Microwave-induced Argon Plasma Research Articles

Efficient degradation of Fipronil in water by microwave-induced argon plasma: Mechanism and degradation pathways

Fipronil and its metabolites are potentially harmful to the ecological environment and have chronic neurotoxic effects, which makes it to be classified as class C carcinogens. Fipronil has been banned from agricultural use in China since 2009, but its residue remains in the environment. Therefore, an efficient and economical method is urgently needed to degrade fipronil residues in the environment. Herein, the degradation of fipronil in water solution using argon microwave-induced plasma (MIP) system was studied and a plausible reaction pathway was proposed in combination with Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations. The degradation of fipronil by MIP system was optimized in terms of input power, plasma-sample distance, initial concentration and gas flow rate. After short time MIP treatment with an input power of 150 W, as high as 85.62% degradation efficiency was achieved for the fipronil at concentration of 20 mg·L‐−1 under the optimized conditions, and the corresponding energy efficiency was 1334.8 mg·kwh−1. Optical emission spectrometry (OES) was employed to characterize the distribution and intensity of OH, H and O species which play key roles in the degradation of fipronil by plasma, and it revealed that the degradation reaction mainly occurs at gas-liquid interface where the highest intensity of OH, H and O species was observed. High resolution mass spectrometric analysis in combination quantum chemical calculations indicate that a wide diversity of reaction processes occurred for fipronil degradation under MIP treatment, involving oxidation or reduction, nitro reduction, oxidative dichlorination, reductive dichlorination, hydration, dehydration and thiourea to urea. The possible degradation mechanism and pathways were proposed based on the degrading species identified by high resolution Mass Spectrometry (HRMS) and the thermodynamic profiles.

Microwave plasma treated composites of Cu/Cu2O nanoparticles on electrospun poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) fibers as highly effective photocatalysts for reduction of organic dyes and 4-nitrophenol

Abstract Self-standing photocatalytic materials based on transition-metal decorated electrospun fiber mat have attracted considerable attention for photodegradation of toxic refractory organic pollutants in the environment. In this study, poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone)/copper(II) nitrate fibers (Cu/PVP-F) were prepared by electrospinning of PVP/Cu(NO3)2 solution followed by crosslinking using microwave-induced argon plasma (MAP) to produce Cu/Cu2O composites on the surface of fibers. The optimization for the electrospinning fibers was conducted such that the optimized electrospun composite fibers exhibited excellent visible light photocatalytic activity, corresponding to the narrowest band gap energy based on photoluminescence analyses. Moreover, the experimental results showed that the electro-spinning Cu/PVP-F fibers treated with MAP revealed the highest rate of photodegradation efficacy toward methyl orange (MO) and 4-nitrophenol (4- NP), that could be employed in the subsequent photocatalysis cycles with good recovery.

Optical Emission Spectroscopy-Based Tomography for Compact Low-Pressure Microwave Plasma in a Multicusp

Microwave-induced argon and hydrogen plasmas confined in a compact multicusp (MC) are studied in the pressure range of 0.2–2 mtorr and at microwave powers of 216–324 W. Plasma parameters such as electron temperature ( $\text{T}_{\text{e}}$ ) and density ( $\text{N}_{\text{e}}$ ) are evaluated using optical emission spectroscopy (OES) and Langmuir probe (LP) measurements. The estimated $\text{T}_{\text{e}}$ and $\text{N}_{\text{e}}$ from OES measurements lie in the range of 5–13 eV and $0.6 \times 10^{\mathrm {{10}}}$ – $4.0 \times 10^{\mathrm {{10}}}$ cm $^{-\mathrm {{3}}}$ , respectively, for the Ar and H2 plasmas, and are comparable to the values obtained from the LP measurements. The objective of this paper is to develop an emission tomographic measurement system for plasma confined in a compact MC. In general, OES is carried out to determine the wavelength of the most intense emitted light from the plasma, which is then applied to design the tomographic system to finally obtain a 2-D emission profile of light from the whole plasma cross section. Tomographic reconstruction of the plasma emission indicates two bright rings, one at the core and another near the plasma boundary, which are influenced by higher electron density at the core region and higher electron temperature near the electron cyclotron resonance zone.

Exploration and performance evaluation of microwave-induced plasma with different discharge gases for ambient desorption/ionization mass spectrometry.

Microwave-induced plasma (MIP) with different discharge gases of argon or helium provides significant plasma-based ambient desorption/ionization sources, which have potential applicability in direct analysis of complex samples without any sample pre-treatment. In this study, experiments were conducted to better understand microwave-induced plasma desorption/ionization (MIPDI) sources and the corresponding ionization mechanisms. Emission spectra of microwave-induced argon (MIP-Ar) and helium (MIP-He) plasmas were obtained from the plasma tail flame of a MIP source. Compounds including L-phenylalanine, L-serine, L-valine, urea, 4-acetaminophen, gallic acid and L-ascorbic acid were analyzed using both sources. Polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG400) oligomers were detected by MIP-Ar and MIP-He mass spectrometry at different microwave powers. Mass spectra of higher molecular weight PEGs (including PEG800, PEG1000 and PEG2000) were also acquired using both sources. In the emission spectra, N2 , H-I and O-I species were observed by MIP-Ar/He. In addition, SiO2 , Na-I, Si-I and Si-II species were generated by MIP-He. In the mass spectra of compounds, [M+H]+ , [2M+H]+ , [M+O+H]+ , [M+2O-H]+ and fragment ions were observed. In the mass spectra of PEG400 obtained by MIP-Ar/He at different microwave powers, higher molecular weight oligomers could only be observed with higher microwave power. PEGs with molecular weights as high as 1000Da were also successfully analyzed by MIPDI. According to the different natures of the samples, either MIP-Ar or MIP-He can be chosen as a working ion source for mass spectrometry. The MIPDI source is potentially applicable to the analysis of compounds with high molecular weights, especially polymers with high degree of polymerization (such as PEG2000), which is a challenging issue for the traditional ambient ionization sources. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Short-Time Preparation of NaOH-Activated Carbon from Sugar Cane Bagasse Using Microwave Plasma Heating

The microwave induced argon plasma was applied to the preparation of NaOH-activated carbon from sugar cane bagasse. The distinguished feature of the heating technique with this cold plasma is the short operation time. The carbonization and the activation process were finalized in one step within 3 min. The prepared activated carbon with NaOH ratio 3 to bagasse characterized using N2 adsorption of type IV (IUPAC classification) to give specific surface area of 1980 m2/g and mesopore volume of 0.73 ml/g. It also showed a higher specific capacitance of 201 F/g in 1 M H2SO4 solution (with standard three electrodes) than the corresponding one by the conventional heating, previously reported. The other features were the absence of oxygen groups and the presence of carbon centered stable radicals, detected by ESR spectra, on the surface.

Effect of argon plasma surface modification on tribological behavior of biopolymers

Purpose The aim of this study is to determine the effect of argon plasma surface modification on tribological properties of conventional ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) and vitamin E-blended UHMWPE. In previous studies, some researchers conducted a study on argon plasma surface modification of UHMWPE, but there is no study about argon plasma surface modification of VE-UHMWPE. So another objective of this paper is to compare the results for both the material groups. Design/methodology/approach UHMWPE and vitamin E-blended UHMWPE sample surfaces were modified by microwave-induced argon plasma to increase tribological properties of the materials. The modified surfaces were evaluated in terms of wettability and wear behavior. Wettability of the surfaces was determined by contact angle measurements. Wear behavior was examined by ball-on-disc wear tests under lubrication with 25 per cent bovine serum. Findings Argon plasma surface modification enhanced the wear resistance and surface wettability properties of conventional UHMWPE and VE-UHMWPE. Wear factor of argon plasma-treated samples reduced, but for VE-UHMWPE samples, this reduction was not as high as the conventional UHMWPE’s wear factor. Originality/value In previous studies, some researchers have studied on argon plasma surface modification of UHMWPE, but there is no study about argon plasma surface modification of VE-UHMWPE.

Titanium surface modification by using microwave-induced argon plasma in various conditions to enhance osteoblast biocompatibility.

BackgroundTitanium is a well proven implantable material especially for osseointegratable implants by its biocompatibility and anti-corrosive surface properties. Surface characteristics of the implant play an important role for the evolution of bone tissue of the recipient site. Among the various surface modification methods, plasma treatment is one of the promising methods for enhance biocompatibility. We made microwave-induced argon plasma at atmospheric pressure to improve in titanium surface biocompatibility.ResultsVarious states of emission spectra from excited species-argon, nitrogen atoms and oxygen atoms were observed. The electron energy band structures are the unique characteristics of atoms and functional groups. Microwave-induced argon plasma treatment changed the titanium surface to be very hydrophilic especially on the 5 s short treatment and 30 s, 90 s long treatment samples that detected by contact angle measurement. MC3T3-E1 attachment and proliferation assay significantly increased in 5 s at short treatment, 30 s, and 90 s at long treatment after 5 days incubation.ConclusionsResult indicated that microwave-induce argon plasma treatment would be an effective method to modify titanium surface for enhancing cell-material interactions.

Temporally and spatially resolved characterization of microwave induced argon plasmas: Experiment and modeling

Experiments and modeling of the plasma-microwave interaction have been performed in a coaxial microwave plasma source at a field frequency of 2.45 GHz generating argon plasmas at pressures of 20 and 40 millibars and a ratio of flow rate to pressure of 0.125 sccm/Pa. The incident microwave power between 100 W and 300 W is supplied in a regime of a pulse-width modulation with cycle duration of 110 ms and a power-on time of 23 ms. The experiments are based on heterodyne reflectometry and microwave interferometry at 45.75 GHz. They provide the temporal behaviour of the complex reflection coefficient, the microwave power in the plasma, as well as the electron density in the afterglow zone of the discharge. The self-consistent spatially two-dimensional and time-dependent modeling complements the analysis of the plasma-microwave interaction delivering the plasma and electromagnetic field parameters. The consolidating experimental observations and model predictions allow further characterizing the plasma source. The generated plasma has a core occupying the region close to the end of the inner electrode, where maximum electron densities above 1020 m−3 and electron temperatures of about 1 eV are observed. Due to a longer outer electrode of the coaxial structure, the plasma region is extended and fills the volume comprised by the outer electrode. The electron density reaches values of the order of 1019 m−3. The heating of the gas occurs in its great part due to elastic collisions with the plasma electrons. However, the contribution of the convective heating is important especially in the extended plasma region, where the gas temperature reaches its maximum values up to approximately 1400 K. The temporally and spatially resolved modeling enables a thorough investigation of the plasma-microwave interaction which clearly shows that the power in-coupling occurs in the region of the highest electron density during the early stage of the discharge. In the steady state phase, however, the power in-coupling occurs close to the source walls where the electron density is significantly lower than on the discharge axis.

Cellular responses of vascular endothelial cells on surface modified polyurethane films grafted electrospun PLGA fiber with microwave-induced plasma at atmospheric pressure

To improve cell–material interaction, the surface modification of materials in tissue engineering is carried out by change in chemical structure or by ion-beam irradiation and plasma treatment. The modifications of biological surface, such as coating or peptide grafting, may also enhance endothelialization of biomaterial surfaces. In this study, the surface of polyurethane (PU) grafted with electrospun poly ( d, l-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) fibers (PU/PLGA) was modified with microwave-induced argon plasma and the PU/PLGA films with plasma modified surface were examined to investigate their effects on the attachment and growth of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) for applications in vascular tissue engineering. In comparison with the control, PU film with microwave plasma modified surface was more hydrophilic and the roughness of the surface was enhanced. Furthermore, the plasma treatment on PU/PLGA has significantly increased the attachment of HUVECs and proliferation of the cells was slightly enhanced as well. These results suggested that the surface of PU/PLGA films modified with plasma treatment can be effectively used as a biocompatible material for vascular tissue engineering application, although more in-depth studies are needed.

Enhanced Chondrogenic Responses of Human Articular Chondrocytes Onto Silk Fibroin/Wool Keratose Scaffolds Treated With Microwave‐Induced Argon Plasma

Silk fibroin (SF) is a natural, degradable, fibrous protein that is biocompatible, is easily processed, and possesses unique mechanical properties. Another natural material, wool keratose (WK), is a soluble derivative of wool keratin, containing amino acid sequences that induce cell adhesion. Here, we blended SF and WK to improve the poor electrospinability of WK and increase the adhesiveness of SF. We hypothesized that microwave-induced argon plasma treatment would improve chondrogenic cell growth and cartilage-specific extracellular matrix formation on a three-dimensional SF/WK scaffold. After argon plasma treatment, static water contact angle measurement revealed increased hydrophilicity of the SF/WK scaffold, and scanning electron microscopy showed that treated SF/WK scaffolds had deeper and more cylindrical pores than nontreated scaffolds. Attachment and proliferation of neonatal human knee articular chondrocytes on treated SF/WK scaffolds increased significantly, followed by increased glycosaminoglycan synthesis. Our results suggest that microwave-induced, plasma-treated SF/WK scaffolds have potential in cartilage tissue engineering.

Cellular responses and behaviors of adipose-derived stem cells onto β-glucan and PLGA composites surface-modified by microwave-induced argon plasma

Tissue engineering represents an innovative approach for the development of novel clinical modalities for the reconstruction of adipose tissue defects. Each year a variety of medical procedures are required for the repair of adipose tissue traumas and abnormalities, including cosmetic facial reconstructions of the cheek, chin and jaw. Currently, there has been a growing interest in in vitro differentiation of adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) into adipogenic, myogenic, neurogenic and osteogenic cells among other cell types. The fast growing interest in the use of adipose precursor cells in tissue engineering applications creates a need for more research in the development of scaffolds that can support the attachment and proliferation of these adult stem cells in vitro and in situ. Cell-based approaches utilizing adipogenic progenitor cells in combination with biomaterial carriers for fat tissue engineering have been developed and were reported to repair defect sites. Plasma treatment has the advantage of modifying the surface region to a depth of only a few nanometers without affecting the bulk properties. A commonly used method is to introduce hydrogen peroxides at the surface either by inert gas plasma treatment followed by exposure to oxygen or by corona discharge treatment. This advantage can benefit the fabrication of scaffolds with interpenetrating porous structure for tissue engineering. Plasma technique can be easily used to induce the desired groups or chains onto the surface of a material, so it has a special application to improve the cell affinity of the scaffold. β-Glucans are polymers of glucose that mainly construct the outer cell wall of fungi and certain bacteria. They have been demonstrated to have immune stimulatory activity, especially to enhance wound healing by increasing macrophage infiltration into the injury sites and stimulating tissue granulation and re-epithelialization. The present study concentrated on enhancing the cellular responses of ADSCs on the surface-modified composites of β-glucan and PLGA by microwave-induced argon plasma treatment.

Removal and sterilization of biofilms and planktonic bacteria by microwave-induced argon plasma at atmospheric pressure

Microbial biofilms are a functional matrix of microbial cells, enveloped in polysaccharides, enzymes and virulence factors secreted by them that can develop on indwelling medical devices and biomaterials. Plasma sterilization has been widely studied in recent years for biological applications. In this study, we evaluated the possibility of removal and anti-recovery of biofilms by microwave-induced argon plasma at atmospheric pressure. We observed that all bacterial biofilms formatted by Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria are removed in less than 20 s, and the growth inhibitions of planktonic bacteria within biofilms are also confirmed by plasma exposure for 5 s. These results suggest that our plasma system can be applied to medical and biological fields where the removal of biofilms and their debris is required.

Beneficial effects of microwave-induced argon plasma treatment on cellular behaviors of articular chondrocytes onto nanofibrous silk fibroin mesh

Silk fibroin scaffolds were examined as a biomaterial option for tissue-engineered cartilage-like tissue. In tissue engineering for cartilage repair using a scaffold, initial chondrocyte-material interactions are important for the following cell behaviors. In this study, the surface of nanofibrous silk fibroin (NSF) meshes was modified by a microwave-induced argon plasma treatment in order to improve the cytocompatibility of the meshes used as cartilaginous grafts. In addition, the effects of a plasma treatment on the cellular behavior of chondrocytes on NSF were examined. The plasma treatment resulted in an increase in the hydrophilicity of NSF meshes suggesting that the cytocompatibility of the mesh might be improved. Furthermore, the human articular chondrocytes showed higher viability on the surface-modified NSF meshes. These results suggest that the surface modification of NSF meshes by plasma can enhance the cellular behavior of chondrocytes and may be used in tissue engineering.

Enhanced chondrogenic responses of articular chondrocytes onto porous silk fibroin scaffolds treated with microwave-induced argon plasma

Silk fibroin (SF) as a naturally occurring degradable fibrous protein with unique mechanical properties, excellent biocompatibility and processability has demonstrated strong potential for skeletal tissue engineering. Recent studies has mostly focused on nanofibrous SF (NSF) as a novel chondrogenic scaffold since its structure is very similar to collagen fibrous structure of natural extracellular matrix (ECM). However, less attention has been paid to the surface modification of NSF scaffolds by microwave-induced argon plasma. The present study was based on the hypothesis that plasma treatment to 3-D porous electrospun NSF scaffolds would improve cell growth, chondrogenicity and new cartilage-specific ECM formation of chondrocytes. It was found that plasma treatment could induce an essential modification of the surface of electrospun NSF scaffolds. The attachment and proliferation of human articular chondrocytes onto the surface-modified NSF scaffolds were significantly increased with a concomitant increase in the glycosaminoglycan synthesis. These results suggest that porous NSF scaffolds treated with microwave-induced plasma may be effective for enhancing the cellular behaviors and chondrogenic differentiation of chondrocytes and further be potentially used to cartilage tissue engineering.

Surface modification for enhancing behaviors of vascular endothelial cells onto polyurethane films by microwave-induced argon plasma

Polyurethanes (PUs) are widely used in cardiovascular and other biomedical applications due to their good biocompatibility as well as mechanical properties. However, PUs are poor substrates in supporting the adhesion and growth of vascular endothelial cells. In this study, the surface of PU films was modified by microwave-induced argon plasma treatment in order to improve the hemocompatibility of the films used as cardiovascular prostheses including vascular grafts and stents. The modified surface of PU films was characterized by water contact angle measurement, atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Plasma treatment resulted in an appreciable increase in the surface roughness of PU films with a concomitant decrease in the contact angle of the films, suggesting that the hydrophilicity of the film surface might be subsequently enhanced. Furthermore, the cellular behaviors of human umbilical vascular endothelial cells, such as attachment, growth and proliferation, were significantly increased onto the surface-modified PU films. In conclusion, the surface modification of PU films by microwave-induced plasma could enhance the behaviors of endothelial cells and the method would be usefully applied to cardiovascular tissue engineering.

Sterilization of microorganisms in silk fabrics by microwave-induced argon plasma treatment at atmospheric pressure

Since many old cultural assets, such as clothes, pictures and books, remain in the state of silk fabrics or papers, it is very difficult as well as important to retain their original form. Microbial contamination induces surface deformations and strength degradation of silk fabrics by invading deeply into the fibers. In this study, the sterilization effects of microwave-induced argon plasma at atmospheric pressure were investigated on the microorganisms in silk fabrics. Also, the influence of the plasma treatment was examined on the physical properties of the fabrics. Argon plasma treatment completely sterilized the silk fabrics inoculated with various strains of either bacteria or fungi. It was also found that the plasma treatment did not affect the ultimate tensile strength and surface morphology of the fabrics because it took advantage of relatively low temperature. As increase in the plasma treatment, however, the lightness of silk fabrics decreased with concomitant increased in the color intensities of green and yellow. These results suggest that microwave-induced argon plasma can be effectively used as an alternative method for sterilizing and protecting cultural assets out of silk fabrics without any deterioration of the tensile strength and surface morphology.

Absolute measurements of the continuum radiation to determine the electron density in a microwave-induced argon plasma

A method for the determination of the electron density (ne) using the continuum radiation is presented. The radiation is calibrated with a standard tungsten ribbon lamp and thus expressed in absolute units. This method is applied to a microwave-induced argon plasma, created by a surfatron (2.45 GHz), for which the standard settings are: wavelength region at 648 nm, power of 60 W, pressure of 15 mbar, gas flow of 70 sccm and axial distance from the launcher of 3 cm. Due to the low degree of ionization, the influence of electron–ion interactions can be neglected; the radiation is predominantly generated by free–free interactions between electrons and atoms. The method provides the electron density values in the order of 1019 m−3 for different plasma settings. It is observed that the measured ne follows the well-known trends—it decreases in the direction of the propagating surface wave and increases with power.

Comparison of the cold vapor generation using NaBH4 and SnCl2 as reducing agents and atomic emission spectrometry for the determination of Hg with a microstrip microwave induced argon plasma exiting from the wafer

A 2.45 GHz low power microwave microstrip plasma (MSP) exiting the wafer and operated with Ar at atmospheric pressure was used for the optical emission spectrometric determination of Hg with the aid of a miniaturized optical fiber spectrometer with a CCD detector and the cold vapor (CV) generation technique using NaBH4 and SnCl2 as reductants. The experimental conditions were optimized with respect to the relative intensity of the Hg I 253.6 nm line and its signal-to-background intensity ratio (SBR). So as to understand the results of the optimization experiments, the excitation temperatures as measured from Ar I lines (T exc) and the electron number densities (n e) for the Ar MSP loaded with Hg vapors were determined and found to be in the range from 5500 to 6300 K and from 1.4 to 2.0 × 1014 cm−3, respectively. Under the optimized conditions, the detection limit for Hg of the CV-MSP-OES using SnCl2 as the reducing agent was found to be much lower (0.11 ng mL−1) than in the case where NaBH4 was used (9 ng mL−1). The linearity range was found to be up to 1 µg mL−1 while the precision was of the order of 0.7–5%. The procedure with SnCl2 as reductant was used for the determination of Hg at a concentration of 0.2 µg mL−1 in synthetic water samples containing 1 to 4% (m/v) of NaCl with an accuracy of 3% as well as in a solution of the domestic sludge standard reference material (NIST SRM 2781) with a certified concentration for Hg of 3.64 ± 0.25 µg g−1 for which 3.55 ± 0.41 µg g−1 was found.

Optimization and comparison of chemical and electrochemical hydride generation for optical emission spectrometric determination of arsenic and antimony using a novel miniaturized microwave induced argon plasma exiting the microstrip wafer

Continuous flow (CF) chemical hydride generation (CHG) and electrochemical hydride generation (ECHG) directly coupled to a novel 40 W, atmospheric pressure, 2.45 GHz microwave microstrip Ar plasma exiting a microstrip wafer has been developed for the emission spectrometric determination of As and Sb using a miniaturized optical fiber spectrometer and a CCD-array detector. The experimental conditions for both procedures were optimized with respect to the relative net intensities of the As I 228.8 nm and Sb I 252.8 nm lines and their signal-to-background intensity ratios. Additionally, the susceptibility to interferences from Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb and Zn and other hydride-forming elements in the determination of As and Sb using the CHG and ECHG techniques was investigated in detail. Under the optimized conditions, it was found that ECHG is more prone to interferences compared to CHG. The detection limits (3 σ) of As (6 ng mL −1) and Sb (7 ng mL −1) obtained for the ECHG–MSP–OES method are about three times lower than in the case of the CHG–MSP–OES method due to a two-fold lower amount of H 2 introduced into the MSP in case of the ECHG, resulting in a better plasma stability and reduced background level. The linearity ranges for both calibration curves to a concentration of up to 5 μg mL −1 and a precision between 2% and 7% (2 μg mL −1 and 0.050 μg mL −1 of As and Sb, respectively) were found for both methods. The developed ECHG–MSP–OES method was validated for As through the analysis of a certified coal fly ash standard reference material (NIST SRM 1633a) after sample dissolution. The derived concentration (140 ± 8 μg g −1) was found to agree well with the certified data (145 ± 15 μg g −1). The method was also successfully applied to the analysis of both a galvanic bath sample, which contained Sb and was spiked with As, and a tap water sample spiked with both analytes. Recovery rates of 99–101% and a Sb concentration of 6.6 μg mL −1 in the galvanic bath sample were revealed. The latter value showed a good agreement with the data obtained from ICP-OES analysis, which was also used for validation purpose.

Degradation of mycotoxins using microwave-induced argon plasma at atmospheric pressure

Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites of fungi causing health problems in humans, animals and agricultural products. Therefore, the inactivation or degradation of mycotoxins in contaminated foods and feedstuffs is a major global concern. This study was designed to investigate the degradation of three different mycotoxins, aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), deoxynivalenol (DON) and nivalenol (NIV) by using our self-designed microwave-induced argon plasma system at atmospheric pressure. After plasma treatment, the remnants of mycotoxins were analyzed by thin-layer chromatography and high performance liquid chromatography and their cytotoxicity was assessed using mouse macrophage RAW264.7 cells. The mycotoxins, AFB1, DON, and NIV were completely removed after 5 s of plasma treatment. Moreover, the cytotoxicity of mycotoxins was significantly reduced with the progress in the treatment time. These results suggest that this plasma system may have strong potentials to degrade mycotoxins and can be effectively used in the process of foods and feedstuffs.