Sm lost its endogenous oxygen uptake and most of its ability to oxidize several substrates. The inactivation pattern is different from that found at zero humidity. The observed high humidity effects are attributed to the lability of hydrated macromolecules exposed to concentrated solutes.

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