Role of the Charged Particles in Bacteria Inactivation by Plasma of a Positive and Negative Corona in Ambient Air

Inactivation of microorganisms by plasma of a positive (PC) and negative corona (NC) discharge in air at atmospheric pressure was investigated. Gram‐positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Gram‐negative bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa were chosen for the discharge inactivation. PC and NC produce...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Plasma processes and polymers 2014-04, Vol.11 (4), p.315-334
Main Authors: Sysolyatina, Elena, Mukhachev, Andrey, Yurova, Maria, Grushin, Michael, Karalnik, Vladimir, Petryakov, Alexander, Trushkin, Nikolay, Ermolaeva, Svetlana, Akishev, Yuri
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
atmospheric pressure corona discharge sterilization
Atoms & subatomic particles
Bacteria
Bacteriology
high-pressure discharges
Plasma
plasma inactivation
plasma medicine
plasma treatment
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Staphylococcus aureus
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Summary:Inactivation of microorganisms by plasma of a positive (PC) and negative corona (NC) discharge in air at atmospheric pressure was investigated. Gram‐positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Gram‐negative bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa were chosen for the discharge inactivation. PC and NC produce three types of bactericidal agents, which are ultraviolet radiation (UV), neutral reactive species (R), and electric field and charged particles (E), respectively. We elucidated the contribution of each bioactive agent to the inactivation of S. aureus and P. aeruginosa. The influence of the charged particles in PC and NC on the cell inactivation is caused by different electrophysical effects, which lead nevertheless to an identical consequence: the cell membrane becomes more transparent for neutral reactive species. It gives additional possibility for neutral reactive species to increase the inactivation of cell by biochemical mechanisms. Due to that, total UV + R + E bactericidal effect in PC and NC is approximately the same and great – only a few tens of seconds is enough to inactivate completely S. aureus and P. aeruginosa cells. Bacteria inactivation in corona by positive and negative ions is rather biophysical than biochemical process. Fast accumulation of huge positive charge on cell results in electrical breakdown of the membrane accompanied with a formation of numerous large pores; low current of negative ions OH− results in fatal increase of the cell membrane permeability.
ISSN:1612-8850
1612-8869
DOI:10.1002/ppap.201300041