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Sublethal and Killing Effects of Atmospheric‐Pressure, Nonthermal Plasma on Eukaryotic Microalgae in Aqueous Media
Author(s) -
Tang Ying Zhong,
Lu Xin Pei,
Laroussi Mounir,
Dobbs Fred C.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
plasma processes and polymers
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.644
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1612-8869
pISSN - 1612-8850
DOI - 10.1002/ppap.200800014
Subject(s) - motility , aqueous medium , microorganism , plasma , aqueous solution , biophysics , bacteria , atmospheric pressure plasma , staining , diatom , biology , algae , ultrastructure , chemistry , environmental chemistry , botany , microbiology and biotechnology , organic chemistry , genetics , physics , quantum mechanics
In‐depth studies on the interaction of nonthermal plasmas with microorganisms usually focus on bacteria; only little attention has been given to their effects on more complex eukaryotic cells. We report here nonthermal plasma's effects on cell motility, viability staining, and morphology of eukaryotic microalgae, with three marine dinoflagellates and a marine diatom as major targets. The effects on motility and viability staining depended on the time of exposure to plasma and the species of microalgae. We observed a strong pH decrease in aqueous samples (marine and freshwater algal cultures, their culture media, and deionized water) after exposure to plasma, and hypothesized this decreased pH as the principal mechanism by which plasma exerts its deleterious effects on cells in aqueous media. The hypothesis was supported by results of experiments in which decreasing the pH of algal samples (effected by addition of acid) caused the same morphological damage (as determined with scanning‐electron microscopy) as did exposure to plasma.