Bacterial inactivation using atmospheric pressure single pin electrode microplasma jet with a ground ring

Bacterial inactivation experiment was performed using atmospheric pressure microplasma jets driven by radio-frequency wave of 13.56 MHz and by low frequency wave of several kilohertz. With addition of a ground ring electrode, the discharge current, the optical emission intensities from reactive radicals, and the sterilization efficiency were enhanced significantly. When oxygen gas was added to helium at the flow rate of 5 SCCM, the sterilization efficiency was enhanced. From the survival curve of Escherichia coli, the primary role in the inactivation was played by reactive species with minor aid from heat, UV photons, charged particles, and electric fields.