The Danger of Ozone Generators: General Information, Related Research Ozone generators, as the name implies, are air purifiers designed to release ozone molecules into the surrounding air. The makers of these products indicate that this will lead to airborne pollutants reacting to the ozone in a way that renders them harmless to the health (see next section for more details). Ozone consists of three oxygen atoms that have bonded to one another. The scientific designation of ozone is O3. It is probably best known for its presence in the "ozone layer" of Earth's upper atmosphere, which keeps much of the sun's radiation from reaching the planet's surface and thus makes life as we know it possible. However, when ozone comes into close contact with living organisms, including humans, it can result in a number of health problems, which will be detailed below. (structure of an ozone molecule, 3 oxygen atoms and their charges - Image Source: Wikipedia) Ozone generators create ozone using mechanisms such as an ultraviolet light or a corona discharge (a type of electrical discharge).

The machine is also equipped with a fan that disperses the ozone out into the air. In theory, these ozone particles will come into contact with indoor air pollution and neutralize them -- for instance, by killing living pollutants such as bacteria. As stated above, ozone consists of three atoms of oxygen. The substance normally called "oxygen" in day-to-day language is actually a bonded pair of oxygen atoms. Two oxygen atoms linked together in such a way are stable. When three are connected, however, the bond is far more easily broken. One of the oxygen atoms will tend to separate from the other two. Oxygen atoms by their nature easily bond with many other atoms, so the newly detached oxygen atom goes "looking," so to speak, for something else it can become attached to. When the oxygen atom finds something new and bonds with it, this fundamentally changes its physical nature. This is how ozone is supposed to work as an air purifier -- the free oxygen atom will, supposedly, render harmful pollutants safe.

The Environmental Protection Agency has studied the effectiveness of ozone as an air pollution removal tool and concludes plainly: "Available scientific evidence shows that at concentrations that do not exceed public health standards, ozone has little potential to remove indoor air contaminants." The EPA considers much of the marketing conducted by makers of ozone generators to be misleading.clean car air conditioner mold Scientific studies cited by the EPA have come to the following conclusions:air cleaning foam pistol black In short, ozone is not an effective tool in the fight against indoor air pollution. popular air purifiers in singaporeOther, more effective methods are available. In addition to ozone's poor air-cleaning ability, it also needs to be pointed out that ozone itself is a serious pollutant that can contribute to a range of problems, particularly in the lungs.

The free oxygen atoms can make their way into your respiratory system and cause damage to it. The EPA cautions that even if you purchase an ozone generator that claims to produce only "safe" levels of ozone, the actual amount of ozone being pumped into your air could be sufficient to cause danger. When it comes to ozone generators, the question to ask is, "Why purchase an 'air purifier' that introduces more pollution into the air than it removes?" Ozone generators are not effective at cleaning the air, nor are they safe. Those looking for an indoor air purifier are strongly advised to purchase some other type of purifier. A wide variety of ozone-free option exist (see HEPA air purifiers) and since the dangers of ozone have become better understood by the public in recent years, many air purifier manufacturers will explicitly guarantee that their products do not produce ozone. could not found at this time. Please check for typos and try again.Air Ozone Generators can be used in two different ways.

Purify the Air in occupied spaces Perform High Ozone Shock Treatments  in unoccupied spaces. Air purification includes odor removal and bacterial sterilization. The air is naturally fresher because the source of the odor has been destroyed.When using an ozone generator for air purification, we recommend you use as little as ozone as possible. If you have serious odors or mold spores present, we recommend that you pre-treat areas with High Ozone Shock Treatments while they are unoccupied, to first remove the source of the odor before attempting ozone air purification. For air purification the unit should be placed on the opposite side of the room, away from the occupants. This purifies the air between you and the machine. Ozone is heavier than air so mounting the unit up high is wise. Using a fan to distribute the ozone throughout the room is also helpful.  Start with the ozone level on the lowest setting, and work the ozone level up slowly as needed. Adjust the ozone level until you notice that the air smells fresher and the problem odor can no longer be detected.

The ozone level will depend entirely on the size of the area, the severity of the odor problem, or number of smokers in the room if using it for a smoke application. For example, if there are 10 smokers in the room, and 9 leave, the ozone level should be turned down accordingly. All our units are very strong. The recommended levels of ozone for air purification are between 0.01 ppm (parts per million) & 0.05 ppm. The nose begins to detect the “sweet smell” of ozone around 0.01 ppm. So as long as you do not let the “fresh smell” turn into a “bleachy smell” it is generally accepted that the ozone level is within recommended safe levels. Professional High Powered Ozone Generators can provide a high concentration of ozone which is a MUST to kill bacteria and mold spores! An ozone generator designed to kill bacteria, germs or mold spores and remove serious odors must reach the shock treatment level of ozone production. This type of application is best performed in a space with no people, pets or plants present.

Ozone levels below 0.01 ppm cannot kill bacteria efficiently. With a true high powered ozone generator you can SHOCK TREAT unoccupied rooms to kill bacteria and mold.  Ozone is the strongest available sterilizer known to man, yet it is safe because it is made up of simple Oxygen, and completely reverts back to Oxygen in a relatively short time. High Ozone Shock Treatments are done with the unit run at full power for a measured period of time in an unoccupied room. The more ozone you blast into an unoccupied room the more mold or bacteria you are likely to kill. High ozone treatments should be performed room by room to get the ozone concentration as high as possible. Running a smaller machine for a longer period of time is not the same as using a more powerful machine. This is because the ozone is constantly breaking down, and reverting back to oxygen. Smaller machines run, even for many hours longer than larger ones, cannot “catch up” with the disintegrating ozone, and therefore never achieve the required ozone levels needed for a high kill ratio.

An XT-4000 running for one hour will have a higher kill ratio than an XT-2000 running for two hours. Mold odors and live mold spores require the maximum amount of ozone, blasted into an unoccupied room, to kill and control mold.  We recommend that you remove all visible mold with a solution of bleach and water. Use a series of High Ozone Shock Treatments before, during, and after mold removal for your own safety and for the most effective treatment to kill live mold spores and help prevent the mold from returning. A room completely cleaned of mold may develop mold again since mold likes to grow where it once lived before. That’s why it’simportant to own an ozone generator to be able to perform periodic high ozone treatments to continue to battle the mold problem. Operate the unit at its highest capacity for as long as it takes to eliminate the odor problem. Treatments of 30-120 minutes are recommended to initially treat odors. Odors absorbed in furniture, walls, and bedding may take longer to treat since these are porous materials that tend to hold in the odors.