Sensitivity of aflatoxin b1 to ionizing radiation.

Aflatoxin B1 in a 5-micrograms/ml water solution was sensitive to ionizing radiation. Inactivation was assayed by the Ames microsome mutagenicity test and confirmed by thin-layer chromatography. Destruction of aflatoxin B1 had already begun at 2.5 kilograms (kGy; 1 kGy = 0.1 Mrad), but a dose exceeding 10 kGy was necessary for total destruction.