Inactivation of<i>Penicillium digitatum</i>Spores by a High-Density Ground-State Atomic Oxygen-Radical Source Employing an Atmospheric-Pressure Plasma

Abstract

Penicillium digitatum spores were inactivated using an oxygen-radical source that supplies only neutral oxygen radicals. Vacuum ultraviolet absorption spectroscopy was used to measure the ground-state atomic oxygen [O (3Pj)] densities and they were estimated to be in the range of 1014–1015 cm-3. The inactivation rate of P. digitatum spores was correlated with the O (3Pj) density. The result indicates that O (3Pj) is the dominant species in the inactivation. The inactivation rate constant of P. digitatum spores by O (3Pj) was estimated to be on the order of 10-17 cm3 s-1 from the measured O (3Pj) densities and inactivation rates.