Subject: After-effects of bleach?

From: "Ralph D. Arnold" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 20 Jul 95 00:30:08 PST

Greetings!  I have successfully prepared substrate for inoculation by
different species of Pleurotus with a method of soaking the substrate
(straws, woodchips, sawdust) in a bleach- water bath (.5 cup 
household bleach <5% sodium hypochlorite> per 4 gallons of water) for 2 
hours, then drain and immediately inoculate.  Growth and contamination 
rates are easily better than when I use the typical heated-water 
pasterization method.  However, I have been questioned by several 
individuals about possible residual effects of using bleach (whether or not 
any long-term toxics are left, to be absorbed by the fungi...and passed on 
to the consumer).  Can you point me to anypapers dealing with this 
question??  Any assistance will be appreciated!
Best regards,     Ralph Arnold     [email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (Jessie Micales)
Date: Thu, 20 Jul 1995 05:50:22

>Best regards,     Ralph Arnold     [email-masked]

Bleach breaks down very rapidly when in contact with organic material. For 
example, people use bleach to remove mildew from wood.  The bleach  
kills the organisms that are immediately present but doesn't confer any 
residual effect and the mildew rapidly returns.  I don't think residual 
effects would develop in your fruiting bodies.  Certainly you would get a 
much higher exposure from laundry detergent or by using Chlorox as a 
cleaning agent.

Jessie Micales
[email-masked]
Forest Products Lab, Madison, WI

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From: [email-masked] ("K N and P J Harris")
Date: Fri, 21 Jul 1995 20:42:48 GMT

Suggest you do a trawl of the literature on the harmful effects of 
chlorinating drinking water ! My drinking water just reaks of chlorine 
sometimes - I bet your mushrooms don't!
Peter Harris, Soil Sci Dept, University of Reading,UK
AKA <[email-masked]>