Discharge Analysis and Characterisation of Cold Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Jet and Generation of Plasma Activated Water for Agriculture Applications

Numerous long- and short-lived reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) are present in plasma activated water (PAW), which increases its distinctive features. PAW is appropriate for applicable in agriculture, food processing, surface sterilization, decontamination, due to the presence of various reactive species. In essence, RONS are excellent for enhancing plant growth, extending shelf life, and increasing microbial inactivation properties. So, in the current work, cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) source have been designed, developed, and characterized to generate PAW. The designed CAP source and PAW have been electrically and optically characterized under various operational situations to determine the existence of RONS such as nitrate $(\mathrm{NO}_{3}{}^{-})$, nitrite $(\mathrm{NO}_{2}{}^{-})$, ozone O
3
), and hydrogen peroxide (H
2
O
2
). The water sample has been treated with plasma at a different time interval. Numerous PAW characteristics, including nitrite, nitrate, and hydrogen-peroxide concentration, have been thoroughly investigated under various operating conditions. The characteristics of PAW are compared with those of raw water. The concentrations of nitrate, nitrite, and hydrogen peroxide rise linearly with increase in the plasma treatment duration. The generated PAW has been used in the irrigation of seeds. Higher germination potential with longer roots and shoots, self-extension, water holding capacity have been increased in the seeds irrigated with PAW. The study is extremely helpful for designing and creating a cold plasma-based PAW system for applications in food and agriculture.