Cold Plasma for Improved Sanitation and Microbial Resistance Inactivation in Sewage Effluents

The PLASMARISE project aims to pioneer the application of cold plasma technology (CP) for wastewater treatment to address two global challenges: Water security and antibiotic resistance. Using dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) CP technology, the project will develop a technology to efficiently remove pathogens and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) from wastewater, enabling safe water reuse and reducing pollution. PLASMARISE follows a hypothesis-driven approach and comprises five scientific work packages (WPs): 1) Construction of a DBD-CP reactor; 2) Performance evaluation of the DBD-CP generator. Experiments will evaluate the effectiveness of the generator in inactivating pathogens and degrading ARGs under different conditions; 3) Evaluation of DBD-CP in collected treated wastewater samples; 4) Investigation of the effects of DBD-CP treatment on leakage of mobile genetic elements (MGEs): The release of MGEs into treated water will be investigated; and 4) Techno-economic analysis and roadmap for technology deployment: A comprehensive study will assess the economic viability and scalability of the CP -based technology, leading to a technology deployment roadmap and business plan. PLASMARISE offers a novel, interdisciplinary approach that pushes the boundaries of CP technology by integrating it with wastewater treatment. This innovation could revolutionise the water cycle and contribute to water security worldwide. By addressing pathogens in water and ARGs, PLASMARISE is also tackling the critical problem of antibiotic resistance, which impacts both public health and the environment. The results of the project will have broad application, from domestic sanitation to industrial processes, paving the way for more resilient and sustainable water management.