Non-thermal plasma inactivates airborne viral threats

The research from the University of Michigan is said to be the first demonstration of non-thermal plasma used to inactivate an airborne virus known to cause disease in animals.

Cold plasma zapper could rid homes of allergens

In lab testing, airflow containing Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome virus (PRRSv) passed through the reactor where it was exposed to charged, highly reactive fragments of air molecules. Tests showed that 95 per cent of the viruses were inactivated or removed during the process.

In 2017, Herek Clack, a U-M associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, led a team that developed the non-thermal plasma reactor and demonstrated its performance on PRRSv virus, achieving at least 95 per cent inactivation and removal of the virus particles. Results were published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials, but first appeared in 2017 on the website of the National Pork Board, which funded the study.