Non-Thermal Plasma-Based Technology for Soil Treatment

Dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma reactors of differing configuration, having a high-voltage electrode in the fonn of a screw or pyramid, have been investigated as a potential source of soil treatment agents (ozone and nitric oxide). A special geometry of the high-voltage electrode allows a relatively large ozone concentration to be obtained both from air and oxygen, which can be controlled by the gas flow rate, cooling conditions, and value and frequency of the supply voltage with reasonable generation efficiency. These results are compared with those generated by a commercially available surface dischargs reactor. The resultant properties of treated soils are characterized, such as acidity (pH), electrical conductivity (EC), and content of moisture (pF), nitrogen (NH 4 -N, NO 3 -N), minerals (P 2 O 5 , K 2 O, CaO, NgO,Fe,Mn), and total baeteria and fungi.