A major goal of our present research is to define conditions required to reduce endotoxin content in cotton and thus reduce pulmonary effects of dust released in processing cotton. Field weathered cotton lint was subjected to thermal treatments at selected temperatures in air. Reduction of endotoxin content was monitored by analyzing samples of the lint by the kinetic-turbidimetric Limulus Amebocyte Lysate (LAL) method. The half-lives of the endotoxin at two temperatures were determined and used to estimate kinetic parameters of endotoxin detoxification. Endotoxin contents from samples of weathered cotton that had been heated 20 see at six temperatures were also used to estimate the kinetic parameters for thermal detoxification of endotoxins, and results of the time series and the temperature series were compared. Initial experiments were performed to compare the LAL responses of Enterobacter agglomerans lipopolysaccharide and Escherichia coli control standard endotoxin.