Effects of irradiation distance on supply of reactive oxygen species to the bottom of a Petri dish filled with liquid by an atmospheric O2/He plasma jet

Abstract

The impact of irradiation distances on plasma jet-induced specific effects on the supply of reactive oxygen species (ROS) to the bottom of a Petri dish filled with liquid was investigated using a KI-starch gel reagent that can be employed as a ROS indicator even in water. O3 exposure experiments without plasma irradiation were also performed to elucidate the specific effects of the plasma jet. Relative concentrations of ROS transported to the bottom were evaluated using absorbance measurements. The results indicated that ROS supply to the bottom is markedly enhanced by the plasma jet irradiation at shorter irradiation distances, whereas similar results could not be obtained for the O3 exposure. In these cases, the liquid mixing in the depth direction was also enhanced by the plasma jet irradiation only, and the supply of reactive atomic oxygen to the liquid surface was markedly increased as well.