Comparison of sterilizing effect of nonequilibrium atmospheric-pressure He/O2 and Ar/O2 plasma jets

The sterilizing effect of the non-equilibrium atmospheric pressure plasma jet by applying it to the Bacillus subtilis spores is invesigated. A stable glow discharge in argon or helium gas fed with active gas (oxygen), was generated in the coaxial cylindrical reactor powered by the radio-frequency power supply at atmospheric pressure. The experimental results indicated that the efficiency of killing spores by making use of an Ar/O-2 plasma jet was much better than with a He/O-2 plasma jet. The decimal reduction value of Ar/O-2 and He/O-2 plasma jets under the same experimental conditions was 4.5 seconds and 125 seconds, respectively. It was found that there exists an optimum oxygen concentration for a certain input power, at which the sterilization efficiency reaches a maximum value. It is believed that the oxygen radicals are generated most efficiently under this optimum condition.