title: Atmospheric cold plasma inactivation of Escherichia coli in liquid media inside a sealed package.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The main objective of this study was to determine the inactivation efficacy of dielectric barrier discharge atmospheric cold plasma (DBD-ACP) generated inside a sealed package for Escherichia coli ATCC 25922.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A plasma discharge was generated between two circular aluminium electrodes at 40 kV. E. coli suspensions (10(7) CFU ml(-1)) in either maximum recovery diluent (MRD) or phosphate buffered saline (PBS) were treated in a 96-well microtitre plate inside a sealed package. The effects of treatment time, post-treatment storage time, either direct or indirect samples exposure to the plasma discharge and suspension media were studied. Regardless of the media tested, 20 s of direct and 45 s of indirect plasma treatment resulted in complete bacterial inactivation (7 log CFU ml(-1)). At the lower plasma treatment times (10-30 s) investigated, the effects of suspension media and mode of exposure on the inactivation efficacy were evident. The inactivation efficacy was also influenced by the post-treatment storage time.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It was demonstrated that the novel DBD-ACP can inactivate high concentrations of E. coli suspended in liquids within sealed packages in seconds.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A key advantage of this in-package nonthermal novel disinfection approach is the elimination of post-processing contamination.
authors.affiliation: School of Food Science and Environmental Health, Dublin Institute of Technology, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ziuzina
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Patil
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Cullen
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Keener
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bourke
mesh_terms: D004203:Disinfection / Q000379:methods*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000502:physiology*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D050296:Microbial Viability; D010126:Ozone / Q000032:analysis; D058626:Plasma Gases
chemical_list: D058626:Plasma Gases; D010126:Ozone