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. 1965 Sep;13(5):781–787. doi: 10.1128/am.13.5.781-787.1965

Effects of Oxygen on Aerosolized Serratia marcescens

George E Hess 1
PMCID: PMC1058343  PMID: 5325941

Abstract

Suspensions of Serratia marcescens (ATCC strain 14041) in water were aerosolized in a rotating drum in the presence of various concentrations of oxygen. The colony-forming ability of aerosolized organisms was rapidly destroyed by contact with 0.25% or more oxygen at 40% relative humidity (RH) and 25 C, but was almost unimpaired for at least 5 hr in nitrogen containing not more than 10 ppm of oxygen. Completely hydrated organisms were insensitive to oxygen at pressures up to 100 psi for 4 hr. No loss in viability occurred in aerosols of washed cells in air at 97% RH. It is proposed that dehydration of the aerosolized cell results in sensitization to lethal effects of oxygen, but is not the primary cause of death. Mn++, Co++, glycerol, and thiourea enhanced the biological stability of aerosols in air. Numerous similarities between the effects of oxygen in this system and in systems using freeze-dried or irradiated organisms or cell-free enzymes support the hypothesis that closely related mechanisms are involved.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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