Application of Pinhole Plasma Jet Activated Water against Escherichia coli, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, and Decontamination of Pesticide Residues on Chili (Capsicum annuum L.)

Degradation of Pesticide Residues in Water, Soil, and Food Products via Cold Plasma Technology

Water, soil, and food products contain pesticide residues. These residues result from excessive pesticides use, motivated by the fact that agricultural productivity can be increased by the use of these pesticides. The accumulation of these residues in the body can cause health problems, leading to food safety concerns. Cold plasma technology has been successfully employed in various applications, such as seed germination, bacterial inactivation, wound disinfection, surface sterilization, and pesticide degradation. In recent years, researchers have increasingly explored the effectiveness of cold plasma technology in the degradation of pesticide residues. Most studies have shown promising outcomes, encouraging further research and scaling-up for commercialization. This review summarizes the use of cold plasma as an emerging technology for pesticide degradation in terms of the plasma system and configuration. It also outlines the key findings in this area. The most frequently adopted plasma systems for each application are identified, and the mechanisms underlying pesticide degradation using cold plasma technology are discussed. The possible factors influencing pesticide degradation efficiency, challenges in research, and future trends are also discussed. This review demonstrates that despite the nascent nature of the technology, the use of cold plasma shows considerable potential in regards to pesticide residue degradation, particularly in food applications.

Advancements in Plasma Agriculture: A Review of Recent Studies

This review is devoted to a topic of high interest in recent times-the use of plasma technologies in agriculture. The increased attention to these studies is primarily due to the demand for the intensification of food production and, at the same time, the request to reduce the use of pesticides. We analyzed publications, focusing on research conducted in the last 3 years, to identify the main achievements of plasma agrotechnologies and key obstacles to their widespread implementation in practice. We considered the main types of plasma sources used in this area, their advantages and limitations, which determine the areas of application. We also considered the use of plasma-activated liquids and the efficiency of their production by various types of plasma sources.

Comparison of plasma technology for the study of herbicide degradation

The study aimed to investigate the effects of two different plasma systems, including pinhole plasma jet and gliding arc (GA) plasma, for the degradation of herbicide, diuron, in plasma activated solutions (PAS). In the GA plasma system, air was used to generate plasma, however, Ar, oxygen and nitrogen at different gas compositions were compared in the pinhole plasma jet system. The Taguchi design model was used to study the effects of gas compositions. Results revealed that the pinhole plasma jet system was able to degrade over 50% of the diuron in 60 minutes. The optimal plasma generation condition for the highest degradation of diuron used pure Ar gas. The highest degradation percentage of herbicide in PAS corresponded to the lowest hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) content, nitrite concentration and electrical conductivity (EC) of the PAS. The diuron degradation products were identified as 3,4-dichloro-benzenamine, 1-chloro-3-isocyanato-benzene and 1-chloro-4-isocyanato-benzene via gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The GA plasma system was not adequate for the degradation of herbicide in PAS.