Plasma activated water prepared by different plasma sources:physicochemical properties and decontamination effect on lentils sprouts

The pulsed corona discharge(CD)generated in contact with water and directly in water,and high-power air plasma jet(APJ)were studied for production of plasma activated water(PAW).The changes of physical(pH,redox potential,conductivity,temperature)and chemical(peroxides,nitrites,nitrates concentrations)properties of treated water were investigated.The comparison of CD generated in gas/water interface and underwater configuration in the same system showed that the interaction of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species formed in ambient air in gas/water system induces different chemical processes,leading to lower pH,higher oxidation-reduction potential(ORP)and higher conductivity of PAW than in underwater discharge.High yield of peroxide was observed in both configurations.The PAW prepared by APJ exhibits high concentration of nitrites and nitrates according to supplied energy,and related significant decrease of pH and increase of ORP and conductivity after treatment.The antimicrobial effect of PAW prepared by CD and plasma jet on lentils sprouts was studied in different treatment and washing times.The APJ appears to have great efficacy on water activation resulted in strong decontamination effect.The PAW treated by APJ for 10 min led to bacterial reduction from initial 8.3 to 5.9 and 4.0 log10 CFU g^(-1)after 10 and 30 min of washing,respectively.

Rice plant growth and yield: foliar application of plasma activated water

Plasma activated water(PAW)was prepared for 10 min to be applied one tofive times as a foliar spray to rice plants,to investigate plant growth,yield and the concentrations of total soluble protein and sugar in the rice grains produced.The results reveal that(1)the plant height,stem diameter,dry weight,chlorophyll and total carotene concentrations were improved by∼15%,∼25%,∼24%,∼47%and∼45%,respectively,with respect to control,(2)defense mechanisms of the plants treated with PAW were improved,(3)concentrations of total soluble protein and sugar were enhanced in the rice grains of PAW treated plants and(4)yield was increased by∼14%.

Effect of different process conditions on the physicochemical and antimicrobial properties of plasma-activated water

The physicochemical properties of plasma-activated water(PAW)generated under different process conditions were investigated,and their changes under different storage conditions were also studied.The results showed that increasing the processing time and power,and decreasing generated water volume,could cause an increase in the redox potential,conductivity,and temperature of PAW,and a decrease in its pH.A slower dissipation of the reactive oxygen and nitrogen species in PAW was found on storage at 4℃in a sealed conical flask than on storage at room temperature.The inactivation ability of plasma-activated lactic acid(LA)to Listeria monocytogenes(L.monocytogenes)and Pseudomonas aeruginosa(P.aeruginosa)was higher than that of PAW or LA alone under the same experimental conditions.The results of this study may provide theoretical information for the application of PAW as a potential antimicrobial agent in the future.

Molecular mechanism study of Astragalus adsurgens Pall synergistically induced by plasma and plasma-activated water

The mutagenic effects of discharge plasma and plasma+PAW(plasma and its activated water combined) on Astragalus adsurgens Pall seeds were explored. Needle array-plate dielectric-barrier discharge plasma was used to treat A. adsurgens Pall seeds and PAW was prepared at the same time.The deionized water and the obtained PAW were used to cultivate plasma-treated seeds in groups and the survival rate of each group was counted. Results showed that the survival rate of the treated seeds of A. adsurgens Pall when cultured with deionized water was not significantly different from that of the control check(CK). The culture with PAW had an obvious lethal effect and each group reached the half-lethal dose. Reactive oxygen species(ROS) and RNA-Seq analysis of seedlings in the 3 h treatment group showed that the content of ROS in the 3 d post-treatment group was significantly higher than that of the CK. Because expression of the gene with the function of scavenging superoxide free radicals was upregulated, the ROS content of seedlings on the sixth day was significantly lower than that on the third day. Plasma and plasma+PAW treatments changed a large number of gene expressions;particularly, the plasma+PAW group caused plant-growth genes to be significantly upregulated. After treatment, the seedlings of A. adsurgens Pall may grow faster and have higher nutritional value. This research is of great significance to the wider application of isoelectronic bodies and their activated water physicochemical mutagens in biological effects and breeding research.

Review of low-temperature plasma nitrogen fixation technology

Nitrogen fixation is essential for all forms of life,as nitrogen is required to biosynthesize fundamental building blocks of creatures,plants,and other life forms.As the main method of artificial nitrogen fixation,Haber–Bosch process(ammonia synthesis)has been supporting the agriculture and chemical industries since the 1910s.However,the disadvantages inherent to the Haber–Bosch process,such as high energy consumption and high emissions,cannot be ignored.Therefore,developing a green nitrogen fixation process has always been a research hotspot.Among the various technologies,plasma-assisted nitrogen fixation technology is very promising due to its small scale,mild reaction conditions,and flexible parameters.In the present work,the basic principles of plasma nitrogen fixation technology and its associated research progress are reviewed.The production efficiency of various plasmas is summarized and compared.Eventually,the prospect of nitrogen fixation using low-temperature plasma in the future was proposed.