Inactivation of airborne pathogenic microorganisms by plasma-activated nebulized mist

• Published in: Journal of hazardous materials Vol. 459; p. 132072
• Main Authors: Guo, Li, Zhao, Pengyu, Jia, Yikang, Wang, Zifeng, Chen, Min, Zhang, Hao, Liu, Dingxin, Zhang, Yong, Wang, Xiaohua, Rong, Mingzhe
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 05.10.2023
• Subjects: Aerosol; Biosafety; Plasma-activated nebulized mist (PANM); Reactive species; Sterilization; Plasma-activated nebulized mist (PANM); Biosafety; Aerosol; Reactive species; Sterilization
• ISSN: 0304-3894; 1873-3336
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.132072

The airborne microorganisms in the aerosols are one main transmission way of pathogenic microorganisms and therefore inactivation of microorganisms in aerosols could effectively prevent the transmission of pathogenic microorganisms to control epidemics. The mist nebulized by plasma-activated air could effectively inactivate bacteria and could be developed for the sterilization of microorganisms in aerosols. In this study, the plasma-activated nebulized mist (PANM) was applied for the inactivation of microorganisms in aerosols and efficiently inactivated the bacteria, yeast, and viruses in aerosols after 2-min treatment. The PANM treatment caused morphologic changes and damage to the bacteria cells in aerosols. The PANM could also inactivate the microorganisms attached to the surface of the treatment chamber and the bacteria attached to the skin of mice within 6-min treatment. The biosafety assays demonstrated that the PANM treatment exhibited no effects on the behavior, hematological and serum biochemical parameters of blood, and organs from the mice. This study would supply an efficient, broad-spectrum, and safe aerosol sterilization strategy based on plasma technology to prevent the transmission of airborne microorganisms. [Display omitted] •Plasma-activated nebulized mist (PANM) inactivated the microorganisms in aerosols.•PANM also inactivated the microorganisms attached to the surface of the chamber.•PANM treatment caused morphologic changes to the bacterial cells in aerosols.•PANM inactivated the bacteria on the skin of mice and had no side effects on mice.•PANM provided a new strategy for the efficient sterilization of microbial aerosols.