The decontamination of material in closed containers by means of atmospheric pressure plasmas is investigated. The target is Listeria monocytogenes, a bacterium which causes listeriosis and can be found in plants and food. The non-pathogenic species, Listeria innocua, is used for these experiments. Microscopy glass slides were inoculated with Listeria innocua by spraying. The slides were placed in a plastic bag. The plastic bag was filled with a gas mixture of 97.5% Ar + 2.5% 02 and sealed. The sealed bag was placed between the electrodes of a dielectric barrier discharge. The exposure time was varied between 1 and 30 min. A reduction of Listeria innocua of more than log 2.4 (detection limit) was obtained after a treatment time of 2min. The electrode temperature of the DBD was found to be below 30 °C.
展开▼
