The Survival of Bacteria in High‐frequency Electric Fields

Summary: Various bacteria, but principally Bact. coli and Staph. aureus , have been exposed in glass containers to high‐frequency electric fields at frequencies of 1–65 Mc./s., the electrodes being external. Various periods and intensities of treatment were tried, but in no case was a lethal temperature allowed to develop. There was no evidence that any mortality was caused by the treatments, even when voltage stresses high enough to induce rapid heat development in poorly conducting treatment fluids were used.