G. stearothermophilus Spores' Inactivation by a Single Dielectric Barrier Discharge in Air at Atmospheric Pressure.

In this paper, we present some results of a plasma source developed at the Plasma Laboratory of the University of Brasilia for sterilization studies at atmospheric pressure. This source was primarily conceived to produce a corona-type discharge to be used on pollutant control experiments. We used ordinary air as the precursor gas. Our apparatus consists of two coaxial cylindrical tubes with different radii connected to a high-voltage power source. We used G. stearothermophilus spores as the biological indicators. We counted the viable spores after the exposure to the plasma with the pour plate technique. Finally, we studied the biocide mechanisms of the plasma and related the inactivation of the microorganisms to plasma-induced chemical and physical processes. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]