title: Elimination of diazinon insecticide from cucumber surface by atmospheric pressure air-dielectric barrier discharge plasma.
abstract: The food industry is in a constant search for new technologies to improve the commercial sterilization process of agricultural commodities. Plasma treatment may offer a novel and efficient method for pesticide removal from agricultural product surfaces. To study the proposed technique of plasma food treatment, the degradation behavior of diazinon insecticide by air-dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma was investigated. The authors studied the effect of different plasma powers and treatment times on pesticide concentration in liquid form and coated on the surface of cucumbers, where the diazinon residue was analyzed with mass spectroscopy gas chromatography. Our results suggest that atmospheric pressure air-DBD plasma is potentially effective for the degradation of diazinon insecticide, and mainly depends on related operating parameters, including plasma treatment time, discharge power, and pesticide concentrations. Based on the interaction between reactive oxygen species and electrons in the plasma with the diazinon molecule, two degradation pathway of diazinon during plasma treatment are proposed. It was also found that produced organophosphate pesticides are harmless and less hazardous compounds than diazinon.
authors.affiliation: Laser and Plasma Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University, Evin, P.O. Box 19835-389, 1983969411 Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Naghme
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dorraki
authors.affiliation: Pesticide Research Department, Iranian Research Institute of Plant Protection (IRIPP), P.O. Box 1475744741, 1983969411 Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Vahideh
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mahdavi
authors.affiliation: Laser and Plasma Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University, Evin, P.O. Box 19835-389, 1983969411 Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Hamid
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ghomi
authors.affiliation: Department of Phytochemistry, Medicinal Plants and Drugs Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University, G.C. Evin, P.O. Box 19835-389, 1983969411 Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Alireza
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ghasempour
mesh_terms: D000388:Air; D001274:Atmospheric Pressure; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000032:analysis*; D018553:Cucumis sativus / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D003976:Diazinon / Q000032:analysis*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D007306:Insecticides / Q000032:analysis*; D058626:Plasma Gases; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors; D007306:Insecticides; D058626:Plasma Gases; D003976:Diazinon