In-Situ FTIR and Laser Induced Fluorescence RONS Characterization of Atmospheric Pressure Nanosecond-Pulsed Surface DBD Plasma for Indirect Treatments of E. Coli

Abstract

We study the bactericidal efficacy of surface dielectric barrier discharge low-temperature plasma treatments, powered by nanosecond high voltage pulses. We achieve \(\sim \)4-log reduction in Escherichia coli population, after 10 min treatments, at a distance of 1.5 cm from the plasma surface. To investigate the reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) responsible for the bactericidal effect, we employ in-situ fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to measure a selection of relevant species, such as O\(_3\), NO\(_2\), N\(_2\)O and N\(_2\)O\(_5\). The measurements are taken under various relative humidity conditions to replicate the bacteria treatment environment. While RONS originating from nitrogen chemistry are detected, nitric oxide (NO), a pivotal molecule in nitrate production, is absent due to the sensitivity limitations of FTIR detection. To overcome this limitation, we employ laser induced fluorescence utilizing a picosecond-pulsed laser to measure the kinetics of NO produced by the plasma. Our results show that the NO concentration is smaller than 1 ppm and primarily localized near the plasma surface, with concentrations increasing proportionally with relative humidity. Notably, at a distance of 1.5 cm from the plasma surface, at which the E. coli is treated, the concentration of NO falls below 50 ppb. Although NO is pivotal in generating secondary reactive species within the plasma, our results suggest that it does not directly contribute to the bacteria inactivation process. Instead, other molecules, such as O\(_3\), NO\(_2\), and N\(_2\)O, which are found in higher concentrations, may be responsible for the bactericidal properties observed in indirect plasma treatments.