Susceptibility constants of airborne bacteria to dielectric barrier discharge for antibacterial performance evaluation

► We characterized DBD by measuring concentrations of reactive species and ions. ► The inactivation efficiency was deduced using aerosol- and colony-counting methods. ► Susceptibility constant (Z) was introduced for performance evaluation of DBD. ► Modified Z was suggested for evaluation of DBD reactors of different sizes. ► Our methodology will be used for design optimization and performance evaluation.