Inactivation of Escherichia coli Using the Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Jet of Ar gas

Abstract

Germicidal treatments of Escherichia coli on Langmuir–Blodget (LB) agar were performed using the atmospheric pressure plasma jet sources of Ar gas in the ambient air. Shorter distances from the nozzle of the plasma jet device were more effective in achieving higher bactericidal effects on E. coli grown on LB agar. The surface temperature of the agar was monitored and the spectroscopic analysis of the plasma jet was performed in order to evaluate the factors contributing to the bactericidal effect, such as heating, UV emission, and radical formation caused by the plasma jet. Although the plasma jet raised the surface temperature of LB agar up to about 40 °C, the bactericidal effect was not observed. Moreover, the bactericidal effect of UV (200–300 nm) emitted from the plasma jet was negligible compared with the effects of ions and radical species generated by the atmospheric plasma. The results suggest that the ions and radical species generated by the atmospheric pressure plasma jet are critical for high bactericidal effects on E. coli .