Development and biological evaluation of the microwave plasma technology as an UV source for the elimination of bacteria in water/wastewater

Abstract
The project was aimed at developing an electrodefree UV light source based on microwave plasma discharge (preferably, excimer discharge) with a radiation emission ranging from 200-300 nm. These light sources were used to study whether the disinfection effect can be improved by emission lines other than the classical mercury vapor line at 254 nm. A new concept of molecular biology and microbiology methods was applied to analyze the inactivation efficiency of hygienically relevant gram-positive and gram-negative reference bacteria and of natural wastewater populations from the outlet of a municipal sewage treatment plant. Apart from quantitative approaches, the degree of DNA damage by radiation and the regeneration behavior of the bacterial populations were considered.