Abstract:
Presented observational data indicate that a significant number of infections with the
SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus occur by air without direct contact with the source, in addition,
in a tangibly long time interval. It is noticed that atmospheric precipitations help to
cleanse the air from pollution and at the same time from viruses, reducing non-contact
infections. These facts additionally actualize the problem of optimal microbiological
decontamination of air and surfaces. In order to optimize microbiological sterilization, a
thermodynamic approach is applied. It is shown that irreversible chemical oxidation
reactions are the shortest way to achieve sterility, they being capable of providing one
hundred percent reliability of decontamination. It is established that oxygen is optimal as
an oxidant, including ecologically, because it and all of its reactive forms harmoniously fit
into natural exchange cycles. The optimal way to obtain reactive oxygen species for
disinfection is the use of low-temperature (“cold”) plasma, which provides energyefficient
generation of oxidative reactive forms - atomic oxygen (O), ozone (O3), hydroxyl
radical (·OH), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) , superoxide (O2
-), singlet oxygen O2(a1Δg).
Due to the short lifetime for most of the above forms outside the plasma applicator,
remoted from the plasma generator objects should be sterilized with ozone (O3), the
minimum lifetime of which is quite long (several minutes). It is substantiated that
microwave method of generating oxygen plasma is optimal for energy efficient ozone
production. A modular principle of generation is proposed for varying the productivity of
ozone generating units over a wide range. The module is developed on the basis of an
adapted serial microwave oven, in which a non-self-sustaining microwave discharge is
maintained due to ionizations produced by radionuclides-emitters.