Non-thermal Dielectric Barrier Discharge Research Articles

Bioactive Nonthermal Biocompatible Plasma Enhances Migration on Human Gingival Fibroblasts.

This study hypothesizes that the application of low-dose nonthermal biocompatible dielectric barrier discharge plasma (DBD-NBP) to human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs) will inhibit colony formation but not cell death and induce matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) expression, extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation, and subsequent cell migration, which can result in enhanced wound healing. HGFs treated with plasma for 3min migrate to each other across the gap faster than those in the control and 5-min treatment groups on days 1 and 3. The plasma-treated HGFs show significantly high expression levels of the cell cycle arrest-related p21 gene and enhanced MMP activity. Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) mediated attenuation of wound healing or actin cytoskeleton rearrangement, and plasma-mediated reversal of this attenuation support the migratory effect of DBD-NBP. Further, this work performs computer simulations to investigate the effect of oxidation on the stability and conformation of the catalytic kinase domain (KD) of FAK. It is found that the oxidation of highly reactive amino acids (AAs) Cys427, Met442, Cys559, Met571, Met617, and Met643 changes the conformation and increases the structural flexibility of the FAK protein and thus modulates its function and activity. Low-dose DBD-NBP-induces host cell cycle arrest, ECM breakdown, and subsequent migration, thus contributing to the enhanced wound healing process.

Improved hydrogenation process for margarine production with no trans fatty acid formation by non-thermal plasma with needle-in-tube configuration

Non-thermal dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma with needle-in-tube configuration was used to improve hydrogenation reaction for trans -fat free margarine production. Refined palm olein was used as raw material with operating conditions at ambient pressure, room temperature (29 °C) and no catalyst. Effects of hydrogen gas (H 2 ) concentration, input power, gas flow rate, discharge gap size and reaction time on fatty acid compositions and properties of hydrogenated refined palm olein after plasma treatment was evaluated. Lowest iodine value (IV) was achieved with reduction from 60.75 to 23.56 with increase in saturated fatty acid composition from 40.82 ± 0.05 to 68.70 ± 0.07% and decrease in unsaturated fatty acid composition from 59.11 ± 0.12 to 31.39 ± 0.01% under the condition of 0.5 L/min gas flow rate with 100% H 2 , 40 W input power, 0.5 cm gap size and 15 h reaction time. In addition, no trans -fat was detected by GC-MS analysis. Slip melting point (SMP) was increased from 9.33 ± 0.5 to 36.33 ± 0.5 °C. Acid value (AV) was reduced from 0.47 ± 0.02 to 0.32 ± 0.03 mg KOH/g oil. Texture of produced margarine was similar to that of commercial one. Generated hydrogen free radicals were hypothesized to perform hydrogenation by reacting with carbon-carbon double bonds (π-bonds), converting poly- and monounsaturated fatty acids into saturated ones. This highly effective catalyst-free plasma hydrogenation system can be used as alternative, environmentally friendly and economically feasible method to produce trans -fat free margarine. • Production of trans -fat free margarine via non-thermal plasma hydrogenation of palm olein. • Highly environmental-friendly, requiring no catalyst under low temperature and pressure. • Reduced acid value provides increased storage time and longer shelf life.

Organic pollutants degradation using plasma with simultaneous ammonification assisted by electrolytic two-cell system

Atmospheric non-thermal dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma has gained considerable attention due to its cost-efficiency, environmental friendliness, and simplicity. However, certain deficiencies restrict its broad application. Herein, the DBD plasma was used to disrupt three model pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs), sulfamethoxazole (SMX), ibuprofen (IBP), and norfloxacin (NFX), by varying parameters, such as gas type (Ar, N2, O2, and air) and flow rate (1–4 L min−1). The air plasma discharge had the highest degradation efficiency, and the air flow rate was optimized at 2 L min−1. However, only 10% of IBP was removed by the sole plasma, whereas NFX and SMX were entirely removed after 30 min. Since the air plasma discharge generates reactive oxygen and nitrogen species in a chained reaction, the remaining NO2− and NO3− in the aqueous phase were problematic. Therefore, by coupling plasma with electrolysis using Cu/reduced Cu nanowire (R-CuNw) as the anode/cathode, all three PhACs were removed within 30 min, and NO2− and NO3− were completely reduced to NH3 with cathodic reduction. Moreover, the electrical energy per order (EEO, 0.04 kWh L−1) and treatment cost (0.003 USD L−1) were much lower than those of the single system. This system demonstrates great potential for water remediation, and the production of NH3 as a value-added by-product remarkably improves its practicality and is of great importance in agriculture and energy-related industries.

Solid-state modification of tapioca starch using atmospheric nonthermal dielectric barrier discharge argon and helium plasma

Starch modification utilizes a substantial amount of water. This research aimed to investigate the effect of nonthermal dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) argon and helium plasma on tapioca starch's physicochemical properties and techno-functionality. Dry starch samples were treated with plasma generated from argon and helium gases at different voltage levels (10 and 15 kV) for 5, 10, and 15 min. The treatment did not destroy the starch’s crystalline structure, as evidenced by the birefringence under polarized light. Scanning electron micrographs showed dented starch granules. A marginal decrease in pH value of all treated samples was noted. A reduction in amylose and amylopectin molecular weight and increased reducing sugars were observed in the treated samples. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis showed a slight change in the 1047/1022 cm−1 absorbance ratio, indicating a change in short-range ordered degree of starch, while X-ray diffractometry showed a decrease in crystallinity. A significant reduction in peak viscosity, breakdown, and setback was observed. The gelatinized plasma-treated starch dispersion showed less shear-thinning and less thixotropic with increasing voltage and treatment times. This research proved that modification of starch in the solid-state using nonthermal plasma is feasible.

Oxidative removal of hexane from the gas stream by dielectric barrier discharge reactor and effect of gas environment

The removal of hexane from a gas stream using a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactor was conducted at ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure. The role of N2, dry and humidified air carrier gases were investigated in terms of removal efficiency and product selectivity. The oxygen concentration was also varied over the range of 0 – 21% at constant power and residence time in an N2O2 mixture for further insight into oxygen's role. A semi-empirical model of NTP-decomposition in the presence of O2, N2 and H2O is proposed. It was observed that hexane removal efficiency and product selectivity increased with increasing plasma power, regardless of the carrier gas used. The maximum removal efficiency (hexane) was 94.4% in the humidified air carrier gas. The introduction of water vapour with a relative humidity of 25% at 20 °C in the plasma DBD system significantly increased the hexane removal efficiency and CO2 selectivity (84.7%) while eliminating the production of solid residue and O3. This was probably due to the action of OH radicals. Increasing O2 concentration from 0 to 21% increased the removal efficiency and CO2 selectivity due to the generation of oxygen radicals. The results imply that the decomposition of hexane by non-thermal plasma DBDs is dominated by the effect of OH and O radicals. A semi-empirical model shows that the non-thermal plasma decomposition of hexane is first order. The DBD reactor has been demonstrated to be an effective and promising technology for removing hexane emissions from air streams. The effects of N2, O2 and H2O have been quantified, and mechanisms for their action proposed.

Plasma-assisted removal of methanol in N2, dry and humidified air using a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactor.

In this work, a non-thermal plasma dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) was used to remove methanol from ambient air. The effects of carrier gases (N2, dry and humidified air), power (2–10 W), inlet concentration (260–350 ppm), and residence time (1.2–3.3 s) were investigated to evaluate the performance of the plasma DBD reactor in terms of removal efficiency, product selectivity and reduction of unwanted by-products at ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure. It was found that the conversion of methanol increased with power and residence time regardless of the carrier gas used. However, the removal efficiency decreased with the increasing concentration of CH3OH. Almost complete removal of methanol (96.7%) was achieved at 10 W and a residence time of 3.3 s in dry air. The removal efficiency of methanol followed a sequence of dry air > humidified air > N2 carrier gas. This was due to the action of the O radical in dry air, which dominates the decomposition process of the plasma system. The introduction of water vapour into the DBD system decreased the removal efficiency but had a number of significant advantages: increased CO2 selectivity and yield of H2, it significantly reduced the formation of O3, CO and higher hydrocarbons. These influences are probably due to the presence of potent OH radicals, and the conversion pathways for the various effects are proposed. It is important to note that no solid residue was formed in the DBD reactor in any carrier gas. Overall, this research indicates that methanol can be almost completely removed with the correct operating parameters (96.7% removal; 10 W; 3.3 s) and shows that humidification of the gas stream is beneficial.

Synergistic catalytic degradation of ciprofloxacin using magnetic carbon nanomaterial/NiFe2O4 promoted cold atmospheric pressure plasma jet: Influence of charcoal, multi walled carbon nanotubes and walnut shell

BackgroundCurrently, water polluted to antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin (CIP) has been a main concern for the ecosystem and environment. Hence, the removal of these emerging contaminants is essential. MethodIn this research, a hybrid process including magnetic carbon nanomaterial/NiFe2O4 promoted atmospheric non-thermal dielectric barrier discharge plasma jet (APJ) as an environmentally friendly hybrid system was evaluated for eliminating CIP from polluted synthetic effluent. Multi walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), activated carbon formed using charcoal (ChAC), and the walnut shell was applied as the carbonous source. Besides, to solve the separation problem, the charcoal, as optimum sample, was magnetized with NiFe2O4 (ChAC/NiFe2O4) using the treatment solvothermal route. Characterizations of all carbon materials were carried out by X-ray diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller and Barrett-Joyner-Halenda and vibrating-sample magnetometer analyses. FindingThe degradation amount for 80 mg/L CIP gained 48.8, 80.8, and 98.1% over APJ system + walnut shell, MWCNTs, and ChAC, respectively, after 90 min at 15 kVp-p output voltage and 0.05 g/L of catalyst loading. The results showed the ChAC/NiFe2O4 (87.2%) had less removal than ChAC (98.1%), but it has magnetic properties that can facilitate the separation problem.

Reduction of copper surface oxide using a sub-atmospheric dielectric barrier discharge plasma

Oxide layers on metal surfaces adversely affect processability and material properties in many industrial applications. Although several plasma-based approaches for deoxidation were investigated in the past, oftentimes they either work under conditions expensive to create or require long processing times. In this study, the deoxidation effect of a non-thermal dielectric barrier discharge plasma in an Ar/H2 gas mixture at 100 hPa and 20 °C was investigated on copper surfaces with a native oxide layer. The chemical structure of surfaces before and after deoxidation was analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results revealed that ∼98% of the surface lattice oxide Cu2O was reduced to Cu after around 20 s of plasma treatment, whereas all oxygen contaminants were almost completely removed from Cu surface after around 50 s. Additionally, the kinetics of the reduction of surface oxide was studied and a Johnson-Mehl-Avrami-Erofeev-Kholmogorov kinetic model was proposed. The analysis of the morphology of surfaces was performed with atomic force microscopy (AFM), showing minor changes in the roughness after deoxidation. Moreover, optical emission spectroscopy (OES) showed atomic hydrogen radicals in the plasma phase, which likely causes deoxidation effect.

Antibacterial effects of non-thermal dielectric barrier discharge plasma against Escherichia coli and Vibrio parahaemolyticus on the surface of wooden chopping board

In this study, the effects of atmospheric dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma treatment (1.1 kV, 43 kHz, 5–30 min, N2: 1.5 lpm) were investigated for the inactivation of Escherichia coli and Vibrio parahaemolyticus on wooden chopping board (WCB) surfaces. A reduction of 0.4–1.6 and 0.4–1.3 log CFU/coupon was observed for E. coli and V. parahaemolyticus, respectively, on the WCB surface by DBD plasma treatment. The first-order kinetics model was used to generate linear survival curves and calculate D-values and R2 for the bacteria; D-values were 41.0 min and 59.8 min, and R2 values were 0.94 and 0.97 for E. coli and V. parahaemolyticus, respectively. Based on these findings, DBD plasma could potentially serve as a new antimicrobial method for wooden cutting boards.

Low-temperature and atmospheric pressure plasma for palm biodiesel hydrogenation

Partially hydrogenated fatty acid methyl ester (H-FAME) is conventionally produced through partial hydrogenation under high pressure and elevated temperature in the presence of a catalyst. Herein, a novel green, catalyst-free, non-thermal and atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma was employed instead of a conventional method to hydrogenate palm FAME. H-FAME became more saturated with the conversion of C18:2 and C18:3 of 47.4 and 100%, respectively, at 100 W input power, 1 mm gas-filled gap size and 80% H2 in the mixed gas at room temperature for 5 h, causing a reduction of the iodine value from 50.2 to 43.5. Oxidation stability increased from 12.8 to 20 h while a cloud point changed from 13.5 to 16 °C. Interestingly, DBD plasma hydrogenation resulted in no trans-fatty acid formation which provided a positive effect on the cloud point. This green DBD plasma system showed a superior performance to a conventional catalytic reaction. It is an alternative method that is safe from explosion due to the mild operating condition, as well as being highly environmentally friendly by reducing waste and energy utilization from the regeneration process required for a catalytic process. This novel green plasma hydrogenation technique could also be applied to other liquid-based processes.

Hydrophilization of Polyester Textiles by Nonthermal Plasma

Abstract Polyester is a popular class of material used in material engineering. With its 0.4% moisture regain, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is classified as highly hydrophobic, which originates from its lack of polar groups on its backbone. This study used a parallel-plate nonthermal plasma dielectric barrier discharge system operating at medium pressure in dry air and nitrogen (N2) to alter the surface properties of PET fabrics to increase their hydrophilic capabilities. Water contact angle, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were utilized to analyze any effect from the plasma treatment. The wettability analysis revealed a reduction in the contact angle of more than 80% within 5 min for both discharges. Scanning electron microscopy analysis showed no microscopic damage to the fiber structure, guaranteeing that the fabrics’ structural integrity was preserved after treatment. AFM analysis showed an increase in the nanometer roughness, which was considered beneficial because it increased the total surface area, further increasing the hydrophilic capacity. XPS analysis revealed a sharp increase in the presence of polar functional groups, indicating that the induced surface changes are mostly chemical in nature. Comparing that of untreated fabrics to treated fabrics, a Increase in water absorption capacity was observed for air-treated and N2-treated fabrics, when these fabrics were used immediately after plasma exposure.

Removal of benzene as a tar model compound from a gas mixture using non-thermal plasma dielectric barrier discharge reactor

In the present work, the decomposition of benzene as a tar model compound was studied in a gas mixture (CO2, H2, CO, and CH4) using a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) non-thermal plasma reactor. The combined effect of temperature and power was studied to investigate the performance of the DBD reactor. The decomposition of tar compound increased from 49.9 to 96% with increasing specific input energy (SIE) from 2.05 to 16.4 kWh/m3. The major products were lower hydrocarbons (C2–C5) and solid residues. The higher temperature (400 °C) in the presence of plasma (40 W), decreased the conversion of tar compound from 96 to 78%. However, the selectivity of lower hydrocarbons increases substantially to 52%, and the formation of solid residues is significantly reduced. Hence, the problematic solid residues formation can be controlled at a higher temperature during the treatment of gasifier product gas using non-thermal plasma.

Development of an atmospheric nonthermal multineedle dielectric barrier discharge jet for large area treatment of skin diseases

Nonthermal plasma is suitable for applications in the biomedical field because of the large amounts of active species and a low gas temperature that does not injure the human body. A plasma jet of the typical pen type is applied in most biomedical applications, but it is difficult to apply such jets to treat skin diseases that generally have wide affected areas. In this study, nonthermal multineedle dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) jet was developed for the treatment of large area lesions and used to verify its effectiveness in treating psoriasis as a representative skin disease. Stable discharge was maintained using the developed plasma jet with a multineedle electrode structure by utilizing various discharge gases. Electrical and optical analyses were performed to determine the characteristics of the plasma. The effectiveness of psoriasis treatment using this approach was confirmed by performing in vitro and in vivo experiments with the multineedle DBD jet.

Removal of cyclohexane as a toxic pollutant from air using a non-thermal plasma: Influence of different parameters

Non-thermal plasmas (NTPs) are a promising technique for abatement of volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions. In this study, the removal of cyclohexane as a toxic pollutant from ambient air was investigated in a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactor at ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure. The effect of specific input energy (SIE) (1.2–3 kJ/L), carrier gases, residence time (1.2–2.3 s) and concentration (220–520 ppm) was evaluated. This work demonstrated that the removal efficiency of cyclohexane increased with increasing specific input energy and residence time. The removal of cyclohexane decreased with increasing concentration at constant SIE and residence time. The main decomposition products were CO2, H2, and lower hydrocarbons (C1–C4). The maximum removal efficiency (98.2%) was achieved at a specific input energy of 3 kJ/L and a residence time of 2.3 s in humidified air. Moreover, maximum O3 concentrations (<10ppm) were observed at 3.0 kJ/L SIE in dry air. NOX was not detected, in any carrier gas. The effect of the presence of water vapour was investigated to determine whether it would reduce the formation of solid residue in the DBD reactor. One of the key findings was that humidification of the air at 25% entirely prevented the formation of solid deposits in the reactor. Humidification not only improved the removal efficiency of cyclohexane, but also increased the yield of H2 and CO2 selectivity. This was due to the formation of potent OH. radicals. In general, this study demonstrates that cyclohexane vapour in air can be almost 100% decomposed to smaller molecules by a non-thermal plasma DBD reactor by optimizing specific input energy (SIE), residence time, humidity, reactor configuration and plasma properties.

Removal of toluene as a toxic VOC from methane gas using a non-thermal plasma dielectric barrier discharge reactor

Methane is the main component of biogas, which could be used as a renewable energy source for electricity, source of heat, and biofuel production after upgrading from biogas. It also contains toxic compounds which cause environmental and human health problems. Therefore, in this work, the removal of a toxic compound (toluene) from methane gas was studied using a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactor. It was observed that the removal of the toxic compound could be achieved from methane carrier gas using a dielectric barrier discharge reactor, and it depends on plasma input power. The maximum removal of the toxic compound was 85.9% at 40 W and 2.86 s. The major gaseous products were H2 and lower hydrocarbons (LHC) and the yield of these products also increases with input power. In the current study, the yield of gaseous products depends on the decomposition of toxic compounds and methane, because the decomposition of methane also produces H2 and lower hydrocarbons. The percentage yield of H2 increases from 0.43–4.74%. Similarly, the yield of LHC increases from 0.56–7.54% under the same reaction conditions. Hence, input power promoted the decomposition of the toxic compound and enhanced the yield of gaseous products.

Degradation of 2-chlorophenol in dielectric barrier discharge reactor

Liquid waste containing 2-chlorophenol compound has high toxicity, carcinogenic, and poor degradation properties, leading to bioaccumulation in the environment. It also considered as a primary chemical feedstock in the manufacture and widely used in various industry. Conventional methods such as chlorination, adsorption, liquid-liquid extraction, steam distillation, photocatalytic are inefficient and expensive. Plasma technology with a non-thermal dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma reactor can efficiently degrade chlorophenol compounds without producing side effects. Various active species produced in the reactor are electrons and radical compounds •OH, O3, H2O2. This study aims to evaluate the degradation performance of DBD plasma reactors, namely the percentage of degradation, degradation concentrations of 2-chlorophenol, and chemical oxygen demand (COD). Variations were made with pH 4 and 10, while the fixed variables were waste flow rate 50 mL/min, air flow rate 2.5 L/min, and plasmatron voltage 19kV. It was found that degradation process of 2-chlorophenol with DBD reactor in pH 4 and 10 achieve 70.96% and 79.41%, respectively.

Wastewater treatment based on remazol blue using DBD plasma reactor under acidic and basic conditions

Synthetic dyes are one of the most dangerous components of textile wastewater. Waste that contains various organic compounds, especially synthetic dyes, causes a high Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) values. Remazol blue is a reactive dye that is widely used for the textile dyeing process. Therefore, water pollution occurs when the dye waste produced from textile activities is discharged into water bodies without prior treatment. In this study, innovation in waste treatment technology was applied in the Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) plasma reactor. DBD are non-thermal plasma reactors designed to degrade organic and inorganic compounds in wastewater through oxidation process. This is carried out by active species, such as ozone (O3), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and hydroxyl radical (•OH), which are formed in the reactor. The study aims to evaluate the performance of non-thermal DBD plasma reactor in treating wastewater containing one of the textile dyes, namely remazol blue. The results showed that the percentage of degradation achieved was 98.43% within a process time of 120 minutes with a final concentration of 0.75mg/L. Furthermore, it showed that optimum conditions were obtained at pH value of 4, air flow rate of 2.5L/min, liquid flow rate of 50mL/min and a primary Neon sign transformer (NST) voltage of 19kV.

Virucidal Effects of Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasma on Human Norovirus Infectivity in Fresh Oysters (Crassostrea gigas).

This study investigates the effects of dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma treatment (1.1 kV, 43 kHz, N2 1.5 L/min, 10~60 min) on human norovirus (HuNoV) GII.4 infectivity in fresh oysters. HuNoV viability in oysters was assessed by using propidium monoazide (PMA) as a nucleic acid intercalating dye before performing a real-time reverse transcription–quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Additionally, the impact of the DBD plasma treatment on pH and Hunter colors was assessed. When DBD plasma was treated for 60 min, the HuNoV genomic titer reduction without PMA pretreatment was negligible (<1 log copy number/µL), whereas when PMA treatment was used, HuNoV titer was reduced to >1 log copy number/µL in just 30 min. D1 and D2-value of HuNoV infectivity were calculated as 36.5 and 73.0 min of the DBD plasma treatment, respectively, using the first-order kinetics model (R2 = 0.98). The pH and Hunter colors were not significantly different (p > 0.05) between the untreated and DBD-plasma-treated oysters. The results suggest that PMA/RT-qPCR could help distinguish HuNoV infectivity without negatively affecting oyster quality following >30 min treatment with DBD plasma. Moreover, the inactivation kinetics of nonthermal DBD plasma against HuNoV in fresh oysters might provide basic information for oyster processing and distribution.

Non-thermal dielectric barrier discharge plasma hydrogenation for production of margarine with low trans-fatty acid formation

A novel technique for palm oil hydrogenation with very low trans-fatty acid formation using non-thermal dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma with parallel-plate configuration has been successfully demonstrated. This green technique does not require catalyst and is highly environmental-friendly. With 15% H2: 85% He mixed carrier gas concentration ratio and initial 31 °C (rising to 50 °C due to plasma), after 4 h of plasma hydrogenation, iodine value (IV) was reduced from 60.89 to 48.39 and detected trans-fat was 1.44%. This represents trans-fat generation rate of only 0.07% per % decrease in IV, which is about 6.12 times lower than a conventional method relying on high temperature, high pressure and catalyst. About 8 h was required to produce margarine with texture closest to commercial margarines. Acid value (AV) reduced from 0.47 to 0.27%, or 43% reduction, after 12–20 h of treatment, significantly indicating that plasma hydrogenation can also help extend shelf life of oil or margarine. Large portion of DBD plasma hydrogenated palm oil can, thus, be mixed with palm olein and interesterified palm oil to produce margarine with overall trans-fatty acid content no higher than regulatory requirement. Continuous production scheme was presented. This novel plasma hydrogenation technique offers promising possibility for commercial utilization by edible oils industry.

Non-thermal dielectric-barrier discharge plasma induces reactive oxygen species by epigenetically modifying the expression of NADPH oxidase family genes in keratinocytes

We have previously shown that non-thermal dielectric-barrier discharge (DBD) plasma induces the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cells; however, the underlying mechanism has not been elucidated. This study aimed to identify the mechanisms through which DBD plasma induces the expression of NADPH oxidase (NOX) family members by epigenetic modification in human keratinocytes (HaCaT). Cell exposure to DBD plasma in 10% oxygen and 90% argon resulted in the generation of ROS, triggering oxidative stress that manifested in various forms, including lipid membrane peroxidation, DNA base modification, and protein carbonylation. DBD plasma upregulated the expression of NOX1, NOX5, and DUOX2 at the mRNA and protein levels; and siRNAs targeting NOX1, NOX5, and DUOX2 attenuated the generation of DBD plasma-induced ROS. DBD plasma upregulated the transcriptional activators TET1, MLL1, and HAT1 and downregulated the transcriptional repressors DNMT1, EZH2, and HDAC1. Additionally, DBD plasma increased the binding of transcriptional activators and decreased the binding of transcriptional repressors to the DUOX2 promoter. Methyl-specific polymerase chain reaction and bisulfite sequencing indicated that DBD plasma decreased methylation at the DUOX2 promoter. These results suggest that DBD plasma induces ROS generation by enhancing the expression of the NOX system through epigenetic DNA and histone modifications.