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Antimicrobial Synergy Between Ambient‐ G as Plasma and UVA Treatment of Aqueous Solution
Author(s) -
Pavlovich Matthew J.,
Sakiyama Yukinori,
Clark Douglas S.,
Graves David B.
Publication year - 2013
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.201300065
Subject(s) - hydrogen peroxide , aqueous solution , chemistry , nitrite , antimicrobial , reactive oxygen species , reactive nitrogen species , escherichia coli , photochemistry , antioxidant , ultraviolet , biophysics , nuclear chemistry , nitrate , biochemistry , organic chemistry , materials science , biology , optoelectronics , gene
We describe the photochemical and antimicrobial synergy between ambient‐condition air plasma and ultraviolet photons at near‐UV (UVA) wavelengths. Plasma treatments generate reactive oxygen and nitrogen species in aqueous solution. When UVA treatment followed plasma treatment of Escherichia coli , the antimicrobial effect exceeded the effect predicted from the two treatments alone. Exposing individual plasma‐associated species to UVA photons indicated that the synergy is associated with nitrite and hydrogen peroxide in combination. An antioxidant present during UVA treatment prevented the synergistic effect, suggesting oxidant‐mediated bacterial inactivation. Addition of nitrite to aqueous solution, followed by photolysis of nitrite by UVA photons, is hypothesized as the primary mechanism of synergy.