Search Results (241)

Nanobubbles have attracted increasing interest in food systems because they can modify gas dispersion, interfacial transport, washing performance, preservation processes, and the structures of dispersed matrices. However, their behavior cannot be interpreted based on bubble size alone. Proteins, polysaccharides, lipids, salts, colloidal particles, gas composition, and processing conditions can alter interfacial adsorption, gas transfer, bubble persistence, and matrix organization in food systems. This review examines the physicochemical mechanisms proposed to explain nanobubble persistence and functionality, with an emphasis on surface charge, interfacial adsorption, gas supersaturation, confinement, and interactions with food biopolymers. A central distinction is made between passive nanobubble-containing systems and externally activated systems involving hydrodynamic cavitation, ultrasound, plasma, pressure fluctuations, and reactive gases. Under passive conditions, nanobubbles mainly act as gas–liquid interfaces that influence local transport and adsorption. In activated systems, microbial inactivation, reactive oxygen species formation, and apparent mass-transfer enhancement often arise from external energy input, gas chemistry, turbulence, and transient supersaturation rather than from nanobubbles alone. Interfacial stability is used here as an organizing concept to connect nanobubble persistence, food-matrix interactions, generation methods, characterization limitations, and interpretation of reported technological effects. Current methods, such as dynamic light scattering and nanoparticle tracking analysis, provide useful size and concentration estimates but cannot unambiguously distinguish nanobubbles from protein aggregates, fat droplets, micelles, polysaccharide assemblies, and other colloidal structures in complex matrices. Therefore, reliable interpretation requires complementary methods, appropriate controls, and standardized reporting of gas composition, generation method, energy input, matrix properties, and processing conditions. Thus, nanobubble-containing technologies show promise for food processing; however, their value depends on the separation of nanoscale interfacial effects from concurrent hydrodynamic, chemical, and matrix-dependent phenomena. Full article

As agriculture moves towards green transformation and low-carbon production, the high energy consumption, environmental burden, and residue risks associated with conventional chemical fertilisers, pesticides, and disinfectants have become increasingly prominent. Non-thermal plasma (NTP) can generate reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) under near-ambient temperature and pressure conditions, while offering low chemical residue, high reactivity, and modular equipment design. It has therefore attracted growing attention in agricultural engineering and green agricultural input preparation. This review focuses primarily on studies published within the past five years, together with the selected foundational literature retrieved from Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, MDPI, and ScienceDirect. It systematically examines the fundamental mechanisms, application modes, and representative agricultural scenarios of NTP, with particular emphasis on agricultural nitrogen fixation and fertilisation, seed treatment and seedling raising, crop growth regulation and protection, soil improvement and remediation, and postharvest preservation and safety treatment of agricultural products. Key technological advances are then summarised, including optimisation of discharge systems and reactor configurations, plasma–catalysis synergy, preparation of plasma-activated water (PAW) and plasma-activated mist (PAM), and the development and integration of specialised agricultural equipment. In addition, the current state-of-the-art (SOA) of artificial intelligence (AI) applications in plasma-process modelling, process-parameter optimisation, agricultural performance evaluation, and intelligent control is discussed. Existing evidence indicates that NTP is particularly relevant to controlled-environment agriculture, including greenhouse cultivation, hydroponics, and aeroponics, where discharge processes, water or nutrient solutions, and crop root-zone management can be coupled for in situ nitrogen supply, activated-medium preparation, and crop protection. However, reported effects remain strongly dependent on discharge type, energy input, reactive-species composition, treatment dose, crop species, cultivation system, and application route. Therefore, NTP-based agricultural technologies should be evaluated using consistent indicators, including energy consumption, product selectivity, reactive-species stability, treatment throughput, crop response, ecological safety, and system-level integration with AI and IoT. Future research should prioritise high-efficiency reactors, standardised evaluation frameworks, cross-scale mechanistic understanding, reliable datasets, and closed-loop intelligent control, thereby supporting the transition from laboratory studies to reproducible and application-oriented agricultural systems. Full article

Blood disorders encompass a wide range of diseases including anemia, hemophilia, thrombotic disorders, platelet dysfunction, and hematological cancers, making blood disorders a major global health concern. These conditions can impair processes vital to human physiology including oxygenation, coagulation, and immune defense. Hematologic malignancies, both chronic and acute, require timely diagnosis and ongoing disease monitoring for effective clinical management. Microfluidic technologies have emerged as promising alternatives to benchtop techniques for diagnosing and monitoring hematological disorders. For example, microfluidic assays can be used for the isolation and characterization of liquid biopsy markers such as rare cells, extracellular vesicles, and cell-free molecules to support disease management in a minimally invasive manner while the process automation afforded by microfluidics decentralizes healthcare, making it more accessible. Advances in lab-on-a-chip technologies, including large-scale fabrication methods and novel design strategies, will provide tools for the clinical validation of biomarkers and the translation of these technologies from the laboratory bench to the patient bedside. In this review, we will show that microfluidic devices enable disease monitoring via high-throughput analysis of liquid biopsy samples for the detection of rare disease-specific biomarkers found in blood, plasma, urine, etc., providing an alternative to standard benchtop testing using specimens secured via invasive bone marrow procedures, typically used for managing blood-based diseases. A key advantage of microfluidics is their ability to manipulate blood components at scales that closely mimic the body’s microvascular environment. Not surprisingly, microfluidic vascular models have been developed to replicate physiological rheology enabling quantitative assessment of blood cell deformability, aggregation, or clot formation. We provide a critical perspective on the use of the microfluidic “organ-on-chip” designed for blood disorders’ modeling and employed to recapitulate the blood cancer microenvironment. A summary of advances in microfluidic strategies for detection, diagnosis, drug screening, and mechanistic investigations of blood disorders, and future directions for precision testing, will be presented. Full article

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in fluorinated firefighting wastewater (FFW), which are difficult to remediate using conventional technologies, represent a critical environmental hazard due to the extreme persistence and bioaccumulation potential of soil–groundwater systems. Niobium-supported boron-doped diamond (BDD) anodes were synthesized by microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition, and their performance in the electrochemical advanced oxidation processes (EAOPs) of FFW were systematically investigated. Under optimized conditions (100 mM Na₂SO₄ electrolyte with 100 mM peroxymonosulfate (PMS), current density of 33.3 mA/cm², pH = 6), the BDD anode achieved near-complete mineralization, with 92.5% total organic carbon (TOC) removal and significant defluorination (77.5% F⁻ release) within 240 min in simulated FFW-contaminated groundwater. For FFW-contaminated soil remediation, 90.2% TOC removal and 41.6% defluorination were achieved after 720 min under optimal treatment (water-to-soil ratio of 20:1). Quenching experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) tests revealed that hydroxyl radicals (·OH) and singlet oxygen (¹O₂) were the predominant reactive species. Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis indicated that PFASs were removed by shortened carbon chains, ultimately mineralizing to CO₂ and F⁻. Toxicity assessment using Vibrio fischeri luminescence demonstrated a reduction in toxicity (from 99.8% to 20.9%), confirming the effective detoxification of BDD-based EAOPs. This work establishes BDD-based EAOPs as a promising technology for eliminating PFASs in groundwater and soil, offering theoretical insights into EAOPs and engineering solutions for PFAS remediation. Full article

Oil-contaminated wastewater generated in oil-producing regions requires effective treatment methods capable of degrading persistent petroleum hydrocarbons and reducing the overall organic load. This study investigated plasma–ozone treatment of model oil-contaminated water representative of Kumkol-associated wastewater, with emphasis on reactive oxygen species formation and pollutant degradation. Experiments were carried out in a dielectric barrier discharge plasma reactor operating at 8–15 kV, 10–30 kHz, and 100–300 W. The plasma process generated ozone in the range of 3–18 mg/L and hydrogen peroxide in the range of 4–25 mg/L. For model wastewater containing 100–500 mg/L petroleum hydrocarbons, plasma–ozone treatment for 30 min achieved 70–90% hydrocarbon degradation. At the same time, COD decreased from 180–600 to 60–180 mg O₂/L, while TOC decreased from 60–250 to 20–90 mg/L. These results indicate that plasma–ozone treatment provides effective oxidation of petroleum hydrocarbons together with simultaneous reduction in key water quality indicators, demonstrating its potential for the treatment of oil-contaminated wastewater. Full article

In the era of increasing generation of various waste streams, the possibility of utilizing them as secondary resources is of utmost importance and fully corresponds to the goals of the circular economy. Industrial residues from the pulp and paper industry, such as biomass combustion ash (FARP) and sludge from industrial wastewater treatment (PPWS), together with natural zeolite as a modifying additive, represent valuable sources enabling their integrated valorization. The present study aims to investigate the potential for their reuse through the development of sustainable material blends. A comprehensive analysis of the chemical composition and morphology of the obtained mixtures was carried out using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results indicate a tendency for the formation of mineral matrices dominated by calcium–sulfur–oxygen (Ca–S–O) phases, with the presence of calcium sulfate and aluminosilicate structures. The blends are associated with the formation of stable crystalline structures exhibiting potential pozzolanic activity. In this way, carbon is captured and fixed in a stable mineral form. The obtained results suggest the potential of these blends for use in low-carbon systems focused on waste valorization and carbon retention. The materials may be suitable for applications in construction, soil remediation, and environmental technologies, contributing to closing the resource loop “from farm to table and back again”. Full article

Fracturing flowback fluid is a complex wastewater generated during oil extraction, characterized by high concentrations of organic matter, suspended solids, salts, and various chemical additives, posing substantial risks to both surface water and groundwater if discharged directly. This study investigated the treatment of simulated fracturing flowback fluid prepared with guar gum using low-temperature plasma coupled with hydrogen peroxide technology. The degradation efficacy and preliminary mechanism of the combined system on organic pollutants were explored. Through a systematic optimization of operational parameters in the laboratory, the optimal treatment conditions were determined as a discharge voltage of 18 kV, a hydrogen peroxide addition of 5%, an initial pH of 11, and a treatment time of 110 min. Under these conditions, the synergistic system achieved 89.59 percent degradation of organic pollutants and 92.96 percent chemical oxygen demand removal. The results revealed that the combined action induced breakage of guar gum polymer chains, thereby enhancing degradation efficiency while effectively controlling fluid viscosity. This technology establishes a practical treatment approach for simulated fracturing flowback fluids containing guar gum, thereby facilitating better waste management in the energy sector. Full article

Microbiological contamination of drinking water remains a significant public health concern worldwide, necessitating the development of efficient and environmentally friendly disinfection technologies. This study investigated the effectiveness and physicochemical mechanisms of water treatment using high-frequency electrical discharge plasma. Experimental research was conducted employing a laboratory dielectric barrier discharge reactor operating at 10–30 kHz and 10–25 kV, with treatment durations ranging from 5 to 20 min. Plasma exposure resulted in pronounced physicochemical changes in the aqueous medium, including a decrease in pH from 7.1–7.3 to 5.4–6.0 and an increase in electrical conductivity from 280–340 µS/cm to 480–620 µS/cm. The formation of reactive oxygen species, including hydroxyl radicals, ozone, and hydrogen peroxide, was confirmed, with hydrogen peroxide concentrations varying between 0.35 and 1.20 mg/L. Microbiological analysis demonstrated a reduction in microbial concentration from approximately 10⁵–10⁶ CFU/mL to 10²–10³ CFU/mL, corresponding to 3–4 log inactivation. The results indicated that microbial reduction was strongly associated with the generation of reactive species and treatment duration. Energy density within the range of 0.3–1.2 kWh/m³ was found to support effective disinfection performance. The findings demonstrated that high-frequency plasma treatment established a strong oxidative environment leading to microbial membrane disruption and cellular damage. Overall, the study confirmed the potential of high-frequency electrical discharge plasma technology as a promising approach for drinking water disinfection and provided a basis for further optimization and scale-up investigations. Full article

This study investigates the feasibility of treating acidic gases produced in oilfields using a novel method that combines cavitation-jet reactor (CJR) technology with electric arc discharge (EAD). The integration of these two approaches enhances the ionization process by converting neutral gas molecules into chemically reactive ion-radical and radical fragments. These highly reactive species eventually recombine, creating new chemical compounds and simpler molecules from incoming acid gas and water vapor. Theoretical validation and experimental demonstration have revealed possible mechanisms and pathways of low-temperature plasma-chemical processes resulting from the synergistic effects of cavitating-jet flow and arc discharge on the molecular degradation of neutral gaseous molecules, such as hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide in water vapor, which lead to the generation of new compounds. Research indicates that the most effective method for processing associated petroleum gas (APG) involves minimizing the sequential nature of chemical reactions in low-temperature non-equilibrium plasma environments, thus eliminating the need for costly and complex catalysts. Additionally, studies have shown that the cavitation-jet flow of a gas–vapor–liquid mixture, when combined with an electric arc discharge in the truncated region of the low-temperature plasma of CJR, results in the synthesis of hydrogen, two forms of S₈ (S₈^I and S₈^II), crystalline carbon, and its organic derivatives containing oxygen and nitrogen, specifically methanol, ethanol, acetone, and acetonitrile. The data obtained suggest that the generation of low-temperature plasma in the cavitation-jet chamber, induced by an electric discharge, is essential for the production of reaction products, such as hydrogen, sulfur, and oxygen- and nitrogen-containing derivatives of organic carbon, when water vapor and acid gas molecules traverse the reactor. Full article

In this work, hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide (a-SiC_x:H) and hydrogenated amorphous silicon oxide (a-SiO_x:H) films with similar optical bandgaps (E_g), refractive indices (n), and extinction coefficients (k) were fabricated using pulse-wave modulation (PWM) plasma technology by controlling the plasma turn-on to turn-off time ratio (t_on/t_off). These films were placed at the 1/5 position of the p/i and i/n interfaces of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) p-i-n solar cells to investigate their influence on solar cell performance. The experimental results confirmed that the deviations in E_g, n, and k were controlled to within 0.2%, 1.4%, and 4.1%, respectively. Under these conditions, placing a-SiC_x:H and a-SiO_x:H films at the p/i and i/n interfaces successfully increased the open-circuit voltage (V_oc). However, this also led to a decrease in the short-circuit current due to valence band (ΔE_v) or conduction band (ΔE_c) offsets. The reduction in cell fill factor (FF) and efficiency (η) caused by placing a-SiC_x:H and a-SiO_x:H films at the p/i interface was greater than that caused by placing them at the i/n interface. Placing the a-SiC_x:H film at the p/i interface significantly improved the V_oc to 0.8998 V. Due to the n-type doping effect of oxygen atoms, the a-SiO_x:H film exhibited the lowest FF of 43.99% and η of 4.850% at the p/i interface; however, when placed at the i/n interface, it yielded an FF of 67.38% and an η of 7.43%, which are comparable to the standard cell. Appropriately placing the a-SiC_x:H film at the p/i interface and the slightly n-type a-SiO_x:H film at the i/n interface can effectively improve the V_oc, FF, and η of p-i-n solar cells. Full article

The food processing industry is seeking new technologies to enhance product safety, extend shelf life, and optimise food quality in response to growing consumer demand for high-quality products. Since the discovery of plasma technology, its potential applications in food processing have been numerous. For most of these applications, plasma characterisation is key to successfully scaling up from laboratory to industrial settings. A highly valuable tool for plasma characterisation is optical emission spectroscopy (OES), which serves as a non-invasive diagnostic method to monitor reactive species, specifically excited atoms and molecules (reactive oxygen and nitrogen species—RONS) that are critical for food treatment. The main role of OES in food control is to enable species identification and real-time process monitoring, providing feedback on electron temperature and density to prevent thermal damage to sensitive food products. It also facilitates optimisation by adjusting voltage and gas flow rates to maximise the production of antimicrobial species. These results ensure that processes are reliable and repeatable, supporting the transition from laboratory-scale to industrial applications. The paper provides an overview of the use of optical emission spectroscopy in various applications of plasma technology in food processing, including the determination of the elemental composition of raw materials and final products, detection of contaminants, quality control, determination of characteristic plasma parameters, and ensuring compliance with food safety regulations. Full article

Plasma-activated water (PAW) is enriched with reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS). Application of PAW in plant cultivation demonstrated that RONS promote seed germination and early plant growth, as well as stimulate plant defense mechanisms. The aim of this paper was to investigate the potential of reactive nitrogen species in PAW to partially replace urea fertilizer nitrogen in lettuce cultivation without resulting in a negative effect on growth and mineral composition. Lettuce was grown under two treatments: urea only and a combined treatment in which 10% of the urea-derived nitrogen was replaced by an equivalent amount of nitrogen supplied via plasma-activated water (PAW). Plant growth parameters of lettuce (number of leaves, head weight, rosette diameter and height, and dry matter weight) were measured. Concentrations of 21 elements in the plants were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP—OES). Results showed no significant difference in growth parameters between the two treatments, as well as no significant difference between treatments in the concentrations of most elements except magnesium, boron and sodium. The results demonstrate that PAW reactive nitrogen can partially substitute for nitrogen from synthetic fertilizer without negative effects on the growth and nutritional content of lettuce. The study contributes to the development of sustainable horticultural fertilization practices and the adoption of environmentally friendly technologies. Full article

Efficient ozone synthesis has always been the pursuit of ozone workers and the foundation for the industrial application of ozone reactors. Recently, with continuous breakthroughs in materials and catalyst research, as well as the rapid development of advanced characterization technologies, introducing catalysts into dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) to build a DBD–catalyst coupled system has developed into an advanced means of improving ozone synthesis and attracted widespread attention. This review aims to provide a systematic summary for the research status of the DBD–catalyst coupled system in the field of ozone synthesis. Firstly, the structure of DBD reactors (type and shape of the electrode, etc.), catalyst types and the coupling method of DBD and catalysts (such as catalyst packing, catalyst coating/film) for the DBD–catalyst coupled system are discussed. Subsequently, the relevant mechanisms involving plasma gas-phase reactions and gas–solid interface reactions for elevating discharge ozone synthesis through coupling catalysts with DBD are summarized and analyzed. Afterwards, the research status of the DBD–catalyst coupled system in the field of ozone synthesis is surveyed. At present, the optimal ozone synthesis performance of the reactor with packed catalyst in air plasma (γ-Al₂O₃ sphere) is 0.96 g/Nm³ and 103 g/kWh, and in oxygen plasma (SiO₂ particle) is 130 g/Nm³ and 91 g/kWh, respectively. For the reactor coupled with a catalyst coating, the performance reaches 19.3 g/Nm³ and 320 g/kWh in oxygen plasma (TiO₂). Then, advanced plasma parameter detection techniques (i.e., optical emission spectroscopy and two-photon absorption laser-induced fluorescence) are expatiated to observe the changes in plasma parameters within the discharge system and then provide strong support for further in-depth research and analysis of the enhancement mechanism of coupling catalysts on ozone synthesis. Finally, a short conclusion, together with the current challenges and future opportunities of the DBD–catalyst coupled system in improving ozone synthesis, are proposed. Full article

The conversion of methane (CH₄) to value-added fuels (e.g., alcohol) is a promising technology for clean energy. However, conventional thermal methods of converting CH₄ to fuels require high temperatures (700–1100 °C) and have low conversion efficiency and selectivity. Therefore, it is highly desirable to develop novel cost-effective technologies that can convert CH₄ to fuels and chemicals at low temperature and atmospheric pressure with improved conversion efficiency, selectivity, and durability of products. The low-temperature or non-thermal plasma-assisted catalytic conversion of CH₄ is gaining increasing interest because the plasma species (e.g., electrons) have sufficient energies for producing higher hydrocarbons, alcohols, and oxygenates with higher yields and selectivity while reducing coke formation under mild conditions. The key challenges of this green technology are as follows: increasing conversion efficiency of CH₄, design of hybrid plasma reactors with proper catalysts and optimized conditions, addition of efficient oxidants (e.g., O₂ or CO₂) and diluents, etc., at low temperature and atmospheric pressure. In this regard, the present review aims to provide a comprehensive account of the current development of plasma-assisted catalytic conversion of methane, with focus on conversion efficiency of CH₄, selectivity and stability of products, and catalyst durability with the variation in plasmas, electrode design, and reactor configurations. Further, the review presents the current and future challenges. Full article

Male infertility is increasingly recognized as a complex, multifactorial disorder that extends beyond abnormalities in conventional semen parameters. A growing body of evidence highlights oxidative stress, sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF), and epigenetic alterations as tightly interconnected mechanisms contributing to sperm dysfunction and impaired fertility. Reactive oxygen species, though vital for sperm maturation and signaling, can inflict extensive genomic and chromatin damage when their levels exceed the antioxidant capacity of the testis and seminal plasma. These redox-driven lesions not only compromise fertilization potential but may also influence embryonic development and offspring health. Clinical studies and meta-analyses consistently report that elevated SDF and redox imbalance are associated with reduced pregnancy and live birth rates, particularly in assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs). The use of testicular sperm in men with high ejaculated SDF appears to improve ART outcomes, although long-term safety data remain limited. Advances in redox and genomic diagnostics, including assays for oxidation–reduction potential, SDF, and sperm epigenetic profiling, have opened new avenues for precision-based andrology, enabling targeted antioxidant, metabolic, and surgical interventions. Nonetheless, methodological variability, lack of assay standardization, and insufficient longitudinal follow-up constrain the full clinical translation of these findings. This review synthesizes evidence linking OS, SDF, and epigenetic alterations, highlighting their mechanistic crosstalk and translational relevance in the personalized management of male infertility. Full article