Anna Dzimitrowicz

Plant‐pathogenic bacteria pose a serious threat to crop production, and although several methods have been established, preventive strategies remain the most widely applied. In this study we propose the controlled application of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), synthesised using plant extracts from Artemisia absinthium , Artemisia vulgaris , Echium vulgare , Glechoma hederacea , Solidago canadensis and Urtica dioica , against economically important plant‐pathogenic bacteria: Clavibacter sepedonicus and Ralstonia solanacearum (both quarantine pests), Erwinia amylovora and Xanthomonas campestris (regulated non‐quarantine pests) as well as Dickeya solani and Pectobacterium carotovorum . The minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBC) of the AgNPs obtained from A. absinthium , A. vulgaris or S. canadensis , with values of 1.3–9.7 mg/L Ag, pointed to their high antibacterial activities. In contrast, application of the AgNPs synthesised with the extracts of E. vulgare , G. hederacea or U. dioica resulted in MBC ranging from 2 to 20 mg/L Ag. The potential phytotoxic effects of AgNPs on seeds and seedlings of Pisum sativum , Triticum aestivum , Solanum lycopersicum , Solanum melongena , Beta vulgaris and Phaseolus vulgaris during the first week of growth were also evaluated. No statistically significant phytotoxic impact on germination or early growth of the tested plants was observed after the application of AgNPs at the concentration of 40 mg/L Ag. The newly synthesised plant‐derived AgNPs described here may contribute to the development of an ecofriendly strategy against plant‐pathogenic bacteria and offer an alternative to pesticides in seed treatment and integrated disease management.

Nowadays, the trend related to the production of functional food with prolonged shelf-life and improved properties is observed. In this view, the thermal treatment method frequently implemented for preservation of drinks can impede food quality by deterioration of its physical parameters besides reaching the aim of prolongation of the shelf-life. In this study, we proposed a method for obtaining honey-based solutions of the specified physicochemical, nutritional, and microbiological properties by employing the pulse-modulated radio-frequency atmospheric pressure glow discharge (pm-rf-APGD) plasma treatment. It was found that the subjection of the honey-based solutions to pm-rf-APGD lowers the pH by an average 1.5 times and increases the conductivity at least twice. Furthermore, the concentrations of polyphenolic compounds determined in honey solutions increased on average from around 20 to 201 mg L ^− 1 post pm-rf-APGD exposure. Referring to the elements detected in the studied honey-based solutions, no statistically significant deviations in the contents of Al, Ba, Ca, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Sr, and Zn were identified. The honey-based solutions that were treated with pm-rf-APGD exhibited a significantly lower microbial load (~ 0 CFU mL ^− 1 ) compared to the untreated controls (> 3000 CFU mL ^− 1 ) over a 15-day storage period. Based on the performed studies, it was concluded that the pm-rf-APGD exposure has a positive impact on the physico-chemical, nutritional and microbiological properties of the honey-based solutions. Graphical Abstract

Plasma‐activated water (PAW) offers a promising alternative to conventional disinfection methods in biomedical applications. However, most existing PAW preparation methods are constrained by mass transfer limitations of reactive species, reducing overall effectiveness. To address this, a Venturi tube‐based microbubble generator is integrated with a coaxial dielectric barrier discharge system. The combined system generates tunable microbubbles (< 200 µm) and achieves a 13.8‐fold enhancement in ozone dissolution versus plasma alone. Both reactive oxygen and nitrogen species are detected, with concentrations varying with gas flow rates. This plasma‐micobubble system achieves a 4.79‐log (99.99%) inactivation of Staphylococcus aureus within 5 min, with ONOO⁻ and O ₂ ⁻ identified as dominant reactive species. This study presents a scalable and effective plasma‐microbubble technology for safeguarding water quality.

Currently, the emergency environmental problem is soil pollution by organic contaminants. The methods presently employed for soil restoration, for example, bioremediation, exhibit some limitations, such as long lasting. For these reasons, we have presented a comprehensive overview related to the possibilities of promising method application for soil remediation, where non‐thermal plasma (NTP) was generated in the different reaction‐discharge systems. Additionally, we have presented different methods for soil sample preparation along with the extraction of organic compounds from soil matrices and the determination of removal efficiencies of organic compounds after proper NTP treatment. The influences of NTP treatment on physicochemical and microbiological properties of soil have also been discussed. Afterwards, the NTP methods have been compared to alternative soil remediation approaches, pointing out the pros and cons of NTP application.

Rhenium nanoparticles are an attractive alternative to noble metal-based approaches, which show a limited applicability. The catalytic potential and environmental impact of rhenium nanoparticles (ReNPs) were assessed in conjunction with those of platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs). Both of these nanomaterials were synthesized via low-cost pulse-modulated radiofrequency atmospheric pressure glow discharge (pm-rf-APGD). In this context, pm-rf-APGD was used for the first time to synthesize Re-based nanomaterials. The obtained nanoparticles were used as nanocatalysts for hydrogenation of nitroaromatic compounds. Subsequent characterization revealed high efficacy of rhenium nanoparticles in catalysing the reduction of nitroaromatic compounds, which reached up to 100% conversion yields at a rate constant k ₁ of 5.5 × 10 ^− 2 min ^− 1 . Although the k ₁ values obtained for rhenium nanoparticles were lower than those recorded for platinum nanoparticles, this research highlights the economic aspects and explores the possible optimization of catalytic systems. Some putatively disadvantageous environmental impact of rhenium nanoparticles and platinum nanoparticles was demonstrated by the exposure of Raphanus sativus var. oleiferus L. seeds to either rhenium nanoparticles or platinum nanoparticles that resulted in development of the shorter sprouts. Despite this negative environmental impact, the outcomes of this study highlight the potential of rhenium nanoparticles for chemical transformation and emphasize the importance of further insights into the economic and environmental aspects of their application and mitigation strategies.

In industrial processes, catalysts—materials that speed up chemical reactions without being consumed—are essential. The goal of this research was to create two new rhenium-based nanocomposite catalysts that can effectively and sustainably reduce nitroaromatic compounds to aromatic amines in continuous-flow systems. Nitroaromatic hydrocarbons (NACs), widely used in manufacturing pharmaceuticals, insecticides, and herbicides, often contaminate soil and water, posing significant environmental and health risks. However, their reduction to aromatic amines enables potential industrial reuse. In this study, we synthesized two nanocomposite catalysts based on a copolymer functionalized with N-methyl-D-glucamine, embedded with rhenium (Re)-based apparent nanoparticles, and used them to reduce the NACs in continuous-flow mode to their aromatic amines using newly designed and stereolithographic (SLA) 3D-printed reactors. Advanced characterization techniques were employed to evaluate their structure, morphology, and catalytical performance. Catalyst 1, prepared from a self-modified Purolite D4869 resin and characterized by higher Re loading, exhibited superior conversion rates in batch mode (k₁ up to 1.406 s⁻¹). In contrast, Catalyst 2, based on a commercial NMDG-functionalized Dowex resin with a mesoporous structure, demonstrated remarkable stability and catalytic capacity under continuous flow (up to 1.383 mmol_NAC mL_cat⁻¹). Overall, Catalyst 1 was found to be better suited for rapid batch reactions, whereas Catalyst 2 was found to be more appropriate for long-term flow applications, offering a sustainable route for the efficient conversion of nitroaromatic compounds into valuable aromatic amines. The reactors enabled the efficient conversion of NACs into aromatic amines while enhancing process sustainability and efficiency.

In view of a constant growth in the human population on Earth, the provision of a necessary amount of high-quality food looks challenging. As over 10% of the crop yields are annually lost due to the presence of phytopathogens, the development of novel, eco-friendly methods of pest eradication might contribute to avoiding nutritional shortages. Here, we propose a controlled application of cold atmospheric pressure plasma (CAPP) generated in the form of an atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ), for which we conducted multivariate optimization of the working parameters with the use of the design of experiments (DoE) in addition to the response surface methodology (RSM). After estimating the optimal operating conditions of APPJ, we determined the inactivation rates caused by 2 min CAPP exposure towards bacterial phytopathogens from three species Dickeya solani, Pectobacterium atrosepticum and Pectobacterium carotovorum artificially inoculated on the surface of plant seeds from four species. Logarithmic reductions, as a key result of this work, were enclosed in the range of 1.61–4.95 in the case of Cucumis sativus, Pisum sativum, and Vigna radiata, while for the bacteria-inoculated Zea mays seeds, lower antibacterial properties of APPJ equaling 0.86–1.12 logs were noted. The herein applied exposure to APPJ did not reveal any statistically significant detrimental effects on the germination of plant seeds, seed coat integrity, or early plant growth. Even plant growth promotion by 20.96% was observed for the APPJ-exposed Zea mays seeds. By applying colorimetric assays and optical emission spectrometry (OES), we determined the oxidative potential in addition to identifying the reactive oxygen species (ROS) ^•OH, ^•HO₂, ^•O₂⁻, O₃, and ¹O₂ and the reactive nitrogen species (RNS) N, NO₂, and NO₃ responsible for the antibacterial properties of APPJ. In summary, universal antiphytopathogenic properties of the APPJ treatment reached due to proper optimization of the working conditions were revealed against three bacterial strains from the family Pectobacteriaceae inoculated on the seeds from diverse plant species. The data presented herein may contribute to future development of the plasma agriculture field and provide alternatives to pesticides or the prevention-based control methods towards plant pathogenic bacteria.