Experiments to define conditions necessary to reduce bacterial endotoxins in cotton lint and cotton dust to acceptable levels to reduce pulmonary effects of dust from processing cotton lint are described in this report. Effects of heating conditions over a wide temperature range on the rates of detoxification of native endotoxin on field-weathered cotton lint are discussed. Methods to estimate detoxification rates from limited experimental data are explored as a means of rapidly determining detoxification conditions required for processing of cotton lint. The potency (response to the Limulus Lysate kinetic-turbidimetric LAL assay) of purified endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide, LPS) from Enterobacter agglomerans is compared to that of a standard endotoxin from Escherichia coli.