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What is Ozone?
Ozone is a potent oxidizer and powerful disinfectant that is highly effective at eliminating odors and neutralizing organic matter such as mold and mildew. However, this ozone does not discriminate and will oxidize healthy tissue you wish to keep (such as lungs and respiratory tract) just as equally as organic matter you want to be rid of (mold, mildew, and organic wastes) -- so use it sparingly around people, as high concentrations for prolonged periods have been known to cause respiratory issues. In general you should avoid running ozone generators in rooms while they are being occupied, especially the more powerful machines that output high volumes of ozone. The best way to use ozone to disinfect or sterilize a room is to not be in the room when ozone is present. Treat it like a fumigation: seal off the room by closing all the doors and windows. Put the ozone machine in the room and turn it on, then leave the room and close the door behind you (optionally seal any gaps, like those around doors and windows, with painter's tape to better contain ozone in the room). Let the machine run for a day or maybe a week, depending on the degree of contaminates to be neutralized. Go back in, turn off the machine, and open the doors and windows to let the room air out. (Most of the ozone should be gone or broken down after several hours ozone, as converts somewhat quickly into oxygen.) The odors should be gone or at least greatly reduced, but if they are still present then the room needs to receive a longer ozone treatment. Be assured that the ozone is working, but the area could be more saturated than you originally thought, and require a longer treatment of ozone. Or a persistent odor could signify a recurring source, such as from a water leak or high humidity or animal infestation, which should be identified and fixed.
If used properly, ozone can be a safe and powerful disinfectant, sterilizer, and purifier.
Tips to increase Ozone Effectiveness
- Seal the room. This will increase ozone concentration. Placing painter's tape (a tape that can be put down and then removed days or weeks later without leaving any sticky residue) over gaps, such as those around doors and windows, will help to increase ozone retention.
- Place the ozone generator near the contaminated area, or pointed directly on it. Ozone is a gas that is heavier than air, so for example if you had an area on your carpet where a pet had an accident, you could place the ozone machine to the side of the area and raised a few inches, so the ozone could blow over the area and settle down onto it. Or angle the machine to blow directly down onto the area. Ozone works by physical contact, so directing the gas directly onto the contaminated area is the best method.
- Warning: as mentioned, ozone is a powerful oxidizer. Avoid running ozone generators in rooms while they are being occupied. If you need to disinfect a room that is sometimes occupied, turn on the machine after people have left, and turn off the machine a couple hours before people come back in (and open doors and windows to help air it out). The powerful oxidizing action of ozone that breaks apart smoke, organic smells, and mold and fungus will also occur inside your respiratory system to potentially cause damage. But the simplest method is this: do not run ozone generators in rooms while they are being occupied.
The Chemistry of Ozone
Ozone is an unstable form of oxygen. Normal oxygen is diatomic (O2) existing as two atoms of oxygen making up the molecule. Ozone is triatomic (O3) existing as three atoms of oxygen for the molecule. The triatomic form of oxygen is very unstable, wanting to lose the third oxygen atom and combine with whatever atom possible (oxidization). This property makes it the most active oxidizer known with the exception of the very hazardous fluorine gas. Ozone has a half-life of 30 minutes (breaking down into oxygen), which means nearly all of the ozone produced by an ozone generator will be gone after several hours:
Hours
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5
4.0
|
Ozone Remaining
50%
25%
12%
6%
3%
1.6%
0.7%
0.3%
|
This means that even rooms with high ozone concentrations will generally be safe to occupy a few hours after the ozone generator is turned off. Open some doors and/or windows, and the ozone concentration will fall even faster.
|
Ozone at normal atmospheric pressures is colorless and produces a pleasing fresh air scent often like that after an old fashioned thunder storm. Under pressure it becomes a bluish gas.
Ozone is also a very powerful bactericide. It is not affected by pH as is chlorine thus making it an excellent candidate for pools, spas, laundries, and general water treatment applications. It is also many times more soluble in water, further enhancing its purifying effect.
Ozone will combine with diatomic nitrogen N2 forming nitrous oxide 2NO. This oxide quickly combines with water forming nitric acid HNO3. This is often a very undesirable effect when used with straight air. Pure oxygen greatly minimizes this effect and is often required in many applications. However those requiring a supply of concentrated nitric acid for nitration etc may wish to consider ozone and air with a condensing apparatus to obtain this useful acid.
Ozone For Water Applications
It is estimated that 20% of all ground water is contaminated by pesticides, benzene and phenol derivatives along with other undesirable organic substances. Ozone will oxidize many of these compounds along with deactivating many viruses and harmful bacteria. Ozone will also oxidize many inorganic compounds such as iron and manganese making them more easily removable by filtration.
Chlorine and bromine is often the choice of disinfectant for swimming pools and spas. The effect of these halogens is often dictated by pH, temperature and agitation. Extreme heat and agitation can produce chloroform, a very toxic carcinogen. The EPA is already taking a dim look at chlorine and bromine for this use.
Ozonated water will destroy fungus, mold and many pathogens found in water when used for washing fruits and vegetables in packing lines. When discharged, ozone causes little change to the beneficial bacteria in sewage treatment facilities.
Freshly caught fish will last longer when washed with ozone treated water. The odors from cheese storage can be eliminated by the oxidizing action of ozone. Egg storage time is increased, and wine can be aged faster. The removal of odors produced by bleaching of bees wax, starch, flour, straw, bones, feathers, etc. are all aided by ozone treatment.
The grease and wax on cotton and wool fibers are decomposed by ozone. Gray mold on the surface of fruits and vegetables is controlled by ozone.
Ozone For Treating Air
Air pollution is one of the more serious environmental issues that we now face. Visible and detectable smoke, dust, mildew, mold, toxic and annoying odors, bacteria, pollen, along with the more elusive and invisible chemicals from automobiles and other sources, have become a serious health threat. As building and home construction is made tighter for energy conservation, the problem will become even more severe. Often the effects of air pollution (burning eyes, headaches, dizziness, depression, allergies and general lethargy) are attributed to colds and viruses. Air filters are effective against larger particles such as dust, but some produce undesirable positive ions, many can miss the smaller contaminates, and none will combat the source of some problems such as mold & mildew, smoke particals that have seeped into fabric, furniture, or wood, and urine in carpets.
Ozone, however, will address all of these issues by purifying the air from these undesirable pollutants through oxidization, as most readily combine with this highly reactive triatomic form of oxygen and break down into water or other non toxic compounds.
Available Ozone Systems
Information Unlimited offers low cost ready to use home use air ozonating systems suitable for many applications. Also offered are completed water treatment systems along with individually available power supplies and ozone producing cells of all sizes for the potential system manufacturer.
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