Decomposition of Aqueous Anatoxin-a Using Underwater Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasma Created in a Porous Ceramic Tube

Abstract

This work investigated the decomposition of aqueous anatoxin-a originated from cyanobacteria using an underwater dielectric barrier discharge plasma system based on a porous ceramic tube and an alternating current (AC) high voltage. Plasmatic gas generated inside the porous ceramic tube was uniformly dispersed in the form of numerous bubbles into the aqueous solution through the micro-pores of the ceramic tube, which allowed an effective contact between the plasmatic gas and the aqueous anatoxin-a solution. Effect of applied voltage, treatment time and the coexistence of nutrients such as , and glucose on the decomposition of anatoxin-a was examined. Chemical analyses of the plasma-treated anatoxin-a solution using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and ion chromatography (IC) were performed to elucidate the mineralization mechanisms. Increasing the voltage improved the anatoxin-a decomposition efficiency due to the increased discharge power, but the energy required to remove a given amount of anatoxin-a was similar, regardless of the voltage. At an applied voltage of 17.2 kV (oxygen flow rate: ), anatoxin-a at an initial concentration of (volume: 0.5 L) was successfully treated within 3 min. The chemical analyses using LC-MS and IC suggested that the intermediates with molecular weights of 123~161 produced by the attack of plasma-induced reactive species on anatoxin-a molecule were further oxidized to stable compounds such as acetic acid, formic acid and oxalic acid.