Regular Article

Comparing the biocidal properties of non-thermal plasma sources by reference protocol

Department of Physics and Measurements, University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague, Czech Republic

^a e-mail: scholtzv@vscht.cz

Received: 19 February 2017
Received in final form: 1 August 2017
Published online: 19 October 2017

Abstract

The previously proposed reference protocol enabling easy comparison of biocidal properties of different non-thermal plasma sources has been followed and discussed. For inactivation tests the reference protocol has used spores of Gram positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis (ATCC 6633) deposited on a polycarbonate membrane as reference sample. In this work, biocidal properties of a negative glow corona, positive streamer corona, positive transient spark and cometary discharges are being compared in both open air and closed apparatus. Despite the total number of bacteria surviving 1 h exposure has decreased by up to 7 orders in closed apparatus, in open one, only weak inhibition bactericidal effect has been observed.