Would irradiation kill anthrax spores?

[db]

....of course this brings up the debate on whether irradiation is safe of not....

 

[McPhreak]

I'm thinking that since the one's we're most concerned about are the ones encased in spores, then I would say that technically, yes, you can kill anthrax with radiation, but that levels would be so high that it wouldn't be practical to use.

 

[Ryan]

The spores are virtually impossible to kill, accoring to NBC nightly news.

 

[McPhreak]

<< The spores are virtually impossible to kill, accoring to NBC nightly news. >>



Yeah, what he said...

 

[charrison]

Fortunatly the spores are heavier than air, so they quickly wind up on the ground.

 

[PsychoAndy]

Sunlight supposedly kills anthrax after a couple of days...learned that from the cobra event

 

[tcsenter]

<< Would irradiation kill anthrax spores? >>

Sure, irradiation would kill anything if strong enough and exposed long enough. That's how virtually all surgical implants are sterilized.

<< Fortunately the spores are heavier than air, so they quickly wind up on the ground. >>

While that is true, at 1 - 5 microns, anthrax spores can waft a while in air currents. Usually, though, they have a propensity to get clumped together like grapes, making them even heavier.