The Truth about Ozone Generators

Ozone generators intentionally produce the gas ozone and these machines are sold as air cleaners. According to the EPA, the vendors of ozone generators often make claims that encourage people to believe that these machines are always safe and effective in controlling indoor air pollution. For nearly 100 years, health professionals have disagreed with these statements. Some manufacturers of ozone generators even claim that the federal government has approved these machines for use in occupied spaces. The EPA reports that NO federal agency has approved ozone generators for use in occupied spaces and indeed, ozone can actually cause health problems at high concentrations.

The air we breathe is comprised of mainly oxygen and nitrogen. Two atoms of oxygen comprise the basic oxygen molecule that is the oxygen we breathe (O2). A high voltage discharge (such as a thunderstorm) can create ozone by breaking apart the O2 oxygen atoms. These extremely reactive oxygen atoms recombine in groups of three and the result is ozone (O3) or trivalent oxygen. This third oxygen atom can detach from the O3 molecule and attach itself to other molecules, such as pollution, thus altering its chemical composition. This property is the basis of the claims made by the manufacturers of ozone generators.

The EPA uses the phrase ?good up high-bad nearby? to describe ozone. This phrase makes the distinction between ozone in the upper atmosphere (?stratospheric ozone?) which helps filter out damaging radiation from the sun, and ozone in the lower atmosphere (in the air we breathe) which is harmful to the respiratory system. This harmful ozone can be produced via an interaction of sunlight with various chemicals in the environment such as emissions by vehicles and industrial plants.

Available scientific evidence shows that ozone has little ability to remove indoor air pollutants at concentrations that do not exceed public health standards. Some manufacturers or vendors of ozone generators claims that ozone will make almost every chemical pollutant harmless by producing a chemical reaction that leaves only carbon dioxide, oxygen and water. This claim is misleading to the public.

Scientific research shows that for chemicals commonly found indoors, the reaction with ozone may take months or years.? If ozone does not readily react with a chemical, irritating by-products are often the result.

Ozone does not remove particles from the air-particles such as dust and pollen. These particles are common causes of allergies. Some ozone machines include an ?ion generator? or ?ionizer? in the unit. An ionizer disperses negatively charged ions which attach to particles in the air. These particles then attach to surfaces such as walls or furniture. Scientific experiments have shown that ionizers are less effective in removing pollen, fungal spores, tobacco smoke, or dust particles than other methods of air cleaning such as high efficiency particle filters or electrostatic precipitators.

Evidence shows that at concentrations that do not exceed public health standards, ozone is not effective at removing many odor-causing chemicals.? Evidence also shows that at concentrations that do not exceed public health standards, ozone does not effectively remove viruses, bacteria, mold, or other biological contaminants.
Some studies suggest that low levels of ozone may inhibit the growth of some biological pollutants and reduce their airborne concentrations. Ozone concentrations, however, would have to be 5 - 10 times higher than public health standards recommend to decontaminate the air sufficiently to prevent the regeneration of the biological contaminants once the ozone is removed.

Even high concentrations seem to have no effect on biological pollutants implanted in porous materials like ceiling tiles or duct lining.? Simply put, the ozone produced by ozone generators may inhibit the growth of biological contaminants while the ozone is present, but it is quite unlikely to completely decontaminate the air unless concentrations are high enough to become a health concern to people and pets. Contaminants embedded in porous materials may not be affected at all-even at high levels of ozone concentrations.

What?s worse is that the ozone generators available produce varying and unreliable levels of ozone, even when used according to manufacturer instructions. Various factors can also influence the level of ozone produced in a room, including the size of a room, the setting of the machine, whether doors to the room are open or closed, and whether the ventilation system is turned on or off. Even if these machines are used in unoccupied spaces, when ozone is produced in high concentrations, damage can be caused to plants, rubber, electrical wire coatings, and fabrics and artwork containing susceptible dyes and pigments.

Source: www.calutech.com