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February, 26 2025

The Power of Cold Plasma

Understanding the Need for Atmospheric Cold Plasma in Sterilization.

Choosing the right decontamination method is a critical decision. SteraMist® offers a compelling solution, leveraging the innovative power of atmospheric cold plasma technology to revolutionize sterilization. But what exactly is atmospheric cold plasma, and how does it revolutionize decontamination?

What exactly is cold plasma?

To understand ionized Hydrogen Peroxide (iHP®), the role of atmospheric cold plasma should be understood. Cold plasma, also known as non-thermal plasma, is a state of matter where gas is partially ionized, creating a mixture of ions, electrons, and neutral particles. This energized state allows for unique chemical reactions without the need for any alteration of temperature. While atmospheric cold plasma has been utilized in various applications for decades, its potential for sterilization and decontamination is now being fully realized and becoming a standard in the field.

The Science Behind ionized Hydrogen Peroxide (iHP®)

To make iHP® possible, SteraMist® leverages the power of atmospheric cold plasma to enhance the effectiveness of hydrogen peroxide. This process takes a low concentration (in this case, 7.8%) of hydrogen peroxide, passing it through an atmospheric cold plasma arc to generate immensely powerful charged particles of hydroxyl radicals. These radicals are a highly reactive species that exhibit unlimited potent antimicrobial activity without posing a risk to surrounding air and surfaces. This results in six-log or higher reductions of a wide array of common and hard-to-kill microorganisms, including resilient spores like Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus atrophaeus, and the gold standard of sterilization – Geobacillus stearothermophilus. This ionization also evenly distributes particles during application, deodorizes, and provides a benefit of relying on injection time over saturation.

This unique atmospheric cold plasma iHP® technology is vastly different from the 40 to 50-year-old Vaporized Hydrogen Peroxide (VHP) technology or those that try to mimic the same Vapor Phase Hydrogen Peroxide (VPHP) with pulsing or silver. Many competitors try to highlight the atmospheric cold plasma arc as a dangerous source of added risk, but SteraMist® technology simplifies the all-natural process of atmospheric science with a low-profile arc optimized for performance application – safeguards included.

The Proof Behind the Sterilization

Research has consistently demonstrated the superior antimicrobial capabilities of atmospheric cold plasma-activated hydrogen peroxide.  According to Ralph Sias’ Summary of Microbiological Testing of BIT Activated Hydrogen Peroxide, the critical benefits of ionized (previously activated) hydrogen peroxide over un-ionized are highlighted as follows:

A 15-minute exposure to low percentage hydrogen peroxide with atmospheric cold plasma activation results in a complete kill of Bacillus subtilis and Geobacillus stearothermophilus spores. Without atmospheric cold plasma activation, a 15-minute low percentage hydrogen peroxide exposure showed no countable kill against the same spores. Atmospheric cold plasma technology is needed to gain all the advantages SteraMist® iHP® decontamination offers safe, quick speed, noncorrosive, high-log efficacy, and minimal amount of hydrogen peroxide needed with the only byproduct in the environment being of oxygen and humidity.

During another study conducted by the USDA, the reduction counts of foodborne pathogens are emphasized. The comprehensively titled Cold Plasma Enhances the Efficacy of Aerosolized Hydrogen Peroxide in Reducing Populations of Salmonella typhimurium and Listeria innocua on Grape Tomatoes, Apples, Cantaloupe, and Romaine Lettuce was published in Food Microbiology, concluding that “Overall, our results demonstrated that cold plasma activation significantly enhanced the efficacy of H2O2 mist against bacteria on fresh produce.”

These findings underscore the incredible transformative potential of SteraMist® for a wide range of facilities, industries, and verticals. From the very beginning, SteraMist® has represented a 21st century shift in disinfection and decontamination technology backed by years of research, refinement, and application. Rigorous studies have been conducted over many years by entities such as the University of Iowa, Dana Farber, National Institute of Health (NIH), many of the top ten global pharmaceutical companies, the world’s leading food safety companies, and the government bodies that have validated this technology. While the technology was pioneered by DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Project Agency), TOMI™ has successfully commercialized it, developing manufacturing processes to integrate iHP® technology into diverse applications to meet the need for superior disinfection and decontamination across various sectors. By harnessing the power of atmospheric cold plasma, ionized Hydrogen Peroxide (iHP®) delivers a superior, fast-acting, and residue-free solution that you can trust.

Contact us today to learn more about how SteraMist® can revolutionize your smarter decontamination protocols and create a healthier environment. We at TOMI™ Environmental Solutions Inc. are the stewards of SteraMist® technology, always “Innovating for a Safer World®”.