Decontamination and Sterilization of Surfaces by Means of a One Atmosphere Uniform Glow Discharge Plasma

摘要

Decontamination of surfaces that have been exposed to biological agents must be accomplished quickly under battlefield conditions. Current decontamination processes utilize corrosive solutions. which require careful handling and can damage the equipment that must be treated. A simple, fast-acting, and safe method for equipment decontamination would minimize equipment downtime and minimize the number of personnel needed. It has been demonstrated that exposure of microorganisms to gas discharge plasma reaction products leads to their destruction. In particular, an air stream, treated by the One Atmosphere Uniform Glow Discharge Plasma (OAUGDP). has been shown to destroy microorganisms in a time frame of tens of seconds. Simulants of biological agents coating surfaces similar to military equipment were exposed to the OAUGDP reactor under various operating parameters. Exposure time was the principal variable. The performance of the OAUGDP reactor applied to several types of microorganism was evaluated. All microorganisms used were destroyed within seconds to minutes of plasma exposure. The results indicate that the OAUGDP can be successfully used for military biological decontamination. The OAUGDP reactor is especially useful for the decontamination of sensitive equipment. which would be harmed by chemical washes.