A technique for generating active species with the one atmosphere uniform glow discharge plasma OAUGDP has been Ž .
developed and tested in a wide range of potential plasma processing applications, including the sterilization and decontamination
of surfaces. The OAUGDP is a non-thermal plasma with the classical characteristics of a low pressure DC normal glow discharge
that operates in air and other gases at atmospheric pressure. In addition to directly exposing webs and workpieces to active Ž .
species by immersion or at the plasma boundary of a parallel-plate reactor, we have shown that active species capable of
sterilization can be convected at near room temperature to a remote exposure chamber. No vacuum system or batch processing is
necessary, and a wide range of applications can be accommodated. This technology is simple, cost-effective and suitable for
online treatment of webs and such three-dimensional workpieces as medical instruments. We will report the use of an air
OAUGDP to sterilize a broad range of microorganisms on a variety of surfaces, and in several distinct applications. These
include a remote exposure reactor to sterilize large workpieces 20 cm or more from the plasma-generating region, and a
sterilizable air filter. Q 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.