Environmental Applications of Non-thermal Plasmas

Non-thermal plasmas (NTPs) have gained significant attention for their environmental applications due to their ability to generate highly reactive species at relatively low temperatures. These plasmas are effective in a variety of environmental contexts, offering innovative solutions for pollution control, water treatment, and other environmental challenges. This talk introduces the key environmental applications of NTPs, highlighting their versatility and critically examining their effectiveness in addressing various pollution and contamination issues. The applications discussed include: (1) air pollution control, targeting the treatment of volatile organic compounds, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur dioxide; (2) water and wastewater treatment for the degradation of organic pollutants such as pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances; (3) soil remediation; and (4) applications in the food and agricultural industries for purposes of sterilization, disinfection, and food safety. In addition to discussing these applications, this talk also addresses the technical and scientific challenges that must be overcome to further enable the development and scale-up of these application technologies. As research and development in this field continue, non-thermal plasmas are expected to play a leading role in sustainable environmental management and pollution control.