Environmental impact assessment of generating cold atmospheric pressure plasma and plasma-activated water at lab scale

Abstract

Cold atmospheric pressure plasma (CAPP) is the fourth state of matter produced by applying high energy to gas, and water treated with CAPP is known as plasma-activated water (PAW). CAPP and PAW have shown successful applications in food safety and functional modifications. These novel technologies are not commercially applied in the food industry yet as their sustainability benefits are not fully understood. This study assessed the carbon footprint of producing CAPP and PAW on a lab scale. CAPP produced 7.9 × 10⁻³ kg CO_2e per 1 min of plasma generation time, while PAW produced 7.9 × 10⁻² kg CO_2e per 10 min of plasma generation time, with the majority of greenhouse gases (GHGs) being generated by electricity sources. Adopting the wind or solar energy as a renewable electricity source could substantially reduce the carbon footprint of CAPP and PAW. This study provides valuable insights to guide the future commercialization of cold plasma as a sustainable food preservation technology.