The distribution of gram negative bacteria and endotoxin on raw cotton components

Abstract

The botanical composition of representative raw cottons from seven different growing regions was determined by manual removal and identification of all trash components greater than 50 micron in size. The number of gram negative bacteria (GNB) and the amount of endotoxin present in each of the separated raw cotton components were quantified. Low middling cotton contained significantly more bract-leaf trash than that found in higher quality cottons such as those in the middling grade division. Significantly more GNB and endotoxin were found in botanical trash components as well as lint of raw cotton derived from the southwest and southeast growing regions as compared to similar botanical components from far west cottons. For representative raw cottons from the 1980 USA crop we determined that 67% of the GNB and 89% of the endotoxin resided on white lint itself, from which all particulate larger than 50 micron in size had been removed manually