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Reactive nitrogen species produced in water by non-equilibrium plasma increase plant growth rate and nutritional yield
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Reactive nitrogen species produced in water by non-equilibrium plasma increase plant growth rate and nutritional yield

Dayonna P. Park, Kevin Davis, Samid Gilani, Christal-Anne Alonzo, Danil Dobrynin, Gary Friedman, Alexander Fridman, Alexander Rabinovich and Gregory Fridman
Current applied physics, v 13(1), pp S19-S29
20 Mar 2013

Abstract

Agriculture Atmospheric pressure plasma Plasma treatment of water Reactive nitrogen species Reactive oxygen species
Water quality, mineralization, and chemical composition, particularly pH and nitrogen compounds each, play a crucial role in plant development and growth. Treatment of water with non-equilibrium discharges results in the change of its properties and chemical composition, which in turn may affect plant growth process and subsequently agriculture produce quality. Both thermal and non-thermal discharges generated in air or in water produce a number of reactive neutral and charged species, electric fields, and ultraviolet radiation. Plasma treatment of water results in significant change of its properties like pH, oxidation–reduction potential (ORP), conductivity, and concentration of reactive oxygen and reactive nitrogen species (ROS and RNS). Here we report the results of an experimental study of the effect of water treated with different atmospheric plasmas on germination, growth rates, and overall nutritional value of various plants. In the study we have used three types of plasmas: thermal spark discharge, gliding arc discharge, and transferred arc discharge. It is shown that the effects of these plasmas on chemical composition of various types of water are qualitatively different. Non-thermal gliding arc discharge plasma results in lower (acidic) pH, and production of significant amount of oxidizing species (e.g. H2O2). Gliding arc discharge also causes significant acidification of water, but it is accompanied by production of reactive nitrogen species (NO, NO2− and NO3−). Spark discharge treatment results in neutral or higher (basic) pH depending on initial water composition, and production of RNS. ► We validated plasma treatment of water and the effects of this water on plant growth. ► We found increased concentration of nitrates, nitrites, and hydrogen peroxide. ► We evaluated three different plasmas for water treatment. ► We found thermal gliding arc plasmatron to produce the most plant growth.

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Web of Science research areas
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Physics, Applied
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