This study aims to present the properties of the polymeric films after being subjected to DBD plasma treatment in atmospheric conditions. Three different commercial films of polyester (Xerox Inkjet transparencies and Autostat CUS5 Clear film) and polycarbonate (Lexan™ 8010 MC) have been considered for the tests. The surface wettability has been evaluated based on static water contact angle (WCA) for different treatment times varying between 0.2 s and 30 s, the results revealing a maximum WCA decrease compared to a pristine of up to 50% for Xerox films, 75% for Autostat and 70% for Lexan. The persistence of the hydrophilic effect induced by the plasma treatment has also been verified for up to 72 h of storage after treatment, the results indicating a degradation of the treatment effects starting with the first hours after the treatment. The WCA stabilizes to a value inferior to the one corresponding to pristine in the first 24 h after plasma treatment. The adhesion forces, as well as preliminary surface morphology evaluations have been determined for the considered films using atomic force microscopy (AFM). The adhesion forces are increased together with the prolongation of the plasma treatment application time, varying from initial values of 165 nN, 58 nN and 204 nN to around 390 nN, 160 nN and 375 nN for Xerox, Autostat and Lexan films, respectively, after 5 s of DBD treatment. For the considered materials, the results revealed that the plasma treatment determines morphological changes of the surfaces indicating an increase in surface roughness.

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of non-thermal plasma-activated water (PAW) on Triticum aestivum L. cv. Glosa sprouts. Two types of PAW were generated by exposing distilled water to a high-voltage electric discharge. Wheat caryopses were treated either with PAW1 (25 mg/L NO₃⁻, 4 mg/L NO₂⁻, and 6 mg/L H₂O₂) or PAW2 (35 mg/L NO₃⁻, 5 mg/L NO₂⁻, and 7.5 mg/L H₂O₂) for 8 days, with samples being collected at days 1, 2, 3, and 8. The germination rate, growth parameters, protein, photosynthetic pigments, total phenolic contents, antioxidant activity of free and bound phenolic fractions, and activity of antioxidant enzymes were evaluated. Both PAW1 and PAW2 had positive effects on Triticum aestivum L. cv. Glosa sprouts. PAW2 had a better impact on sprouts with respect to growth parameters, free phenolic content, and antioxidant activity of the free phenolic fraction (day 3), the accumulation of proteins, and photosynthetic pigments (day 8). In conclusion, exposure to PAW increases the quality of Triticum aestivum L. cv. Glosa sprouts. Further optimization of PAW treatment is required for the most favorable impact on the accumulation of biomass and health-promoting compounds in sprouts.

Non-thermal plasma-activated water (PAW) is used in agriculture to decontaminate the seed/grains surface, with possible positive effects on physiological processes. In the present study, PAW was generated in ambient air at atmospheric pressure in eight variants with pH and different doses of reactive species (H₂O₂, NO₃⁻). We explored the indirect effect of PAW on wheat grains while focusing on genetic material by cytogenetic monitoring. All PAW variants caused clastogenic and aneugenic events of the genetic material, with different intensities, in a dose-dependent manner of reactive species in plasma composition. PAW with the highest doses of H₂O₂ (13–22 mg/L) and NO₃⁻ (49–68 mg/L) at pH 3.8–4.1 decreased the mitotic index the most and induced the most frequent genetic abnormalities, out of which chromosomal bridges and micronuclei were dominant. In correlation with this damage at the nucleus level, the germination rate and root and shoot length of wheat sprouts decreased significantly only in the variants with the highest doses of reactive species. PAW with the lowest doses of H₂O₂ (1–5 mg/L) and NO₃⁻ (8–15 mg/L) at pH 5.5–5.1 induced a much lower cytogenotoxic potential, maintained a germination rate comparable to the control and even significantly stimulated root and shoot length growth. Thus, the effects of PAW depend highly on the dose of reactive species and on pH.

The scale up of nonthermal plasma (NTP) reactors requires the simultaneous operation in parallel of a large number of units supplied from the same power supply. The present paper aims to demonstrate the feasibility of parallel operation of multiple mini-NTP reactors. In order to demonstrate the parallel operation of a large number of NTP reactors, three different types of power supplies are considered. In addition to the most simple and common solution, which involves the use of individual, independent power supply for each reactor (an ignition coil driven by a pulse generator), two other configurations of supplies (capacitive AC and capacitive DC), simpler and less expensive, are tested. The capacitive pulsed power supplies allow the generation of HV pulses by an AC power supply (usually an AC transformer), as well as by a DC power supply using an R–C circuit. For the DC resistive–capacitive configuration, the frequency can be adjusted. For all configurations, the power of the discharge can be modified by changing the value of capacitors or resistors. The feasibility of the proposed systems was demonstrated by assessing the concentration of hydrogen peroxide induced in water after plasma treatment. The obtained results reveal that the proposed capacitive AC and DC power supplies allow a large number of plasma reactors to operate in parallel independently.

This paper presents an innovative design of a photovoltaic panel system for agricultural applications, particularly in regions prone to drought and extreme temperatures, known as Agri-PV. The proposed solution utilizes optical elements of divergent lens types to illuminate the ground beneath photovoltaic panels in greenhouse or indoor controlled cultivation areas. The Agri-PV solution improves the ratio between the area occupied by the photovoltaic panels and the total cultivated area therefore the land under the photovoltaic panels is fully cultivable, produces clean electricity that can be used in the agricultural process, reduces solar energy at the ground level up to 16 times, reducing water evaporation from the ground diminishing the summer-extreme temperatures effect on crops. With an optimal vertical layout of the optical lens PV system, areas of minimum illumination can be overlapped to provide a more uniform and consistent light intensity at ground level. The overall illumination uniformity is important for maximizing energy efficiency and maintaining optimal growing conditions in agrivoltaics applications.

The present paper assesses the electromagnetic fields near the dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma reactor, for different distances and for two distinct cases: shielded and unshielded power supply during plasma generation. The plasma electrical discharge is generated in atmospheric conditions (pressure and humidity) by an AC high voltage power supply between two circular plane-parallel metallic electrodes. The plasma is applied for treating the surface of polymeric films, increasing thus their hydrophilicity without destroying the inner properties of foils. The interferences are induced by electrical surface discharges for which there were measured both vertically and horizontally radiated fields, in order to ensure personal and electrical appliances safety.