Degradation of pharmaceutical compounds in aqueous solution using non-thermal plasma

The decomposition of the pharmaceutical compound enalapril in aqueous solution using non-thermal plasma has been investigated. The plasma was generated in a dielectric barrier discharge reactor (DBD) in coaxial configuration, at the interface between gas (oxygen at atmospheric pressure and room temperature) and the solution which flows as a thin film on the surface of the inner electrode of the plasma reactor. The discharge was operated in pulsed mode, at low power, in order to prevent unnecessary heating. The evolution of the degradation process was continuously followed using liquid chromatography - mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Total organic carbon (TOC) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) analyses were used to determine the mineralization degree.