In recent years, people are increasingly interested in CO2 hydrogenation to produce value-added chemicals and fuels ( CH4, CH3OH, etc.). In the quest for an efficient treatment in CO2 methanation and methanolization, several technologies have been practiced, and DBD plasma technology gain attention due to its easily handling, mild operating conditions, strong activation ability, and high product selectivity. In addition, its reaction mechanism and the effect of packing materials and reaction parameters are still controversial. To address these problems efficiently, a summary of the reaction mechanism is presented. A discussion on plasma-catalyzed CO2 hydrogenation including packing materials, reaction parameters, and optimizing methods is addressed. In this review, the overall status and recent findings in DBD plasma-catalyzed CO2 hydrogenation are presented, and the possible directions of future development are discussed.

The purpose of this study was to compare the efficiency of air and oxygen injected into the underwater non-thermal dielectric barrier discharge plasma (DBD plasma) device used to remove five types of antibiotics (tetracycline, doxycycline, oxytetracycline, clindamycin, and erythromycin) artificially contained in the fish farm discharge water. The voltage given to generate DBD plasma was 27.8 kV, and the measurement intervals were 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8, 16 and 32 minutes. Tetracycline antibiotics significantly decreased in 4 minutes when air was injected and were reduced in 30 seconds when oxygen was injected. After the introduction of air and oxygen at 32 minutes, 78.1% and 95.8% of tetracycline were removed, 77.1% and 96.3% of doxycycline were removed, and 77.1% and 95.5% of oxytetracycline were removed, respectively. In air and oxygen, 59.6% and 83.0% of clindamycin and 53.3% and 74.3% of erythromycin were removed, respectively. The two antibiotics showed lower removal efficiency than tetracyclines. In conclusion, fish farm discharge water contains five different types of antibiotics that can be reduced using underwater DBD plasma, and oxygen gas injection outperformed air in terms of removal efficiency.

Tributyl phosphate (TBP) is a well-known and important compound in the nuclear industry for the nuclear fuel reprocessing, and it is also used in a various field such as plastic industry as antifoaming agent. Untreated organic pollutants in TBP can remain in the soil water and cause serious environmental pollution, thus it should be degraded through environmentally friendly methods. The non-thermal plasma-based advanced oxidation process (AOP) is one of the most widely studied and best developed processes owing to its simple structure and ease of operation. In this study, a plasma-based AOP was stably generated using submerged multi-hole dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) and applied to relatively high concentration of TBP solution. A submerged DBD plasma system was designed to directly interact with water, thereby producing reactive oxygen species (ROS) and functioning as a powerful oxidizer. Additionally, UV, O3, and H2O2 are generated by the developed plasma system without using any other additives to produce OH radicals for degrading organic pollutants; therefore, this system circumvents the use of complex and advanced oxidation processes. The electrical properties and concentrations of the active species were analyzed to establish optimal plasma operating conditions for degrading TBP solution. The results were analyzed by measuring the total organic carbon (TOC) and changes in solution properties. Based on these results, a degradation mechanism of TBP solution is proposed. After 50 min of plasma treatment, the concentration of TOC was gradually decreased. Consequently, we found that plasma-based AOP using submerged multi-hole DBD has advantages as an alternative technology for degrading organic pollutants such as TBP solution.

순환여과양식시스템(RAS)은 사육수를 여과하여 재사용하며 고밀도로 사육하는 양식 방법으로 수질관리 및 소독이 매우 중요하다. 병원체로 인한 질병 발생을 예방하고 수질 개선에 도움을 주기 위하여 최근 코로나 방전 플라즈마 처리수(plasma water, PW)를 이용한 사육수 소독법이 제안되었다. 본 연구에서는 플라즈마 발생장치를 설치한 순환여과시스템(처리구, PW system) 과 설치하지 않은 순환여과시스템(대조구, No PW system)에서 40일 동안 틸라피아를 사육하 면서 수질 변화 및 어체의 성장을 조사하였다. 이를 위해 10일 마다 물을 채수하여 UV 투과율 과 일반 세균 수 변화를 측정하였고 틸라피아의 성장지표, 생존율 및 조직학적인 차이를 분 석하였다. UV 투과율 실험 결과 처리구와 대조구는 실험 시작 시에(0일) 각각 74.1%, 74.8%를 나타냈으며, 40일째에 처리구는 91.8%로 증가한 반면 대조구는 65.2%로 감소하여 수중 유기 물 감소 효과를 확인하였다. 일반 세균 수는 40일에 이르러 처리구(101.69 CFU/ml)에서 대조구 (103.25 CFU/ml) 보다 유의하게 감소하였다(p<0.05). 틸라피아 성장차이 조사 결과 처리구는 대조구에 비해 총 증중량이 유의하게 높았으며(p<0.05), 다른 성장지표도 처리구가 상대적으로 높았으나 통계적으로 유의한 차이는 아니었다(p>0.05). 또한 처리구는 100%의 생존율을 보였 으며, 조직학적으로 대조구와 차이가 나타나지 않았다. 따라서 플라즈마 처리수는 순환여과양 식시스템 내 어류의 성장과 건강에 해를 끼치지 않고 수질 개선에도 효과가 있을 것으로 기대 된다. 그러나 현장 적용 시에는 탈기수조의 설치 등 주의사항을 충분히 고려하여야 할 것이다.

Dishwashing tools such as sponges, scourers, and dishcloths are known to harbor dense and diverse microbial communities, including pathogenic bacteria. In this study, the potential of corona discharge plasma jet (CDPJ) as a disinfectant was tested to improve the hygienic quality of dishwashing tools. For the simulation of microbial contamination, selective pathogenic bacteria (Escherichia coli O157:H7, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas putida) were inoculated on selected dishwashing tools (dishcloth, sponge, and scourer) at concentrations of 6.55 to 8.77 log CFU/cm 2 . CDPJ generated at 20 kV voltage and 1.5A current was used for decontamination, whereas a sample-to-electrode distance of 25 mm was maintained during the treatment. Following CDPJ treatment for 5 min, the viable counts of E. coli O157:H7, S. aureus, and P. putida were reduced by 4.30-4.56, 3.71-4.78, and 3.50-3.83 log, respectively. The rates of inactivation were varied among the pathogens, decreasing in the order E. coli O157:H7 > S. aureus > P. putida. Among tested kinetic models, namely log-linear, log-linear with shoulder, and Weibull models, the log-linear with shoulder model was found to be the most suitable model to explain the CDPJ inactivation of the pathogens. In conclusion, CDPJ can be used as a potential sanitizing agent for dishwashing tools.

This study investigated the degradation characteristics and biodegradability of phenol, refractory organic matters, by injecting MgO and CaO-known to be catalyst materials for the ozonation process-into a Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) plasma. MgO and CaO were injected at 0, 0.5, 1.0, and 2 g/L, and the pH was not adjusted separately to examine the optimal injection amounts of MgO and CaO. When MgO and CaO were injected, the phenol decomposition rate was increased, and the reaction time was found to decrease by 2.1 to 2.6 times. In addition, during CaO injection, intermediate products combined with Ca2+ to cause precipitation, which increased the COD (chemical oxygen demand) removal rate by approximately 2.4 times. The biodegradability of plasma treated water increased with increase in the phenol decomposition rate and increased as the amount of the generated intermediate products increased. The biodegradability was the highest in the plasma reaction with MgO injection as compared to when the DBD plasma pH was adjusted. Thus, it was found that a DBD plasma can degrade non-biodegradable phenols and increase biodegradability.

Benzo[α]pyrene (BaP), a carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, is ubiquitous in nature. It is generally found in heat-treated foods like roasted sesame seeds. BaP degradation has attracted attention due to the recalcitrant nature of BaP. In this study, corona discharge plasma jet (CDPJ) was used to degrade BaP on glass slides and in food materials. The plasma discharges were generated using air as working gas under atmospheric pressure conditions and at different currents (1.00, 1.25, and 1.50 A). Optimal BaP degradation was observed upon using CDPJ generated at 1.50 A current and at 15 mm sample-to-electrode distance (STED). Under these conditions, initial BaP concentration on slides was reduced maximally by 87.09% in 30 min. The degradation kinetics were well-fitted by Weibull tail model compared with others. In food commodities (roasted sesame and perilla seeds), the average levels of BaP degradation ranged between 32.96-45.90% following CDPJ treatment for 30 min.

Sodium dodecylbenzen sulfonate (DBS) and linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) are widely used in dishwashing products. Residual levels of these surfactants are commonly found on the surfaces of dishware following dishwashing. Residual surfactants and detergents can act as potential toxicants and may pose health risks. This study explored the applicability of dielectric barrier discharge plasma (DBDP) for the degradation of residual surfactants in order to minimize their harmful effects. The plasma was generated using 10 kV pulsed DC power supply at different input currents (2.0-3.0 A) and at various inter-electrode gaps (2.0-3.0 mm). Under simulatory treatment conditions, diluted surfactants (DBS and LAS) and DBS-containing dishwashing detergents dispersed on slide glasses were exposed to DBDP for predetermined periods of time. Results indicated that, under optimal treatment conditions of 3.0 A current and 2.0 mm inter-electrode gap, tested surfactants and surfactants in detergents were degraded in the range of 60- 70% following the plasma treatment for 120 min. Modeling of degradation kinetics indicated that Weibull distribution was the best-fit model, and decimal degradation times (δ) were calculated. Pure surfactants were degraded at relatively higher level than surfactants in detergents. Among these anionic surfactants, DBS was more rapidly degraded than LAS by plasma treatment.

This objective of this study was to investigate the degradation characteristics of phenol, a refractory substance, by using a submerged dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma reactor. To indirectly determine the concentration of active species produced in the DBD plasma, the dissolved ozone was measured. To investigate the phenol degradation characteristics, the phenol and chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentrations were evaluated based on pH and the discharge power. The dissolved ozone was measured based on the air flow rate and power discharged. The highest dissolved ozone concentration was recorded when the injected air flow rate was 5 L/min. At a discharge power of 40W as compared to 70W, the dissolved ozone was approximately 2.7 – 6.5 times higher. In regards to phenol degradation, the final degradation rate was highest at about 74.06%, when the initial pH was 10. At a discharged power of 40W, the rate of phenol decomposition was observed to be approximately 1.25 times higher compared to when the discharged power was 70W. It was established that the phenol degradation reaction was a primary reaction, and when the discharge power was 40W as opposed to 70W, the reaction rate constant(k) was approximately 1.72 times higher.