The role of VUV radiation in the inactivation of bacteria with an atmospheric pressure plasma jet

TL;DR

This study demonstrates that VUV photons generated by an atmospheric pressure plasma jet can effectively inactivate E. coli bacteria through gas-phase photochemistry, with water and oxygen playing key roles in enhancing this effect.

Contribution

The paper introduces a modified plasma jet setup that isolates VUV photon effects and shows their significant role in bacterial inactivation, surpassing direct VUV damage.

Findings

VUV photons cause bacterial inactivation via gas-phase photochemistry.

Water impurities and O2 molecules enhance the inactivation effect.

VUV interaction increases ozone formation in plasma effluent.

Abstract

A modified version of a micro scale atmospheric pressure plasma jet (\mu-APPJ) source, so-called X-Jet, is used to study the role of plasma generated VUV photons in the inactivation of E. coli bacteria. The plasma is operated in He gas or a He/O2 mixture and the X-Jet modification of the jet geometry allows effective separation of heavy reactive particles (such as O atoms or ozone molecules) from the plasma-generated photons. The measurements of the evolution of zone of inhibitions formed in monolayers of vegetative E. coli bacteria, of VUV emission intensity and of positive ion spectra show that photochemistry in the gas phase followed by photochemistry products impacting on bacteria can result in bacterial inactivation. Interestingly, this process is more effective than direct inactivation by VUV radiation damage. Mainly protonated water cluster ions are detected by mass spectrometry indicating that water impurity has to be carefully considered. The measurements indicate that the combination of the presence of water cluster ions and O2 molecules at the surface leads to the strongest effect. Additionally, it seem that the interaction of VUV photons with effluent of He/O2 plasma leads to enhanced formation of O3, which is not the case when only O2 molecules and gas impurities at room temperature interacts with plasma generated VUV photons.