Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasma System Research Articles

Degradation mechanism and decomposition of sulfamethoxazole aqueous solution with persulfate activated by dielectric barrier discharge

ABSTRACT The present study focused on the degradation of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) aqueous solution and the toxicity of processing aqueous by the dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) activated persulfate (PS). The effects of input voltage, input frequency, duty cycle, and PS dosage ratio on the SMX degradation efficiency were measured. Based on the results of the Response Surface Methodology (RSM), SMX degradation efficiency reached 83.21% which is 10.54% higher than that without PS, and the kinetic constant was 0.067 min−1 in 30 min when the input voltage at 204 V (input power at 110.6 W), the input frequency at 186 Hz, the duty cycle at 63%, and the PS dosage ratio at 5.1:1. The addition of PS can produce more active particles reached 1.756 mg/L (O3), 0.118 mg/L (H2O2), 0.154 mmol/L (·OH) in 30 min. Furthermore, the DBD plasma system effectively activated an optimal amount of PS, leading to improved removal efficiency of COD, and TOC to 30.21% and 47.21%, respectively. Subsequently, eight primary by-products were pinpointed, alongside the observation of three distinct pathways of transformation. Predictions from the ECOSAR software indicated that most of the degradation intermediates were less toxic than SMX. The biological toxicity experiments elucidated that the treatment with the DBD/PS system effectively reduced the mortality of zebrafish larvae caused by SMX from 100% to 20.13% and improved the hatching rate from 55.69% to 80.86%. In particular, it is important to note that the degradation intermediates exhibit teratogenic effects on zebrafish larvae.

Integrating cutting-edge plasma technology for environmentally friendly smart horticulture: A proteomics approach

In recent years, nonthermal plasma has emerged as an alternative to the harmful fertilizers that degrade the environment and are major concerns for sustainable agriculture. Plasma treatment has been shown to induce growth in agricultural plants. However, its effect on horticultural plants has not been analyzed yet. Moreover, the mechanism behind plasma-induced plant growth is poorly understood, especially at the protein level. This systematic research uses a nonthermal, dielectric barrier discharge plasma system for environmentally friendly seed germination and growth enhancement in a horticultural crop, Tagetus erecta (African Marigold). Analysis of physiological parameters showed beneficial effects of plasma treatment on T. erecta growth. Label-free quantitative proteome analysis identified 2517 unique protein groups, of which the abundance of 491 proteins was modulated by plasma treatment. Functional annotation of the identified proteins indicated an improved abundance of proteins associated with photosynthesis, energy metabolism, and ROS homeostasis in response to plasma treatment. Our study undoubtedly signifies that plasma is a more sustainable, promising, cost-effective, and advantageous tool that can be expanded as a powerful and effective means for plant growth and aesthetic horticulture production.

Synergistic catalysis degradation of amoxicillin by DBD plasma-catalyst system constructed by DBD plasma and Ce0.5Bi0.5VO4/HCP coating

A highly catalytic activity dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma-catalyst synergistic system was constructed by DBD plasma and Ce0.5Bi0.5VO4/honeycomb ceramic plate (Ce0.5Bi0.5VO4/HCP) catalytic coating. Various characterization techniques were employed to analyze the physicochemical properties of the prepared photocatalysts. The catalytic activity of different catalytic systems was evaluated using amoxicillin (AMX) as the target contaminant. The DBD plasma-catalyst synergistic system exhibited significantly enhanced catalytic capacity compared to the single DBD plasma system. H2O2 and O3 concentrations in the solution during the reaction were monitored, and their formation process and roles were analyzed. The TOC results indicated that AMX exhibits a good mineralization rate in the synergistic system, and the 3D EEMs further revealed the changes in organic pollutant types during the mineralization process. The possible degradation pathways of AMX were inferred through mass spectra results and theoretical calculations. Additionally, the LC50 results for fathead minnow and daphnia show a significant downward trend of the main degradation intermediates. A possible synergistic mechanism was discussed based on the characterization results, experimental data, and relevant literature. This study offers a straightforward technical approach and theoretical backing for the synergistic wastewater treatment using DBD plasma combined with photocatalysts.

Highlight the plasma-generated reactive oxygen species（ROSs）dominant to degradation of emerging contaminants based on experiment and density functional theory

This paper aims to deeply analyze the degradation mechanism of emerging contaminants by dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma through experiments and simulations. It was confirmed that DBD plasma exhibits a high degradation effect on three emerging contaminants by the generated reactive oxygen species (ROSs). Increasing the output power leads to higher ROSs production and higher degradation rates of emerging contaminants. At an input power of 94.6 W, the degradation rates of sulfamethoxazole (SMX), bisphenol A (BPA) and ciprofloxacin (CIP) reach 94.5 %, 92.9 %, and 98.6 %, respectively. Trapping agent experiments were conducted to investigate the role of ROSs (·OH, ·O2–, and 1O2) in emerging contaminants degradation. Notably, capturing of 1O2 led to a decrease of up to 31 % in the degradation rate of BPA. Electron spin resonance (ESR) tests confirmed the involvement of various ROSs, especially 1O2, in the degradation process. Density functional theory (DFT) was employed to further explore the action mechanism of ROSs in the DBD plasma system. For SMX and BPA, the degradation is initiated by the dissociation of annular structures, while for CIP, annular structures are directly opened by ROSs. These findings highlight the importance of 1O2 and ·OH in the degradation process. Finally, the toxicity of intermediates produced by ROSs-dominate to degradation was declined. This work can provide new insights and unique guidance on the plasma degradation mechanism of emerging contaminants.

Compensation of Heat Effect in Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) Plasma System for Radar Cross-Section (RCS) Reduction.

In this study, the problems encountered in radar cross-section (RCS) measurement experiments utilizing a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma system are examined and an effective solution is proposed. A DBD plasma system generates heat due to the high bias voltage required for plasma generation. The thermal-induced structural deformation of the DBD structure caused by this high voltage and its impact on RCS measurements are analyzed. In addition, techniques for minimizing the thermal-induced deformation and compensation methods for addressing the minimized deformation are proposed. Furthermore, RCS measurements are conducted on two kinds of DBD structures using the proposed method to experimentally demonstrate the improved agreement between the simulation and measurement results. For both structures, the RCS experimental results are in very good agreement with the simulation results, which enables accurate plasma characterization. In conclusion, it can be expected that the proposed method can be used to provide more accurate RCS measurements on various DBD structures that generate high heat.

Nitrate and/or Nitric Acid Formation in the Presence of Different Radical Scavengers during Ozonation of Water Samples; Are Scavengers Effective?

In this study, we investigated the effect of different radical scavengers on the nitrate and/or nitric acid (NO3− and/or HNO3) formation chain in liquid while the dielectric barrier discharge plasma system (DBD) was used for ozone (O3) generation. The effects of the excess concentration of each scavenger were studied individually. In addition, ultrapure water (UPW), tap water, and surface water samples were examined in the same condition. Due to the absence of scavengers in the UPW, we expected the highest NO3− formation in this experiment because all active species produced by the DBD system should have formed NO3−. However, the obtained results were unexpected; the highest NO3− formation was obtained in the tap water at 385 ± 4.6 mg/L. The results can be explained by some compounds in tap water acting as a trap for radicals involved in chain reactions that form NO3− and/or HNO3. The second highest result was obtained in the sodium hydroxide solution as 371 ± 4.9 mg/L, since the OH− ions accelerated the decomposition of O3 to its intermediates such as hydroperoxide (HO2−), ozonide (O3−), and hydroxyl radical (OH•), and, by increasing radicals in the liquid, more chain reactions can be promoted that lead to the formation of NO3− and/or HNO3. On the other hand, the quenching of radicals by scavengers such as carbonate ion and phosphoric acid and/or the long-term stabilization of O3 as O3 negatively affected the chain reactions that generate NO3− and/or HNO3.

Investigation of high-concentration toluene degradation by DBD plasma under different operating parameters

This paper studies the degradation effect of high-concentration toluene in dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma under different operating conditions. The degradation efficiency and energy yield (EY) were comprehensively evaluated by a response surface method under different operating parameters (discharge powers, gas flow rate, and initial concentrations) in the DBD plasma system. The results showed that the EY and degradation efficiency could reach 22.17 g kWh−1 and 72.3% when discharge power, initial concentration, and gas flow rate were 5.49 W, 1374.5 ppm, and 529.5 ml min−1, respectively. Furthermore, a mineralization effect was also analyzed related to different operating parameters. When the gas flow rate was 600 ml min−1 and the initial concentration was 2500 ppm, the CO x selectivity could reach 98.5%. Through analysis of the effect of oxygen content in the background gas on high-concentration toluene degradation, it was found that oxygen content had a significant effect on the formation of oxygen-containing active substances. Emission spectra showed that normal air discharge occurred in the discharge space of the DBD plasma, and nitrogen-containing active substances were generated. Therefore, active substances containing oxygen and nitrogen played an important role in DBD plasma degradation of high-concentration toluene.

Remediation of atrazine-contaminated soil in a fluidized-bed DBD plasma reactor

In this study, an innovative approach combining dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma and fluidized-bed techniques is proposed and employed to remediate atrazine (ATZ) contaminated soil. Compared with traditional fixed-bed plasma soil remediation system, the fluidized-bed DBD plasma soil remediation system ensures sufficient and uniform contact between the chemically reactive species and the fluidized soil particles, thereby improving the migration and infiltration of reactive species in the soil layer and achieving high-efficiency remediation of contaminated soil. The optimum removal efficiency of 91.2% and energy efficiency of 0.342 mg/kJ were achieved, respectively, after only 6 min fluidized-bed DBD plasma treatment, which were 35.5% and 38.9% higher than those in a fixed-bed DBD plasma system. The primary organic intermediates after fluidized-bed DBD plasma treatment were identified, and the toxicological evaluation of intermediates was performed. Additionally, possible degradation pathways of ATZ in the fluidized-bed DBD plasma reactor were proposed. This system may offer an ideal approach to facilitate mass transfer between chemically reactive species and contaminants on the surface of soil particles, which is expected to achieve efficient, rapid, and continuous treatment of actual contaminated soil.

Oxygen-mediated dielectric barrier discharge plasma for enhanced degradation of chlorinated aromatic compounds

Chlorinated aromatic compounds (CACs), a kind of refractory pollutants, pose a potential risk to the environment and human health. Herein, dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma is employed to enhance the degradation of 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) from water, and O2 is the most efficient working atmosphere with totally 2,4-DCP degradation in 40 min. O3, ·OH, ·O2– and 1O2 are the main active species responsible for the degradation, while the contribution of hydrated electrons and reactive nitrogen species is almost negligible. Moreover, highly efficient o-Nitrochlorobenzene (o-NCB) and chlorobenzene (CB) degradation and mineralization are also achieved in DBD/O2 process. All the CACs are completely degraded in 60 min following the degradation rate order of CB > 2,4-DCP > o-NCB, which almost follows the order of ionization potential values. The mineralization efficiencies of CB, 2,4-DCP and o-NCB reach 61.14 %, 70.50 % and 92.77 % in DBD/O2 process, respectively, which are 1.74,1.15 and 1.28 times higher than that in DBD process alone. Based on theoretical calculation and intermediates analysis, three common degradation pathways are proposed including hydroxylation, dechlorination and ring-opening. Soil remediation experiments further indicate the high efficiency and promising perspective of DBD/O2 process in CACs contaminated soil treatment. This work is instructive to elucidate the importance of O2 atmosphere in the degradation of CACs by DBD plasma system and provides an alternative way for removing CACs from water and soil.

Synergistic catalysis of Cu-CeO2@CA composite film in a circulating DBD plasma system and its effect on ciprofloxacin degradation

In this paper, degradation of ciprofloxacin (CIP) in a circulating dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma system with Cu-CeO2@CA composite films addition was investigated. The Cu-CeO2@CA films were synthesized through hydrothermal method, and the samples were characterized by SEM, XRD, EDS, FT-IR and Raman spectra analysis. The obtained results show that there was synergistic effect of the DBD plasma and the Cu-CeO2@CA films on the CIP degradation and mineralization. The optimal performance was obtained under the condition of 5 wt% Cu-CeO2 nanoparticles doping in the composite film. Besides the effect of the DBD plasma, the Cu-CeO2@CA films could drive the O3 decomposition, photocatalysis and then the more reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation. The presence of the main active species and their contributions to the CIP degradation were determined by electron spin resonance (ESR) analysis and radical quenching experiments. Methods of UV–vis spectrum, three-dimensional fluorescence spectrum and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) were used to analyze the CIP decomposition process. The prepared Cu-CeO2@CA composite films had certain stability in the four cycles of application and the film catalyst was convenient for recycling. The toxicity evaluation results indicated the decline of the solution toxicity after treating in the Cu-CeO2@CA/DBD system.

Study the Effect of Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) Plasma on the Decomposition of Volatile Organic Compounds

Recently, research has focused on non-thermal plasma (NTP) technologies as a way to remove volatile organic compounds from the air stream, due to its distinctive qualities, which include a quick reaction at room temperature. In this work, the properties of the plasma generated by the dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) system and by a glass insulator were studied. Plasma was generated at different voltages (3, 4, 6, 7, 8 kV ) with a fixed distance between the electrodes of 5 mm, and a constant argon gas flow rate of (2.5) I/min. DBD plasma emission spectra were recorded for each voltage. The Boltzmann plot method was used to calculate the electron temperature in the plasma ( ), and the Stark expansion method was used to calculate the electron density ( ). The decomposition of organic compounds (cyclohexane) was also studied using DBD plasma. The results showed that the potential difference between the two electrodes has a clear effect on the plasma parameters, as the temperature of the electrons and the density of electrons increase with the increase in the potential difference between the two electrodes. The DBD plasma system proved to be a good way to decompose volatile organic compounds, as the results proved the emission of hydrogen gas as one of the dissociation products of cyclohexane.

Enhanced sulfadiazine degradation in a multi-electrode paralleling DBD plasma system coupled with ZnO/cellulose acetate films

Catalysis of the ZnO/cellulose acetate (CA) films in a multi-electrode paralleling dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) system for sulfadiazine (SDZ) degradation was investigated in this study. The catalysis was induced by the multiple physical and chemical effects produced during the DBD process. The obtained results on the reactive species formation revealed that the more O3, •OH as well as 1O2 could be formed by the addition of the ZnO/CA films into the DBD plasma system. The optimal additive conditions of the catalyst were 4 pieces of 3% the ZnO/CA films addition. There was a better catalytic effect of the ZnO/CA films than the equal amount of the nano ZnO powder addition. The ZnO/CA films still took on the catalytic activity after four cycles usage in the DBD plasma system. The possible degradation pathways were also speculated by analyzing the inorganic and organic intermediates formed during the SDZ degradation.

Application of liquid film dielectric barrier discharge plasma reactor in the degradation of rhodamine B: Performance optimization, mechanism and pathways

In the present work, the degradation pathways and mechanism of rhodamine B (RhB) using a novel liquid film dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma reactor were examined. Moreover, the optimization of the performance of DBD was discussed. The results showed that the atmosphere of the discharge area and the input power had a significant effect on the removal of RhB. After 21 min of treatment using DBD plasma system, about 90.2 % of RhB was degraded under the following experimental conditions: initial RhB concentration of 40 mg/L; input power of 125 W and initial pH of 6.78. The use of free radical scavengers proved that hydroxyl radicals played a key role in the degradation of RhB. In addition, the degradation intermediates of RhB were identified using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, and possible degradation pathways were proposed. During the degradation of RhB, with the extension of treatment time, the values of COD, BOD5 and TOC decreased. After the treatment using DBD plasma, the BOD5/COD of RhB solution increased from 0.0326 to 0.3867, and the biodegradability was also observed to have greatly improved. The potential toxicity was predicted by US-EPA-TEST software.

Catalysis of MnO2-cellulose acetate composite films in DBD plasma system and sulfamethoxazole degradation by the synergistic effect

Herein, dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma and MnO2-cellulose acetate (MnO2/CA) composite films was coupled together to degrade sulfamethoxazole (SMX) in water. The MnO2/CA composite films were firstly prepared successfully though heating blending method in this study and then characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), Raman spectra, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and thermogravimetric analysis (TG). Catalytic effect of the MnO2/CA films was investigated by comparing the removal percentages, the kinetic constants, the energy utilization efficiencies (G50) as well as the COD and TOC removal during the SMX degradation in the DBD plasma system with or without the MnO2/CA films addition under different reaction conditions. The optimal catalytic performance was obtained by adding the 3% MnO2/CA films into the DBD plasma system and the alkaline solution condition was favorable for the SMX degradation. After four times using, the MnO2/CA composite films still maintained the catalytic activity. Catalytic mechanism of the MnO2/CA films was speculated by analyzing the changes of solution pH and conductivity during the reaction, concentrations of the formed O3 and H2O2 in water and the generated active species (1O2 and ·OH) in both the DBD plasma system and the DBD-MnO2/CA films system. The quenching test was also carried out to figure out the important effect of the ·O2−, 1O2 and ·OH for the SMX degradation in the synergistic system. Finally, LC-MS was used to analyze the main intermediates generated during the SMX degradation and the possible degradation pathways were accordingly speculated. The research could provide a new direction for the development and application of the DBD plasma technology as well we the composite films catalyst.

Activation of persulfate by a water falling film DBD process for the enhancement of enrofloxacin degradation

A synergetic system of water falling film dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma and persulfate (PS) was established and applied to enhance the enrofloxacin (EFA) degradation in this study. The simultaneous existence of electrons, reactive species, heat and UV–visible light in the DBD plasma system were utilized together to activate the PS to form SO4−· and other reactive oxygen species (ROS), and then worked in synergy with the DBD plasma to oxidize the EFA. The obtained results verified that there was a significant increase in the degradation percentages of EFA (20 mg L−1) in the DBD/PS system, and the trend was more obvious under the condition of larger discharge power input. When 0.8 mM PS was added into the DBD system with 0.8 kW discharge power, the degradation percentage of EFA could reach 99.35% after 60 min treatment, the corresponding synergetic factor (SF) was 7.94. Analysis of the O3 and the H2O2 concentrations in the DBD plasma system before and after the PS addition explained the activation of the PS by the HO·. The quenching experiments on reactive species suggested that SO4-·, HO·, and 1O2 were all important reactive species for EFA degradation. The intermediates formed by the EFA degradation were detected and the degradation pathways were speculated. Results of toxicity analysis illustrated that the toxicity of the initial EFA solution decreased after degradation in the synergetic system of DBD/PS.

P-Nitrophenol contaminated soil remediation in a spray-type coaxial cylindrical dielectric barrier discharge plasma system.

In the present work, plasma remediation of p-nitrophenol (PNP) contaminated soil was performed in a novel spray-type coaxial cylindrical dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) system at ambient temperature. This system is capable of generating large-size nonthermal plasma (NTP) and improving the diffusion and transfer of chemical active species around the dispersed soil particles. Several key parameters including plasma treatment time, discharge voltage, soil granular size, the entry speed of soil, PNP initial concentration, gas variety, and gas flow rate were investigated in terms of PNP degradation and energy efficiencies. Under the optimized experimental conditions, 54.2% of PNP was degraded after only 50 s discharge treatment, indicating that the spray-type coaxial cylindrical DBD system can degrade organic pollutants in soil more quickly compared to other plasma systems due to its efficient transfer of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) into the contaminated soil. The possible PNP degradation pathways were proposed based on intermediates identification results and the role of reactive species analysis. The toxicological assessment of the PNP decomposition products was conducted by quantitative structure-activity relationship (QASR) analysis. This work is expected to provide a potential plasma technology for rapid and efficient processing of industrial organic pollutants contamination soil.

Improvement of degradation of Orange G in aqueous solution by Fe2+ added in dielectric barrier discharge plasma system

As a typical azo dye, Orange G (OG) is a potential threat to human health and the safety of water environment. In this study, the effect and mechanism of dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma combined with Fe2+ on the degradation of OG were explored. The removal efficiency of OG in the DBD/Fe2+ system was significantly higher than that in the sole DBD system. In the DBD/Fe2+ system, 93.6% removal efficiency of OG was achieved at an input voltage of 70 V within 10 min, which was much higher than the 56.68% in the sole DBD system. Except for high concentrations of HCO3− and PO43−, which could promote the degradation of OG in the sole DBD system, SO42−, NO3− and Cl− could all inhibit the degradation of OG in both the sole DBD and DBD/Fe2+ system. The radical quenching experiments and the variation of O3 and H2O2 showed that the addition of Fe2+ could promote the effective decomposition of H2O2 into OH, which could improve the removal efficiency of OG. OH was the main active species for OG degradation, at the same time O3 and H2O2 played important role in both the system. The TOC mineralization efficiency gradually improved with the extension of treatment time. The possible degradation pathways of OG were proposed based on UV–visible spectroscopy and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

Synergistic degradation of fluorene in soil by dielectric barrier discharge plasma combined with P25/NH2-MIL-125(Ti)

Plasma techniques to degrade pollutants are generally more efficient than conventional methods, but exist some problems such as high energy consumption, incomplete degradation of pollutants, and secondary pollution caused by highly toxic intermediates. In this study, the dielectric barrier discharge plasma (DBDP) combined with the Ti-based metal organic frameworks (MOFs) catalysts (P25/NH2-MIL-125(Ti)) was used to degrade fluorene in the soil. The synergistic treatment technique used in soil remediation can realize a green and promising treatment efficiency with relatively low energy consumption. Compared with DBDP system alone, the synergetic treatment system of DBDP and P25/NH2-MIL-125(Ti) considerably increased the degradation efficiency of fluorene in the soil to above 90% at 10 min, even with a relatively low discharge voltage (5 kV). The synergistic treatment system achieved 88.8% of fluorene mineralization at 60 min. Optical emission spectroscopy and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy both showed that •OH and •O2− played an important role in the synergetic treatment system. Nine main intermediates were identified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and Fourier transform infrared analysis. The main degradation of fluorine in soil was caused by the electronic transition of the catalytic material excited by DBDP, and finally mineralized into CO2 and H2O. The fluorene and its toxic intermediates were effectively removed. This study provides an insight for achieving high efficiency and environmentally friendly application perspective in soil remediation.

Mechanism and process of sulfamethoxazole decomposition with persulfate activated by pulse dielectric barrier discharge plasma

The present study focused on pulse dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma activated persulfate (PS) for sulfamethoxazole (SMZ) degradation in water. The results showed that PS addition could enhance removal efficiency of SMZ in pulse DBD plasma system. The highest removal efficiency, kinetic constant and energy efficiency reached 93.4%, 0.084 min−1 and 0.353 g/kWh respectively with the PS dosage of 40:1 and input power of 85 W. With increase of imput power and pulse frequency, the removal efficiency of SMZ was also increased. The removal efficiency was firstly enhanced and then declined as raising duty cycle and liquid flow rate. SMZ degradation was promoted in alkaline solution conditions. Active species including ·OH, e-, ·O2–, 1O2 and ·SO- 4 play a certain role in the degradation of SMZ. The decline of O3 and enhancement of ·OH and H2O2 were found after PS addition. In process of SMZ degradation, the overall conductivity increased but pH decreased. PS addition accelerated the removal of COD and TOC. The degradation process was explored by UV–Vis spectra, three-dimensional fluorescence and LC-MS. Three degradation pathways were deduced based on the indentified intermediates. SMZ degradation in the system was considered as a toxicity-attenuation process. The water matrix including Cl-, HCO3–, SO42- and HA have some impact on SMZ degradation. This study presented that pulse DBD plasma could activate PS efficiently, which finally improved pollutant removal efficiency and energy utilization.

Insights into water film DBD plasma driven by pulse power for ibuprofen elimination in water: performance, mechanism and degradation route

• IBP elimination using water film DBD plasma by pulse power was investigated. • The impact of various parameters on IBP elimination was inspected. • OH, electron, 1 O 2 and · O 2 – participation in IBP decomposition. • The degradation route was proposed based on DFT calculation and LC-MS. • The toxicity of actual wastewater alleviated after water film DBD treatment. Development of efficient abatement technology for drugs and personal care products (PPCPs) has important scientific and practical significance to restrain its discharge to the natural water environment. This research aims to investigate ibuprofen (IBP) elimination in water film dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma system driven by pulse power. With raising input power, the removal rate was improved. When input was 95 W, the removal rate and kinetic constant were up to 96.1% and 0.090 min −1 , respectively. Besides, heightening frequency, duty ratio and solution flowrate would promote the degradation of IBP. IBP were more favorably degraded at lower IBP concentration and neutral pH condition. Active species including ·OH, electron, 1 O 2 and · O 2 – dominated decomposition of IBP. The generation of O 3 , · OH and H 2 O 2 in deionized water and IBP solution was compared. UV–Vis spectrum and three dimensional fluorescence spectroscopy illustrated that IBP molecules could be decomposed effectively after DBD plasma treatment. During IBP degradation, COD and TOC was also relieved with extension of treatment time. The possible degradation routes of IBP in water film DBD plasma system were proposed based on LC-MS and Discrete Fourier transform (DFT) simulation. Based on the identified intermediates, their potential toxicity was evaluated with the help of US-EPA-TEST software. Water film DBD plasma technology was also suitable for actual wastewater treatment. The comparison of other technologies for IBP degradation was carried out finally. This work can provide exploratory platforms for comprehensively understanding and enhancing IBP degradation in DBD plasma technology.