Further Counts of Bacteria on U.S. Commercial Raw Cotton Fiber

Abstract

As a result of a continuing interest in bacteria as a possible cause of byssinosis, previously reported counts of bacteria on U.S. cotton have now been extended. Counts have been made on 144 classer's samples from the 1981 crop by methods used previously with samples from the 1980 crop. The 1981 crop again exhibited great sample-to-sample variation in total bacteria and gram negatives within the same grade and growth area. Gram-negative bacteria were found at a million or more per gram of fiber in some classer's samples from the Southeast, Midsouth, and Texas-Oklahoma. Cottons from California's San Joaquin Valley, however, consistently showed bacterial counts much lower than the national average, continuing a trend shown in the 1980 crop. No constant or even near-constant proportionality occurred between numbers . for total bacteria and for gram negatives. In an additional series of 80 samples from Cone Mills Corporation, California cottons again showed exceptionally low bacterial counts. Bacterial numbers did not vary in any constant relation to the fiber's micronaire value.