Application of a Novel Cold Atmospheric Plasma for Water Decontamination

摘要

In recent years, non-thermal atmospheric plasma has been considered as a potential technology for decontamination. The plasma can interact with the ambient atmosphere and generate a variety of reactive species such as ozone, hydrogen peroxide, radical, atomic, and ionic species. In this study, we used a novel cost effective cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) system developed by our collaborator General Vibronics, LLC. We conducted laboratory testing on the effect of this CAP technology as a mosquito control measure on both larvae and eggs living in aqueous environments. In addition, its antimicrobial effects in an aqueous environment was tested against E. coli as an indicator organism. The results demonstrated this novel CAP technology has mosquito larvicidal activity, and is very efficient in inactivating and/or killing mosquito eggs. There is great promise in the application of this novel approach for decontamination of water and improving water quality.