An Atmospheric-Pressure Large-Area Diffuse Surface Dielectric Barrier Discharge Used for Disinfection Application

A large-area diffuse surface dielectric barrier discharge (SDBD) produced using ambient air at atmospheric pressure is investigated with respect to its electrical and optical characteristics. Current-voltage measurements and intensified charge coupled device images show that the multiple-groove SDBD device is able to generate a kind of visible large-area diffuse discharge at the applied voltage more than 22 kV with the repetition frequency of 9 kHz, which is associated with the accumulation of electric charges. Moreover, the multiple-groove SDBD is also found to be very efficient in the inactivation of Escherichia coli and Candida albicans on the surface of chopsticks. It is found that the electrostatic tensile generated by accumulated charges may play a key role on the cell inactivation.