Innovative design of a dielectric barrier discharge plasma reactor for synergistic degradation of reactive dyes in aqueous solutions

A novel dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactor integrated with a GAC/CeO₂ heterogeneous catalyst was developed to maximize plasma–wastewater contact and minimize energy utilization. This innovative configuration, based on a water-falling film reactor design, enhances pollutant degradation efficiency and enables stable performance across a wide pH range without the need for chemical additives. Under optimized conditions, the hybrid system achieved up to 98.75% removal of reactive blue 19 (RB19), 98.27% of reactive blue 222 (RB222), 83.42% of reactive blue 21(RB21), and 76.70% of reactive red 195(RR195). Compared with the DBD process alone, the addition of GAC/CeO₂ significantly enhanced both dye removal (7.91 times) and energy efficiency (5.84 times). These results highlight the potential of combining a water-falling film DBD plasma reactor with a GAC/CeO₂ catalyst as a promising strategy for scalable wastewater treatment.