Sterilizer and sterilization method utilizing high voltage

Abstract

A sterilizer and a sterilization method: which can easily and efficiently sterilize various kinds of bacteria at a room temperature and an atmospheric pressure so as to reduce the number of bacteria, without deteriorating qualities inherent to a sterilization object; which does not require pretreatment and/or after-treatment; which is highly safe; and which does not cause the ozone layer depletion problem. In a sterilizer comprising a power supply section for generating a high voltage and a processing device having a discharge side electrode and a ground side electrode to which the generated high voltage is applied, sterilization is performed by interposing a sterilization object between the electrodes and by causing a pulse streamer discharge between the electrodes at a room temperature and an atmospheric pressure and in the atmosphere in which a humidity is controlled to be suitable for sterilization.