THE EFFECT OF OZONE TREATMENT ON THE CONTAMINATION OF WINTER WHEAT GRAINS WITH MYCOFLORA

The article presents studies of the effect of ozone treatment on the contamination of grain with mycophlora. The condition of grain during storage is analyzed. It was revealed that modern means of disinfection of granaries do not provide suppression of mycophlora. Fungi of the genera Aspergillus, Penicillium, Rhizopus and others were found in grain stored in elevators. Pathogens in the process of vital activity produce mycotoxins, which remain inside the grain for a long time, poisoning it. With an increase in the shelf life of grain, the number of fungal colonies without disinfection increases. Ozone treatment at an ozone dose of over 28800 min·mg/m3 effectively suppresses pathogenic mycophlora, and at a dose of 376000 min·mg/m3 reduces the toxicity of grain. However, the weak link of these studies is the excessive concentration of ozone, which is very dangerous for humans. Since there is an aftereffect effect of gas exposure on fungal cells that do not restore their functions after surgery and subsequently die, there are prerequisites for the use of more gentle ozonation regimes that will ensure the disinfection of grain with sufficient efficiency and safety. As a result of laboratory studies, it was found that with an initial infection of grain with fungi of the genus Helminthosporium, 9.75% of the ozone dose of 7200 min·mg/m3 is sufficient to destroy more than half of these pathogens. Fungi of the genera Alternaria and Fusarium turned out to be less susceptible to ozone. With an initial grain contamination of 22.5 and 11%, respectively, an ozone dose of 7200 min·mg/m3 allowed to suppress this infection by only a third. Statistical analysis of the effectiveness of ozone treatment from the ozone dose allowed us to establish an ozonation regime in which the pathogens under study will be completely destroyed. At these levels of grain contamination, in order to suppress fungi of the genus Helminthosporium, the required dose of ozone should exceed the values 9330 min·mg/m3 , fungi of the genera Alternaria and Fusarium – more than 11350 min·mg/m3.