Cottons from the third year of an area and seasonal bacterial profile study were evaluated for their potential of liberating bacterial laden dust during carding. Cottons harvested in 1988 from locations in California, Texas, and Mississippi were processed in bale size lots. Differences in physical properties and bacterial content were observed in the raw cottons from these areas. Both the airborne dust levels and the airborne bacteria levels generated during carding of these cottons differed markedly between areas. The California cotton was characterized by an unusually low proportion of gram negative bacteria compared to cotton from the other growing areas.