Author(s): Jose Goncalves; Tom Koritnik; Davor Krzisnik; Jure Zigon
Linked Author(s): José Gonçalves
Keywords: Water scarcity cold plasma wastewater treatment dielectric barrier discharge bacterial inactivation emerging pollutants
Abstract: Water scarcity is a pressing global challenge exacerbated by climate change, population growth, and pollution, particularly impacting Southern Europe, which is projected to face an 11% decline in water availability by 2050. This study explores the potential of dielectric barrier discharge cold plasma (DBD CP) technology for wastewater treatment, focusing on its efficacy in inactivating gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Two prototypes of DBD CP generators were developed, demonstrating significant bacterial inactivation after minimal exposure times. The results indicate that DBD CP can serve as an advanced treatment method to combat microbial contamination in water, supporting the need for innovative technologies in response to water scarcity challenges. Ongoing research aims to enhance the scalability of this technology and assess its effectiveness in real wastewater samples.
Year: 2025