The present invention provides an apparatus suitable for use in the treatment of liquid 31, comprising a high voltage electric discharge device 8 with spaced apart first second electrodes 24,25. The discharge device has electrical power supply control means 13 for applying a series of high voltage pulses across said first and second electrodes 24,25 50 as to produce an extended area electrical discharge in an electric discharge zone 37 extending between said first and second electrodes. The apparatus also has a gas delivery means 14-18,29 for feeding a series of bubbles 36 of gas into the liquid in said electric discharge zone. The present invention also provides methods of producing an electrical discharge in a liquid and of decontaminating water and other liquids using the apparatus of the invention.
A non-thermal plasma reactor is provided for treating a liquid with non-thermal plasma species. The reactor includes a liquid inlet, a liquid outlet, a reaction volume between the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet and at least one non-thermal plasma electrode adjacent to the reaction volume. The non-thermal plasma electrode is isolated physically and electrically from the flow path by a dielectric barrier.
A method and apparatus are provided for at least partially disinfecting biological fluid of a mammal, which comprises pathogens in addition to normal cellular fractions. The method includes placing the biological fluid in a reaction volume and contacting a non-thermal plasma with the biological fluid to thereby kill at least a portion of the pathogens within the biological fluid.
