###### Abstract  
Various reactive oxygen and nitrogen species are accompanied by electrons, ultra-violet (UV) radiation, ions, photons, and electric fields in non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma. Plasma technology is already used in diverse fields, such as biomedicine, dentistry, agriculture, ozone generation, chemical synthesis, surface treatment, and coating. Non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma is also considered a promising technology in environmental pollution control. The degradation of organic and inorganic pollutants will be massively advanced by plasma-generated reactive species. Various investigations on the use of non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma technology for organic wastewater purification have already been performed, and advancements are continuing to be made in this area. This work provides a critical review of the ongoing improvements related to the use of non-thermal plasma in wastewater control and outlines the operational principle, standards, parameters, and boundaries with a special focus on the degradation of organic compounds in wastewater treatment. water disinfection; purification; bio-decontamination; wastewater; non-thermal plasma +
Footnote †: journal:  
One of the most widely used techniques for wastewater treatment is the advanced oxidation process (AOP) [19]. This method, which is based on the formation of reactive species, is used in the inactivation of some bacteria such as _Pseudomonas aeruginosa_, _Cholera gravis_, _Escherichia coli_, and _Salmonella typhi_ because it can quickly oxidize and disinfect contaminants. Like photocatalysis, the AOP is a type of clean technology, wherein water pollutants are converted into CO2 and H2O. In 2018, [PERSON] et al. [20] reviewed the recent AOPs and main reaction mechanisms, as well as the formation of by-products in some main groups for contaminant removal from water. They showed that hydrotherapy, osmotic power, halophilic species, and evaporation ponds are the most efficient methods of eliminating by-products. AOPs produce large numbers of OH radicals for decomposing an extensive range of chemical compounds (e.g., halogenated hydrocarbons, pentachlorophenol, pesticides, herbicides, aromatic compounds, and more recently pharmaceuticals) [21; 22; 23; 24]. Due to their high reactivity, OH radicals provide an effective means of decomposing complex toxin structures using a series of chemical reactions. Free radicals and reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) are produced via the decay of water molecules by methods such as radiation and photolysis and then attack the pollutant molecules. Ozonation and use of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) immediately assault the pollutants in combination with radiation, photolysis, or sonolysis. Catalytic technologies, such as photocatalysis, anodic oxidation, photoelectrocatalysis, fenton measures, and reactant ozonation, use combinations of irradiation, oxidation (ozone (O3), H2O2), and electrons, and serve as methods of creating free radicals and reactive species. However, conventional advanced oxidation is not one of the best available or most cost-effective treatment techniques due to its requirement for additional equipment. For instance, AOPs that produce O3-H2O2 require O3 production apparatus and H2O2 storage tanks. Therefore, extensive research has recently been conducted on finding a suitable method of cheap and efficient one-step production of RONS [21; 22; 23; 24]. Undoubtedly, AOPs are worthy eco-friendly techniques for obtaining freshwater, but setting up the sources, such as UV sources, causes the initial cost to remain a problem. To overcome these issues, a cost-friendly, versatile means of OH radical production that has been attracting increasing interest is plasma technology. Plasma is considered to be a fourth state of matter and is used in physics and chemistry to describe the condition of an ionized gas [25]. Plasma consists of electrons, ions, neutrals, photons, and electric fields. It is essential to provide energy to gas for ionization [26; 27].