About Ozone

Ozone is a naturally occurring trace constituent in the atmosphere. When a molecule of Oxygen is bound via oxidation to a third oxygen atom, it becomes ozone, or 03. Ozone is an unstable bluish water-soluble gas with a very characteristic scent that is easy to recognize. In low levels it makes the air smell fresh and its color makes the sky blue. Ozone is second only to fluorine as the strongest known oxidizer in the world, and the most powerful readily available water sanitizer. Ozone inactivates bacteria and viruses over three thousand times faster and is a 50% stronger oxidizer than chlorine.

It is unsurpassed for control of many types of common bacteria such as E. Coli and fecal coliforms as well as the deactivation of viruses, fungus, molds, mildew and cysts, and it is noncarcinogenic.

The name "ozone" was given due to its characteristic odor and derived from the Greek word "ozien" which means "to smell."  It has been used to purify water since 1893, and is also used for disinfecting, detoxification and air deodorization as well as food preservation.
 

What is an Ozone Alert?

Ozone is used as an indicator of pollution. Ozone alerts in cities are a result of high pollution levels of hydrocarbons, produced by the burning of fossil fuels. When ultraviolet rays from the sun strike the hydrocarbon, O3 is one of the byproducts. Ozone is more easily detected and is used as a reference point for the level of pollution.
 

Misconceptions About Ozone

Misinformed people compare ozone to smog or pollution, and many have propagated the myths about the dangers of ozone. Some mistakenly call "smog" ozone, when it is in fact formaldehyde, the combination of engine exhaust and UV light from the sun. Ozone's benefits, widely accepted throughout the world, have been ignored in the United States because it is so simple and natural and therefore impossible to patent. It's also a market threat to many air filtration products because it will replace them once the public becomes educated about the real benefits of ozone.

What some refer to as "ozone" in the ground level air quality are really hydrocarbons: CO2, CO, and SO2 that react with UV rays from the sun to form nitric oxides (NOX), halogenated byproducts, lead and sulfur compounds. These composites cause offensive odors, which aggravate respiratory problems and burn eyes. Ozone does not come out of automobile exhaust as some would like you to believe. Currently, there are many State Universities now doing research on ozone while others are planning to research it soon.

New uses are being discovered every day and ozone will be a big part in everyone's life in the very near future. Most ozone research by the EPA and others that shows negative results have been working with very high concentration levels. For that matter, anything in excess can be harmful to your health or to vegetation. If natural ozone ceased to exist, life on this planet would also cease to exist. Ozone is nature's way of purifying the air we breathe. In the future, the use of ozone for food will be the only "natural alternative" to chemicals or gamma radiation to control pathogens and to increase shelf life.
 

How does Ozone Work?

Ozone floats freely in the air and water. As ozone circulates and comes into contact with airborne pathogens, the third oxygen atom detaches itself from the ozone molecule, attaches itself to the pollutant and turns it into a safer compound. An example would be Formaldehyde (chemical formula HCHO) which breaks down into CO2, water and oxygen. Ozone is nature's way of self-cleaning our environment. The cycle of oxygen and ozone is just like the cycle of water in nature.

The biocidal action of ozone results from its reaction with the double bonds of fatty acids in bacterial cell walls, membranes and the protein capsid of viruses. In bacteria, the oxidation results in a change in cell permeability and leakage of cell contents into solution. Ozone attacks these cell walls, breaking down membranes and ultrastructural components of the organism. In more simple terms, the unstable electrons of ozone blast holes through the membranes. This occurs by cell lysing or rupturing the cell wall of viruses, bacteria, yeast, and abnormal tissue cells, thereby destroying them by inactivation of the microorganism's enzymes. In viruses, alteration of the protein capsid prevents the virus from being taken up by susceptible cells.  Ozone does not destroy normal cells.

Ozone displays an all or nothing effect in terms of destroying bacteria. Ozone is such a strong germicide that only a few micrograms per liter are required to demonstrate germicidal action; it destroys all pathogenic and saprophytic microbes in water. Factors like humidity, temperature, pH, ozone concentration levels, type of organism and time determine the kill rate for pathogens. The action of ozone gas in water is instantaneous. After oxidation, ozone returns to its original form of oxygen, without leaving any toxic byproducts or residues.

Ozone oxidizes natural organic compounds like acetic and oxalic acids, as well as synthetic substances like nitro and chloro-benzic compounds, detergents, herbicides and composite pesticides like 0 Enstar, Mavrick, Blackleaf 40 and Resmethrin. Ozone oxidizes inorganics such as iron, manganese, heavy metals, cyanide, sulfides, and nitrates in water. It is possible that by washing fruits and vegetables in ozonated water, lead levels could be reduced, along with many other contaminates in the soil and from air pollution. Ozone retards the ripening of fruits and vegetables by destroying ethylene gas and bad odors, which are produced by aging and decay.

Ozone is more cost-effective than ethylene filters, which are costly and have to be replaced each month. Filters only act on the air that happens to pass through them, and ionization machines put a negative charge on air particles in the air which causes them to gravitate to room surfaces. Unlike ozone, filters, ionizers and sprays do not eliminate the cause of odors.  Ozone does. Once the cause has been eliminated, the odor does not come back unless the source that caused the odor is reintroduced, such as in the case of mildew.
 

Ozone is Natural

Ozone occurs naturally in the environment. Oxygen is released from plants and sea plankton during photosynthesis. Oxygen floats upward into the atmosphere and the sun's ultraviolet radiation creates ozone by binding a third oxygen atom to normal oxygen's two. Ozone is also formed during thunder and lightning storms. Natural ozone in the atmosphere blocks harmful UV rays that cause skin cancer.
 

Is Ozone Safe?

Ozone is safe at low levels to humans; at very high concentrations it can be harmful however.  There have not been any human deaths attributed to ozone usage since 1885. There is no basis or evidence for concluding or supporting any significant amounts of bad residues or impurities left on foods after ozone oxidation. Ozone is not listed as a carcinogen by OSHA, NTP, or IARC. The human irritation threshold is about .06 parts per million (ppm) with no evidence of health damage by continuous exposure to lower concentrations.  At a steady concentration between 0.01 to 0.045 ppm of ozone, the level used by most systems is well below safe limits. If higher levels are needed in special cases, the ozone could be controlled by a time clock or computer to run at night, or when humans are absent, for safety concerns.

In fact, the main benefit from using ozone is the reduction of various disease-producing microorganisms including fungus, molds, bacteria, spores and other single-cell creatures that cause spoilage of fresh foods. Ozone production removes nitrogen, thus removing nitrous oxides and nitric acids. There are no special health hazards, no additional labeling required, material safety, or special worker protection required for using ozone on perishable foods because of the low level intended for its use. Fire and explosive data are not applicable to its use. All test results showing negative results are done at very "high and unsafe levels," and it seems the ones performing these tests might have been using smog instead of ozone. Any information of this type has no bearing and in no way whatsoever applies to the safety of ozone.

There are thousands of chemicals, along with thousands of others added to the soil by growers, added to the foods consumed by the public. There are over 700 chemicals found in city drinking water. Unlike chlorine, ozone does not produce trihalomethanes or chloroforms in water. Although chlorine can be blamed for hundreds of thousands of deaths worldwide, there is no evidence of any human deaths of over-exposure to ozone. Chemicals can cause severe personality changes, skin rashes, chronic cellular toxicity, cell damascene, aging, cancer etc; the use of ozone can help the body. It's estimated that 30 million people a year get sick on the foods they consume and some even die. The reduction and control of pathogens is essential on fresh food products like meats, fish, fruits and vegetables from farm to table.

Bacteria, molds, spores, viruses and other single-cell creatures cause spoilage of fresh foods and decrease shelf life. Organic or bacterial growths on produce and refrigeration coils, pans and in drain lines that plug or restrict flow can cause cross-contamination to other foods in storage. Ozone has the capability of destroying bacteria in a matter of a few days. Ozone does not affect good cells or alter food chemistry the way radiation does. Ozone will actually enhance the taste of most foods by oxidizing pesticides and herbicides on fruits and vegetables and by neutralizing ammonia and ethylene off gases produced by ripening.

Ozone, like irradiation, could increase the world's food supply by lessening waste, and can increase the market exports to other countries because of extended shelf life to perishable foods. Unlike radiation, Ozone is a natural disinfectant and sterilizer; therefore much healthier. Benzene, which decreases vitamin B1 in all foods, is formed in large doses of radiation. Ozone changes the chemical's complex molecular structure back to its safe and original basic elements. There are no bad residues left by the oxidation effect. Ozone always reverts back to its original form, oxygen, after oxidation. Without dispute, scientifically speaking, ozone is the most effective natural bactericide and viricide of all the disinfecting agents.
 

Legal Ramifications

Ozone has Grandfathered Legal Status and predates the 1906 pure Food and Drug Act. Ozone has prior GRAS (Generally Regarded as Safe) Affirmation as an Antimicrobial Agent in bottled water. The "Functional use of" code 170.3 (o) (2) supports ozone as an "Antimicrobial Agents Substance" used to preserve food by preventing growth of microorganisms and subsequent spoilage. This does not specify that the functional use is for water only, but it does affirm its use on food as safe. USDA Approval on Aug. 1 3, 1957 endorses ozone for use in meat aging coolers at a level of .1 ppm. USDA Approval for American Water Purification in 1991 approves ozone for recycling poultry chill water at a level of .7 to 1.7 ppm.
 

Corona Discharge vs UV Light

There are two main methods for producing ozone for air purification purposes. The following explanations are very simple.

Corona Discharge - When a wire mesh type of medium (made from stainless steel) is charged with electricity and exposed to air (oxygen) and produces ozone. The more electricity one subjects the medium to the greater the ozone output.

UV - Ozone is manufactured by compressing outside air and pushing across an ultraviolet bulb mounted in 2" PVC tubing. Check valves are used between compressor and bulb and after the bulb. The bulb used is a cold cathode type.
 

What kind of products use ozone?

Ozone is the method used in ozone air purifiers, ozone generators, food sanitizers and more.  If you have any questions about ozone or ozone products, feel free to call us at 888-742-3404

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