A model describing the dependence of the proportion of items contaminated (P) in a population of items on radiation dose (D) has been developed. The model was evaluated for a range of doses assuming a Poissonian distribution of micro‐organisms on items prior to and during irradiation and radiation inactivation according to ‘multiple‐hit’ kinetics; curves relating P and D were constructed. The influence on curve shape of changing the initial average number of micro‐organisms on items and of varying parameters of microbial sensitivity to radiation was assessed. Consideration was given to the value of using sub‐process radiation doses in microbiological quality control testing.
A method is developed for computer simulation of the inactivation of microorganisms on items by irradiation. It is shown that in a population of items subjected to increasing doses of radiation the proportion contaminated approaches the appropriate Limiting Case, outlined in a previous paper, as numbers of organisms are decreased by inactivation. The behaviour of populations of items having different proportions of ‘spikes’ (high bioburden levels) is considered.
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