Effects of oxygen radicals in low-pressure surface-wave plasma on sterilization

Journal Article · Mon May 23 00:00:00 EDT 2005 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1931050· OSTI ID:20702392

Nagatsu, Masaaki; Terashita, Fumie; Nonaka, Hiroyuki; Xu, Lei; Nagata, Toshi; Koide, Yukio ^[1]

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1. Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Shizuoka University, 3-5-1 Johoku, Hamamatsu 432-8561 (Japan)

The effects of oxygen radicals on sterilization were studied using a 2.45 GHz surface-wave oxygen plasma. A population of 1.5x10{sup 6} Bacillus stearothermophilus spores was irradiated for 3 min or more with oxygen plasma, generated at pressures between 6 and 14 Pa. The decimal reduction value (D value), a measure of the effectiveness of sterilization, was determined to be about 15-25 s. Using only oxygen radicals, excluding all charged particles, the 1.5x10{sup 6} spores were sterilized with a D value of 30-45 s after 5 min or more of irradiation. On scanning electron microscopy, the length and width of the spores changed significantly due to chemical etching by oxygen radicals.

• OSTI ID: 20702392
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Journal Name: Applied Physics Letters Journal Issue: 21 Vol. 86; ISSN APPLAB; ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
BACILLUS
BACTERIAL SPORES
CHARGED PARTICLES
GHZ RANGE 01-100
IRRADIATION
OXYGEN
PLASMA
PLASMA SURFACE WAVES
POPULATIONS
RADICALS
SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
STERILIZATION