Degradation of high-concentration simulated organic wastewater by DBD plasma.

In this study, a high-concentration simulated organic wastewater, made by dissolving methyl violet in water, was degraded using dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma generated in air and O respectively. The decoloration rate and chemical oxygen demand (COD) of wastewater were evaluated during plasma treatments with the initial concentration of methyl violet of 300 mg L. Results showed that the highest decoloration rate of around 100% within 10 min and the highest COD decrease of 33% within 60 min could be achieved with the O plasma treatment at the discharge voltage of 10 kV, while air plasma treatment showed lower efficiency in decolorizing the methyl violet solution and lower COD decrease (24%) after 60 min treatment.

Spectral characteristics of cotton seeds treated by a dielectric barrier discharge plasma.

Cold atmospheric plasma has recently emerged as a simple, low-cost and efficient physical method for inducing significant biological responses in seeds and plants without the use of traditional, potentially environmentally-hazardous chemicals, fungicides or hormones. While the beneficial effects of plasma treatment on seed germination, disease resistance and agricultural output have been reported, the mechanisms that underpin the observed biological responses are yet to be fully described. This study employs Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and emission spectroscopy to capture chemical interactions between plasmas and seed surfaces with the aim to provide a more comprehensive account of plasma-seed interactions.