Inactivation effects of plasma-activated saline prepared by the mixed gases of discharged air and different gases

Abstract

Abstract Plasma-activated water can efficiently inactivate pathogenic microorganisms and is considered to be a potent disinfectant in the medical, food, and agricultural industries. In this study, the air discharged by the gliding arc was mixed with different gases including O2, ambient air, synthetic air, and N2 at different flow rates to produce the activated gases, which were then activated gases were inducted into saline to prepare plasma-activated saline (PAS). The gaseous reactive species in the activated gases were composed of NO, NO2, and N2O5 and the aqueous reactive species in the PAS included H2O2, NO2 −, NO3 –, ⋅ OH , and 1O2 with different intensities, while the inactivation effects of the PAS also varied with the type and the flow rates of the mixed gases in the activated gases. The inactivation effects of the PAS treated by the discharged air mixed with O2, ambient air, and synthetic air started to become weak after 3 h placement. Scavenger analysis demonstrated that the 1O2 played a critical role in the inactivation process. This study indicated that air discharged by the gliding arc mixed with different gases could regulate the reactive species and the biological effects of PAS, providing insight into the preparation of PAS applied for disinfection.