Fibrils of collagen reconstituted in vitro by dialysis against sodium formate are exposed to free oxy radicals generated by three different systems: (i) xanthine oxidase + hypoxanthine, (ii) gamma-rays originating from a cobalt bomb; (iii) pulse radiolysis in a particle accelerator. A degradation of the collagen fibres is demonstrated by determination of the amount of hydroxyproline-containing peptides in the supernatant after incubation. Types I and III collagen are sensitive to the effect, whereas type V collagen is not. The effect persists when collagen is specially delipidated.