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Food contamination with heavy metals has caused great concern to scientists and international organizations over the years. The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) reports that heavy metals such as cadmium and lead continue to pose a serious threat to agriculture and human health. These elements are found in soil and crops, threatening the stability of the environment and the safety of food. This situation requires the application of creative technology to reduce these risks and improve food quality. Atmospheric cold plasma (ACP) is thus a promising direction.
But what exactly does the ACP mean? It is a partially ionized room temperature gas generated by high voltage electricity under normal atmospheric pressure and contains reactive oxygen and nitrogen compounds, free radicals, ions and ultraviolet photons. ACP works well in various areas of agriculture, such as seed germination. The state of a high-energy plasma can also alter the interaction of processed materials with other molecules. This creates more opportunities for the use of ACP in seeds, for example limiting their absorption of dangerous heavy metals during germination and growth, making them safer to eat.
“Traditional chemical approaches to boost seed germination come with many drawbacks, including releasing harmful substances into our environment and building up in our food chain,” says Shikhadri Mahanta, who is working on her Ph.D. in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering at Texas A&M University and does research on advanced farming techniques. Her scientific journey began at India’s National Dairy Research Institute, where she received her foundational education. Prior to graduate school at Texas A&M University, she worked as a research intern in Purdue University’s Agricultural and Biological Engineering Department.
Mahanta’s work centers on real-world ACP applications. In her tests, she fine-tuned the treatment process using 50-70 kV voltages with short-time exposure periods, taking into account electrode dimensions, product volume, and packaging space. A standout achievement was her study of cold plasma effects on soybean seeds grown in hydroponic systems. Under laboratory conditions, ACP treatment has produced significant results: better germination, reduced uptake of toxic metals and reduced metal accumulation in plants. Her findings have been recognized at international scientific gatherings, including the 2021 American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) and have appeared in top scientific journals.
Another key research area has been wheat flour processing. For many decades, food manufacturers have relied on flour chlorination — treating flour with chlorine gas. This method improves the baking effect by making the dough more elastic and firm, especially for cakes and pastries. However, chlorination raises real concerns: it can leave harmful chemical traces in food, harm the environment and the health of factory workers, and is even banned in some countries.
During her research at Wheat Marketing Center in Portland, Oregon, Shikhadri Mahanta and her colleagues discovered a solution to this issue. They showed that atmospheric cold plasma technology could safely replace chlorination. As Shikhadri explains, “When plasma treats flour, it changes the gluten structure in the flour protein. This enhances baking ability and cake properties without using chemicals such as chlorine.”
The results of this study established that wheat flour treated with ACP showed great baking ability and the finished products were of high quality. This advancement in food engineering can be used as a replacement to chemical modification of wheat flour. “Atmospheric Cold Plasma provides an eco-friendly and effective alternative applicable across numerous agricultural areas,” she adds.
The significance of her research has been recognized with numerous awards and scholarships. The Biological and Agricultural Engineering department at Texas A&M University nominated her for the Vice Chancellor’s Award in Excellence for Graduate Student Research out of 184 graduate students at Texas A&M University Agrilife in 2024. In addition to multiple conference travel funds through her department, she received the ‘Brock Faulkner Award,’ an esteemed scholarship that is awarded to a graduate student for their research accomplishments in memory of Dr. Brock Faulkner. Shikhadri also won the first prize in the Bioprocess Startup Competition at the 2024 Annual International Meeting of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers Conference (ASABE), solidifying her credibility in the field.
However, ACP’s potential extends far beyond laboratory research. Shikhadri, who grew up in the Indian state of Assam, views food security as a reality rather than an academic concept. With a population of over 1.4 billion, India faces serious challenges in providing adequate food for all. About 224 million people in India experience nutritional deficiencies and climate change, periodic floods and droughts pose a major threat to the country’s agricultural sector. These realities have driven her passion to research solutions for global food security.
Shikhadri spent the summer of 2023 interning with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), where she worked with her team – the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) and contributed to global food security policies. “Coming from a place where one in three farmers battles climate change effects, and soil quality directly impacts millions of lives, you develop a profound understanding of why innovative solutions matter,” Mahanta reflects. “My FAO experience demonstrated how innovations in agricultural technologies can help alleviate global hunger and malnutrition. Such innovation isn’t just scientific progress; it is a tool for meaningful change in everyday lives.”
Shikhadri is currently working on her doctoral dissertation and exploring new ACP applications. She is expanding her research to different wheat flour varieties and treating them with ACP. Serving as the graduate student representative in the Young Professional Committee at ASABE and other technical committees in the organization, she is dedicated to sharing information in agricultural development. “Each research project brings us closer to a world with safer, more accessible food for everyone,” she believes.
Shikhadri’s research exemplifies how novel concepts in the lab can bring more reliable food to our tables. Supported by ten scientific publications and many international conference presentations, her research not only pushes scientific boundaries but also demonstrates how technologies could address global challenges: reducing chemical use in food production, addressing heavy metal buildup in plants, strengthening food security in developing regions and advancing more sustainable practices for the global food industry. Atmospheric Cold Plasma promises not just a scientific breakthrough but a pathway toward a sustainable food system for future generations.
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