High Voltage Atmospheric Cold Plasma Treatment of Wastewater

Abstract

<p>Wastewater treatment facilities throughout Iowa and the United State use various methods to treat their water before releasing it into the environment. Some of these methods include chlorine and ultra violet light systems to bring the level of harmful bacteria in the water to an acceptable concentration before release. These current methods are costly and either consume large amounts of energy or consume chemicals to disinfect water. Recently developments in plasma technologies have shown that plasma generated gas can be used to kill bacteria and pathogens.</p> <p>A majority of the previous research on plasma thus far has been on the decontamination of various food products. This research represents one of the first instances where plasma has been used in wastewater disinfection. My research is focused on exploring the viability of using the plasma technology to treat wastewater in a more energy efficient and economical way. If shown to be a viable option, this method could result in a new lower cost approach to disinfect wastewater in Iowa and across the nation.</p>