Resistance of some common fungi to gamma irradiation

Abstract

Ten species of fungi representing the genera Alternaria, Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Curvularia, Fusarium, and Penicillium were examined for their relative resistance to gamma irradiation from a 137Cs source. Inactivation doses for dematiaceous fungi in agar medium ranged from 0.6 to >1.7 megarads, whereas those for moniliaceous fungi were less than 0.3 megarad. D10 values (the dose required to reduce the inoculum by 1 log) for Curvularia geniculata (>0.29 megarad) exceeded those for control spores of Bacillus pumilus (0.15 megarad).