1. Inactivation of MS2 phage Aerosols by Non-thermal Plasma Exposure
Tian Xia1, Abby Kleinheksel1, Eric M. Lee2, Zhong Qiao1, Krista M. Wigginton1, Herek L. Clack1
1Dept. of Civil & Environmental Engineering,University of Michigan
2Dept. of Mechanical, Materials, and Aerospace Engineering, Illinois Institute of Technology

2. Focus: Airborne Disease Transmission Affecting Livestock
Commodity prices, food security, bioterrorism
Animal confinement confirms & isolates airborne transmission
FMD, influenza, porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS)
PRRS characterized by:
“abortion storms”, high adult morbidity
Infectious PRRSv aerosols carried 4 km
Rapid mutation, ineffective vaccines

3. Costs of PRRS to U.S. Pork Industry
Total U.S. hog barns (est.):
Annual losses: >$650M/yr
Costs of PRRS prevention:
Swine health: $140M/yr
Bio-security: $192M/yr
HEPA-filtered air (per 2500 sows)
$300k-600k capital cost
$70k/yr filter replacement
HEPA-filtered barns:
98 (U.S.), 30 (Canada)
High value hog barns (est.):

4. Non-Thermal Plasmas (NTPs)=
NTPs are “cold flames”, no fuel needed.

5. Experimental Apparatus

6. Experimental Apparatus

7. MS2 phage Genome Copies 30 kV – 21 W – 170 slpm

8. MS2 phage Plaque Forming Units (pfu/mL) 30 kV – 21 W – 170 slpm
Quant. Limit

9. Inactivation vs. Applied Voltage 12, 16, 20 kV – 1 W – 170 & 330 slpm

10. Residual O3 Adsorbed by O3 Filter

11. Conclusions and Future Research
MS2 inactivation by NTP exposure reduces infective MS2 by > 2 logs at 3.8 J/L, plus 0.3-log reduction due to filtration
Consumer-grade ozone filter removes O3 with minimal pressure differential
Currently testing inactivation of airborne PRRSv (collaboration w/ Univ. of Minnesota)
More advanced NTP designs will use fluid-electric coupling (electro-hydrodynamics).

12. Thank You. Questions?
This material is based upon work that is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under award #
Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture