Interaction of Cold Atmospheric Pressure Plasma with Soybean Seeds: Effect on Germination and DNA, Seed Surface Characteristics and Plasma Diagnostics

This study investigates the relation between cold atmospheric pressure plasma (CAPP) effect on seeds and the plasma parameters. As a source of CAPP, the diffuse coplanar surface barrier discharge (DCSBD) generated in nitrogen, ambient air, and oxygen at atmospheric pressure was used. Results of germination and the level of DNA damage of soybean seeds ( Glycine max L . ) treated in plasma and plasma gaseous products showed that the most advantageous is the use of ambient air plasma treatment. The water contact angle (WCA) of samples treated directly in plasma was significantly smaller than that of samples treated with gaseous products. Using attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), we did not observe significant changes between the spectra of individual samples, what indicates that there is no damage on the surface of the samples during the treatment, only the binding of polar groups. The method of optical emission spectroscopy (OES) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were used to study the plasma parameters. The most radiant system observed in ambient air and nitrogen plasma is the second positive system of nitrogen N 2 C 3 ∏ u → B 3 ∏ g . FTIR measurements showed the presence of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species O 3 , NO 2 , N 2 O, NO, HNO 2 depending on the working gas. Finally, it can be assumed that the positive effect of plasma on the seed is caused not only by the individual components of the plasma, but also by their synergistic effect, while the ratio of the individual active particles as well as the plasma exposure to the seeds are important.