Interaction of non-thermal air plasma discharges with water for bio-decontamination and bio-medical effects

zdenko-800px

Zdenko Machala is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Environmental Physics, Department of Astronomy, Earth Physics and Meteorology, Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia​. On Wednesday, he presented a talk on the interaction of non-thermal air plasma with water which lead to the formation of reactive oxygen and nitogen species (RONS) that are accompanied by chemical changes (acidification) and antimicrobial and bio-relevant effects in the plasma activated water (PAW)​. The seminar was hosted by Prof. Deanna Lacoste of the Clean Combustion Research Center and discussed the latest applications of non-thermal plasmas in biology and medicine. 

seminar-machala
 
Abstract: In the recent years, of novel applications of non-thermal plasmas in biology and medicine largely increased, establishing new multidisciplinary research fields such as plasma medicine and plasma agriculture. Biomedical effects of cold atmospheric pressure plasmas are typically mediated through water and aqueous solutions that are natural to biological cells. Cold plasmas generated in gases in contact with water produce reactive species that penetrate through the gas-liquid interface and initiate reactions leading to the secondary reactive species formation in the liquid. Our focus is at air plasma – water interactions that lead to the formation of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) typically accompanied by chemical changes (acidification) and antimicrobial and bio-relevant effects in this plasma activated water (PAW), such as bacteria/biofilm or selective cancer cell inactivation. Biologically active properties of PAW can be retained for several hours-days post plasma treatment due to ongoing chemical processes in the bulk liquid and we identifies some of the key RONS. Interaction of pulsed air plasma discharges with water was investigated in various setups: the most efficient turns out the water electrospray through the active plasma region.

 

Keywords: non-thermal air plasma, pulsed air discharges, plasma activated water, RONS.

Event Quick Information

Date
17 May, 2017
Time
04:00 PM - 05:00 PM