Atmospheric plasma induced sterilization and chemical neutralization

Summary form only given, as follows. We are studying chemical neutralization and surface decontamination using atmospheric plasma discharges. The plasma can be generated using either DC, AC or pulsed discharges. The electrodes which generate the plasma consist of a ground plane and an array of pins. The array is constructed so that various gases, like argon or helium, can be flowed past the pins where the discharge is initiated. Results indicate that the atmospheric plasma is effective in sterilizing surfaces with biological contaminants like E-coli and bacillus. Exposure times of less than four minutes in an air plasma result in a decrease in live colony counts by six orders of magnitude. Results on neutralization of chemical warfare agent simulants will also be presented. The decomposition chemistry, by-product formation, and electrical energy consumption of the system will be discussed. Standard characterization techniques for determining composition of the processed gaseous and liquid effluents, like gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy, are being utilized.