Destruction of benzene with non-thermal plasma in dielectric barrier discharge reactors

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted to the atmosphere can cause adverse effects on human health and participate in photochemical smog formation reactions. Title III of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA) requires that the US. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) promulgate emission standards for 188 hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) associated with about 300 major source categories. Many industrial facilities throughout the US. will need pollution abatement systems for HAPs in order to be in compliance. Non-thermal plasma can be used to generate gas-phase free radicals (O(D). O(P), OH circle) at low temperature (293 K), which can then be used to destroy pollutants, such as benzene, The destruction of benzene was examined in planar dielectric barrier discharge plasma reactors as a function of applied voltage, benzene concentration, residence time and relative humidity. Near complete destruction of benzene (>99%) was achieved in both wet and dry gas streams.