Inactivation of airborne viruses using a packed bed non-thermal plasma reactor

Area of Science:

• Environmental Engineering
• Infectious Disease Control
• Plasma Science

Background:

• Airborne infectious diseases pose significant public health risks.
• Ventilation systems can facilitate disease transmission.
• Effective control measures with minimal pressure differential are needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of non-thermal plasma (NTP) in inactivating airborne viruses.
• To assess the performance of a packed-bed dielectric barrier discharge reactor for viral aerosol inactivation.
• To determine the impact of operational parameters on NTP effectiveness.

Main Methods:

• Viral aerosols (MS2 phage) were exposed to NTP in a packed-bed dielectric barrier discharge reactor.
• Plaque assays were used to quantify infectious virus before and after NTP treatment.
• Activated carbon-based ozone filters were employed to reduce residual ozone.

Main Results:

• A greater than 2.3 log reduction in infectious MS2 phage was achieved at 30 kV and 170 L/min.
• Viral inactivation increased exponentially with applied voltage.
• Increased airflow rate did not significantly affect inactivation efficiency.
• Ozone filters reduced residual ozone with a minimal pressure differential (<20 Pa).

Conclusions:

• Non-thermal plasma is effective in inactivating airborne viral aerosols.
• The packed-bed reactor design shows promise for controlling airborne pathogens.
• NTP offers a viable solution for reducing infectious disease transmission in ventilation systems.