Abstract
The objective of this study was to examine widely varying grades of raw cotton obtained from different geographical regions to see if gram negative bacteria (GNB) and endotoxins are localized specifically on lint or botanical trash components. Removal of trash particles from raw cottons resulted in a decrease in the GNB and the endotoxin contents of the cleaned lint. The seed, bract, and leaf trash components removed from raw cottons each contributed very large amounts of GNB and endotoxin to the total specimen. The small amount of stained lint found in some raw cottons was also a rich source of these microbial materials.