Physicochemical Characteristics and Antimicrobial Efficacy of Plasma-Activated Water Produced by an Air-Operated Coaxial Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasma

In this study, Plasma-Activated Water (PAW) was synthesized using a coaxial Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) reactor, benefiting from the elevated capacity of air-flow-assisted DBD discharges to enhance nitrogen-based species concentration. By manipulating operational parameters, including gas flo...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Authors: Miranda, F. S. [UNESP], Tavares, V. K.F. [UNESP], Gomes, M. P., Neto, N. F. Azevedo [UNESP], Chiappim, W. [UNESP], Petraconi, G., Pessoa, R. S., Koga-Ito, C. Y. [UNESP]
Format: article
Status:Published version
Publication Date:2023
Country:Brasil
Institution:Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP)
Repository:Repositório Institucional da UNESP
Language:English
OAI Identifier:oai:repositorio.unesp.br:11449/297107
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/w15234045
https://hdl.handle.net/11449/297107
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Candida albicans
cold atmospheric plasma
Dielectric Barrier Discharge
Escherichia coli
plasma medicine
plasma-activated liquids
Staphylococcus aureus
Description
Summary:In this study, Plasma-Activated Water (PAW) was synthesized using a coaxial Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) reactor, benefiting from the elevated capacity of air-flow-assisted DBD discharges to enhance nitrogen-based species concentration. By manipulating operational parameters, including gas flow rate, activation time, and DI water volume, we achieved significant concentrations of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS). As a result, the PAW obtained displayed pronounced physicochemical attributes: a pH of 2.06, an ORP of 275 mV, conductivity of 3 mS/cm, and TDS of 1200 mg/L. A pivotal aspect of this research was the evaluation of the reactor’s efficiency, as indicated by metrics like the specific input energy and ozone efficiency yield. The antimicrobial potential of the PAW was also assessed against pathogenic microbes, with remarkable reductions in viability for both Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli (99.99%) and a more moderate decrease for Candida albicans (37%). These findings underscore the capability of coaxial DBD reactors in crafting high-quality PAW with significant antimicrobial properties, necessitating further studies to validate its broad-spectrum and safe applications.