College of Science _University of Kerbala has discussed the M.A thesis which is entitled explored in a master’s thesis the use of atmospheric pressure plasma jets to reduce the effectiveness of E. coli bacteria suspended in water. The thesis, which has been presented by Abeer Fouad Hassan, aims at determining optimal operating parameters for an atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) and evaluate effectiveness of plasma jets in inactivating E. coli bacteria in water.
The study also examines basic plasma properties, such as plasma column length, gas and electron temperature, electron density, and reactive species intensity, to clarify their role in treatment. The study demonstrates that the use of a helium plasma jet at a frequency of 12 kHz and a voltage of 9 kV resulted in a significant reduction in bacterial counts after 25 minutes of treatment. Water turbidity decreased from 2.70 NTU to 0.9 NTU, demonstrating system’s efficiency in sterilizing contaminated water under non-thermal conditions.
The study emphasizes that plasma jet system represents a promising technology for water treatment and the efficient reduction of bacterial contaminants.
It is recommended that investigating effectiveness of different gas mixtures to enhance production of reactive species, designing multi-tube arrays to expand the scope of industrial applications, and exploring the effect of combining plasma treatment with antibiotics to target resistant strains.