INHIBITION OF CANDIDA ALBICANS GROWTH ON SURFACES TREATED BY DIELECTRIC BARRIER DISCHARGE WITH VARIOUS BARRIERS

Abstract

Discharges generating low temperature plasma at atmospheric pressure have the potential to treat surfaces biologically contaminated by organic matter in a non-destructive manner. We have been studying ways of inhibiting the growth of microorganisms with the use of dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma. The effect of the choice of a barrier material and its thickness on the<br />germicide properties of the DBD is described. We used Saboraud agar inoculated by 10⁵ cfu/cm² of <em>Candida albicans</em> yeast as the model contaminated surface. After cultivation, the proportion of the treated surface with no <em>C. albicans</em> colony was evaluated.