Zdzisław Oszczęda

Recently, a series of papers reported preparation and physicochemical properties of various kinds of water treated in contact with various gases with low-temperature, low-pressure glow plasma of low frequency (LPGP). Consecutive papers presented results of watering numerous herbal plants with those kinds of water in planting of numerous herbal plants. Always, the watering influenced the yield and quality of the crops and considerably changed the composition of the essential oils extracted from the watered plants. This paper provides the effects of watering of Cannabis sativum var. Finola with water LPGP-treated either in the air (LPGPA), under molecular nitrogen (LPGPN) or carbon dioxide (LPGPC). Cannabis sativa, particularly its botanic class called hemp, attracts great attention for its numerous applications. They include rope, textiles, clothing, shoes, food, paper, bioplastics, insulation, biofuel and industrial fibre. The watering was maintained for 12 weeks. Regardless of the kind of the used plasma-treated water, a considerable increase in the plant crop yield was noted for first 7 weeks. Further cultivation resulted in a minute increase in the yield. The watering with LPGPC offered the highest crop yield, followed by nontreated water, LPGPN and LPGPA. The yield of essential oil per 1 g of plant was independent of the used kind of plasma-treated water. Watering Finola with LPGPA resulted in a decrease in the level of cannabidivarin (CBD V) and considerable increase in the deal of Δ 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ⁹-THC). The levels of the remaining components of the essential oil slightly decreased with respect to that in the control sample. Almost identical trends in the influence of watering upon the composition of essential oil were observed in the case of LPGPN. However, an unusually strong decrease in the level of CBD V accompanied by a very high increase in the level of Δ⁹-THC could be noted. The performed study provided strong evidence that watering seeds and plants of Finola with various kinds of the LPGP-treated water could modulate and even tailor the crop yield, functional properties of the plant and essential oils extracted from it. The composition of the essential oil isolated from the plant watered with LPGPN suggests its application as a substitute of medical marijuana (medical cannabis).

The effect of watering basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) with water treated with low-pressure, low-temperature glow plasma of low frequency (LPGP) on growth habits and plant metabolites was tested. Watering with the LPGP treated water was beneficial for sprouting basil seeds. Watering with non-treated water was advantageous solely for the number of leaves per plant and mass of one leaf. Watering with the LPGP treated water in contact with the air (LPGPA), nitrogen (LPGPN), carbon dioxide (LPGPC), and methane (LPGPM) increased the total yield of collected essential oil by 40%, 60%, 20%, and 20%, respectively. Watering with water treated under molecular oxygen (LPGPO) decreased that yield by 12.5%. A diverse effect of particular kinds of the LPGP treated water upon the composition of isolated essential oil was also noted.

Watering cress with tap water treated for 30 min with low-temperature, low-pressure glow plasma of low frequency (LPGP) in the air (LPGPA), saturated with either nitrogen (LPGPN), CO₂ (LPGPC) or methane (LPGPM), promoted the yield of crops. Their efficiency increased in the order LPGPA < LPGPN < LPGPM < LPGPC. The kind of water prior and after the treatment specifically influenced the fat and protein content in the watered cress and had no effect on the carbohydrate content. Watering cress with water saturated with N₂ and CO₂ slightly increased the total chlorophyll content, whereas watering with water saturated with CH₄ significantly decreased it. Watering with plasma-treated water always resulted in an increase in the total chlorophyll content and subtly influenced the content of carotenoids and ascorbic acid. Watering cress with water saturated with particular gases influenced the bioaccumulation of cations and anions.

Treatment of water saturated with CO₂ with low-temperature, low-pressure glow plasma of low-frequency (GP) produced a series of liquids. Their temperature and intensity of thermal effects non-linearly depended on the treatment time. However, the Raman spectra patterns of the treated water pointed to a specific structure of the water treated for 30 min. The spectra of control, non-treated water saturated with CO₂, and such water treated for 15, 60, 90, and 120 min showed that their macrostructure was built mainly by a single donor, and single hydrogen bonded arrangements accompanied, to a certain extent, with free water molecules. The macrostructure of the water treated for 30 min consisted chiefly of tetrahedral and deformed tetrahedral structural units. That water contained long-living free radicals of discussed structure, stabilized in such macrostructure.

Our former studies delivered a strong evidence that water indirectly treated with low-temperature, low-pressure glow plasma of low frequency (GP) changed its structure depending on the atmosphere in which such treatment was performed (air, ammonia, and nitrogen) and on the time of the treatment (0 to 120 min). In every case, water of different physicochemical characteristics and interesting biological functions was produced. Therefore, the relevant studies were extended to treating deionized water with GP under methane. The resulting samples were characterized by means of ultraviolet/visible (UV/VIS), Fourier transformation infrared-attenuated total reflectance (FTIR-ATR), electron spin resonance (ESR) and Raman spectroscopies, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetry, pH, conductivity, and refractive index. The generated samples of water had entirely different physicochemical properties from those recorded for water treated with GP in the air and under both ammonia and nitrogen. The treatment of water with GP under methane did not produce clathrates hosting methane molecules. Thermogravimetry delivered an evidence that the treatment with GP increased the aqueous solubility of methane. That solubility non-linearly changed against the treatment time.

Deionized, tap and two kinds of commercially available mineralized water, after supplementation with ammonia, were treated with low-pressure, low-temperature glow plasma (GP) of low frequency. Treating hard water with ammonia provided the removal of permanent and temporary water hardness already at room temperature. On such treatment, mineralized water supplemented with ammonia was partly demineralized. Precipitated rhombohedral deposit from hard water did not turn into scale even when maintained in suspension for 3 days at around 90 degrees C. In such mariner, the use of other chemicals for prevention from the scale formation and/or for the scale removal is entirely dispensable. The rate and yield of precipitation depended on the concentration of admixed ammonia and the GP treatment time. Ammonia served as a ligand of calcium, magnesium and ferric central atoms of corresponding salts constituting the hardness. Moreover, ammonia constituting the atmosphere of the treatment was arrested inside aqueous clathrates. So, stabilized ammonia solutions could potentially be utilized as an environmental-friendly nitrogen fertilizer. The precipitate could also be utilized for the same purpose.