Effect of Spark Discharge Plasma on Water, Physiological Saline, and Hanks’ Solution

Abstract

The effect of the duration of a current pulse of spark discharge in air on the composition of products formed in liquid both by the action of plasma radiation and with the participation of species formed in the discharge itself has been studied. The products formed in water, 0.9% NaCl, and in Hanks’ solution have been determined. It has been that in all the cases, nitrous acid is one of the primary products. The yield of nitrous acid is the same in all the three solutions. With a decrease in the current pulse duration, the influence of the species formed in the discharge itself on the yield of nitrous acid increases. The products formed in water decompose within up to 13 days. Peroxynitrite and N₂O₃ were identified as degradation products.