## 3 Plasma Application to Eliminate Organic Pollutants in Water
### Viruses  
The most prevalent and diverse group of microbes on Earth are viruses, which have the potential to infect every cell-based organism, including bacteria, people, animals, and plants [142]. It is possible to spread viruses directly from one sick individual to another or indirectly through polluted intermediaries (such as contaminated surfaces, objects, air, food, and water) [29]. Each year, harmful viruses infect tens to hundreds of millions of plants, animals, and people, causing huge losses in agriculture and widespread deaths. The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-related COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that transmission via contaminated surfaces and aerosols is extremely important [143]. To stop virus transmission in different matrices, a variety of virus inactivation techniques have been attempted, but regrettably, the most successful strategy has not yet been discovered [144]. In addition, viral transmission through wastewater is also a major concern, particularly in places with inadequate water and sanitation systems [143; 145]. The implementation of suitable wastewater treatment technology is urgently needed in light of reports of SARS-CoV-2 transmission or coronavirus transmission through wastewater [146]. Considering the aforementioned issues, the adoption of appropriate wastewater treatment technologies is imperative to protect the environment and human health. According to recent studies, plasma is a safe, simple, and effective treatment procedure that effectively inactivates viruses while producing no waste or harmful byproducts. Plasma has been used to inactivate viruses in different matrices (Figure 3). Today, HIV/AIDS is still arguably the biggest public health issue, especially in low and middle- income countries. Currently, antiretroviral therapy is currently being used to treat HIV infection, and has been demonstrated to prolong and improve the health of HIV-positive individuals ([[https://www.who.int/news-room/facts-in-pictures/detail/hiv-aids](https://www.who.int/news-room/facts-in-pictures/detail/hiv-aids)]([https://www.who.int/news-room/facts-in-pictures/detail/hiv-aids](https://www.who.int/news-room/facts-in-pictures/detail/hiv-aids)), accessed on 25 September 2023). Plasma was tested for its effects on HIV-1 replication in monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) by [PERSON] et al. in 2016 [147]. Before exposure to HIV, cells were given plasma therapy utilizing three injections (45 s each at 4.5 kV) per well in a 24-well plate. The study demonstrated that pre-treating MDM with plasma decreased viral reverse transcriptase activity by more than two-thirds, and inhibited the other steps necessary for a successful virus infection (i.e., by preventing virus-cell fusion, inhibiting viral reverse transcription, and impeding viral integration), without having any cytotoxic effects on the macrophages. The possible immunomodulatory mechanisms of plasma that may be used to induce antiretroviral therapy-free control of HIV-1 recrudescent infection have been reported for the first time by [PERSON] et al. [148]. The fact that plasma can be employed to improve latently infected cells' capacity to trigger an immunological response to HIV-1 serves as the foundation for the authors' suggested immunotherapeutic strategy for treating HIV infection. Another example stems from the report by [PERSON] et al. [149]; herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is an infectious agent, and the capacity of HSV-1 to control the oxidative stress response and create a cellular milieu that supports HSV-1 reproduction is crucial to the pathogenesis of the virus. In recent years, plasma has gained attention as a potential treatment for HSV-1 infection due to of its capacity to produce or release RONS, which can alter the redox balance of infected cells. The capacity of plasma to create and transport these RONS under control makes it a potential antiviral treatment that may be utilized to treat infection w viruses like HSV-1.