ABSTRACT
T wo different types of radiation processes are used in industrial ra-diation processing ofmedical products, i.e., gamma rays and electron beams (see Figure 1). A third type, X-rays, has been shown to have microbiocidal effects, but this method is not currently available for industrial sterilization. The microbial lethality of gamma rays and electrons is accomplished by ionization; electrons are direct ionizing radiation, whereas photons are indirect ionizing radiation. The energy transferred by these radiations during the sterilization process produces chemical andlor physical changes at the molecular level resulting in chain scission, polymerization, cross-linking, sterilization, and disinfection.
