Atmospheric Pressure Resistive Barrier Cold Plasma for Biological Decontamination

Summary form only given. We have investigated the non thermal resistive barrier gas discharge at atmospheric pressure for low temperature sterilization purposes. We have carried out electrical, chemical, optical, and biological studies on the discharge, with the intent of identifying the chemically and biologically active species produced. We have also demonstrated that effective decontamination can be achieved without causing any damage to the active media. The figure shows a photograph of a business envelope immersed in a large volume of plasma; it shows the plasma is penetrating the envelope. There were no damages done to the envelope during or after the process. The biological studies indicate that effective decontamination can be achieved within minutes when bacteria are exposed to ionized gases in close contact to the contaminating surface. The optical studies results show us that there is no presence of ultraviolet light in the discharge. We have measured the free electron density and the electron recombination time by microwave absorption measurements in the frequency region, 1.5-2.5 GHz. The reactor works on both AC and DC. It is considered to be an advantage of flexibility of its operation especially in distant and/or isolated locations. The running and maintenance costs are far less compared to other conventional plasma reactors