Physicochemical Properties of DBD Plasma Activated Water and Its Effect on Peanut Growth Characteristics

Plasma technology has diverse applications in agriculture, biomedicine, and environmental protection. In this study, a plasma-activated water (PAW) system employing a needle-plate electrode configuration was developed to investigate the physicochemical properties of PAW and its impact on peanut growth and yield under varying discharge voltages. The results indicate that key physicochemical parameters of PAW, including pH, ORP, EC, H<sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sub> O<sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sub>, <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${\mathrm {NO}}_{2}^{-}$</tex-math> </inline-formula>, and <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${\mathrm {NO}}_{3}^{-}$</tex-math> </inline-formula>, exhibit significant variations with changes in discharge voltage. Furthermore, PAW application notably enhanced peanut growth parameters under optimal discharge conditions. At 15 kV, plant height, stem thickness, fresh weight, chlorophyll content, and yield increased by 31.3%, 13.3%, 18.8%, 21.5%, and 17.5%, respectively. However, prolonged PAW storage led to progressive changes in its physicochemical composition, with <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${\mathrm {NO}}_{2}^{-}$</tex-math> </inline-formula> and <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${\mathrm {NO}}_{3}^{-}$</tex-math> </inline-formula> exhibiting the most significant fluctuations. These findings provide valuable insights into the potential of DBD-generated PAW for agricultural applications, offering a scientific basis for optimizing PAW treatment in crop production.