Grating-like DBD plasma for air disinfection: Dose and dose-response characteristics

Liyang Zhang; Yuntao Guo; Jinfeng Tie; Zenghui Yao; Zihao Feng; Qiong Wu; Xinxin Wang; Haiyun Luo

doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.130780

Grating-like DBD plasma for air disinfection: Dose and dose-response characteristics

J Hazard Mater. 2023 Apr 5:447:130780. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.130780. Epub 2023 Jan 13.

Authors

Liyang Zhang¹, Yuntao Guo², Jinfeng Tie³, Zenghui Yao¹, Zihao Feng¹, Qiong Wu¹, Xinxin Wang¹, Haiyun Luo⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Electrical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
² Department of Electrical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China. Electronic address: guoyt@tsinghua.edu.cn.
³ Disinfection and Infection Control, Chinese PLA Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Beijing 100071, China. Electronic address: jftie@foxmail.com.
⁴ Department of Electrical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China. Electronic address: lhy@tsinghua.edu.cn.

PMID: 36669408
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.130780

Abstract

Atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma is an emerging technique for effective bioaerosol decontamination and is promising to be used in indoor environments to reduce infections. However, fundamental knowledge of the dose and dose-response characteristics of plasma-based disinfection technology is very limited. By examining the single-pass removal efficiency of S. lentus aerosol by in-duct grating-like DBD plasma reactors with varied discharge setups (gap distance, electrode size, number of discharge layers, frequency, dielectric material), it was found that the specific input energy (SIE) could be served as the dose for disinfection, and the efficiency was exponentially dependent on SIE in most cases. The corresponding susceptibility constants (Z values) were obtained hereinafter. Humidity was a prominent factor boosting the efficiency with a Z value of 0.36 L/J at relative humidity (RH) of 20% and 1.68 L/J at RH of 60%. MS2 phage showed a much higher efficiency of 2.66-3.08 log₁₀ of reduction than those of S. lentus (38-85%) and E. coli (42%-95%) under the same condition. Using SIE as the dose, the performance of plasma reactors in the literature was compared and evaluated. This work provides a theoretical and engineering basis for air disinfection by plasma-based technology.

Keywords: Air disinfection; Dielectric barrier discharge; Dose; Z value.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Body Fluids*
Disinfection* / methods
Escherichia coli
Technology