Mechanism of Inactivation in Aerosols of Bacteriophage T1

The inactivation of Escherichia coli bacteriophage T1 was determined after formation of aerosols from solutions in NaCl, NaBr, NaNO3 and Na2SO4. In all cases, survival varied rapidly with relative humidity, with a minimum near the relative humidity corresponding to a saturated solution of the salt. Survival was better when the aerosol was formed at low initial salt concentrations. Broth protected against aerosol-inactivation. Phage particles surviving surface-inactivation by shaking in solution were resistant to aerosol-inactivation.

The inactivation process in the range of humidities where the aerosol particles are fluid seems mainly to be due to surface-inactivation.