Ozone Air Purifiers May Cause Permanent Lung Damage

By:J Schipper

Several manufacturers are currently selling ozone generators as air cleaners. The companies manufacturing these devices state they are safe and effective at controlling indoor air pollution; however, for almost a century health professionals and health organizations such as the American Lung Association have challenged these claims.

Sellers of ozone-producing devices often use fanciful terms to describe ozone. It is referred to in such terms as "activated oxygen" or "pure air", which suggest that ozone is merely a healthy kind of oxygen. However, ozone is a toxic gas which has vastly different chemical and toxicological properties compared to oxygen.

Ozone is a molecule composed of three atoms of oxygen, as opposed to the oxygen we normally breath, which has two. The O2 molecule is stable and nonreactive, whereas the O3 molecule is unstable, tending to dissociate and produce an O2 molecule and one single ionized oxygen atom. This single atom acts as a "free radicle", that is, it reacts with other nearby substances and changes their chemical composition. It is this ability to combine with other substances that forms the basis of manufacturers’ claims that it binds up organic particles in the air and removes them from circulation.

Unfortunately, the same chemical properties which allow ozone to react with organic material in the environment also give it the ability to react with similar organic material in the body, with potentially harmful health consequences. When inhaled, ozone can damage the lungs, and it is considered an undesirable substance that is a component of smog.

Inhalation of ozone at even low amounts can cause respiratory problems and throat irritation. In addition, ozone worsens chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma and impairs the body's natural ability to fight respiratory infections.

A generally accepted theory of aging states that the cells of the human body age both due to genetic factors (loss of cell telomeres) and oxidative damage by free radicals. People are encouraged to eat a diet high in antioxidants, and many take antioxidant supplements, precisely to avoid the kind of damage caused by reactive substances such as ozone.

Most people recover from acute exposure to ozone, but according to a 1996 EPA study, long-term exposure may cause permanent lung damage. The EPA regards ozone as an air pollutant and has formulated air quality standards to enable local officials to warn the public when ozone levels in urban areas are excessive. When ozone (and other air pollutants) are high, asthmatics and patients with chronic lung disease are encouraged to stay inside, and healthy people are told to refrain from strenuous outdoor exercise which raises their breathing rate in the toxic air. Since people are advised to avoid ozone in the outdoor environment, it is difficult to understand why anyone would buy a device to purposely produce it within their own homes.

The FDA requires ozone output of indoor medical devices to be less than 0.05 ppm. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires that workers' exposure to ozone not exceed an average concentration of more than 0.10 ppm for 8 hours. The National Institute of Occupational Safety And Health (NIOSH) recommends an upper limit of 0.10 ppm which should not be exceeded even briefly. EPA’s National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ozone is a maximum 8 hour average outdoor concentration of 0.08 ppm.

The EPA coined the phrase "good up high -bad nearby" to differentiate between ozone in the upper and lower atmosphere. Stratospheric ozone in the upper atmosphere about 10 to 50km (32,000 to 164,000 feet) above Earth's surface helps filter out damaging ultraviolet solar radiation. This ozone layer is being decimated by CFC compounds used in refrigerators and coolant systems. After negotiation of an international treaty, the Montreal Protocol, CFC production was sharply limited beginning in 1987 and phased out completely by 1996, and a study by the American Geophysical Union shows the rate of stratospheric ozone destruction slowing.

Ozone Generators are ineffective in controlling indoor air pollution, because scientific evidence shows that at concentrations that do not exceed public health standards, ozone has little potential to remove indoor air contaminants, though it still has the longterm potential to cause lung irritation.

Vendors claim that ozone will render almost every chemical contaminant harmless through a chemical reaction whose only by-products are carbon dioxide, oxygen and water. This is false advertising for several reasons.

First, it takes months to years for ozone to react with many of the chemicals commonly found in indoor air (Boeniger, 1995); so for all practical purposes, this is useless. Also, ozone generators will not remove carbon monoxide (Salls, 1927; Shaughnessy et al., 1994) or formaldehyde (Esswein and Boeniger, 1994).

Secondly, in many cases where the reaction between the pollutants and ozone does occur readily, the by-products are as harmful or irritating as the original pollutants (Weschler et al., 1992a, 1992b, 1996; Zhang and Lioy, 1994).

For instance, a laboratory experiment was conducted which mixed ozone with chemicals from new carpet. Ozone did reduce many of the chemicals, including those which can produce "new carpet" odor. However, the reaction produced a variety of aldehydes, and the total concentration of organic chemicals in the air actually increased (Weschler, et. al., 1992b). Levels of irritating formic acid also rise (Zhang and Lioy, 1994).

Some of the byproducts of ozone reaction are themselves reactive and go on to produce further irritating and corrosive by-products (Weschler and Shields, 1996, 1997a, 1997b). Ozone producing devices turn an indoor environment into a seething chemical flask.

Third, ozone by itself does not remove airborne particles such as pollen and housedust. However, some ozone generators are manufactured with an "ion generator" or "ionizer" in the same unit to disperse negatively (and/or positively) charged ions into the air. These ions attach to particles in the air giving them a negative (or positive) charge so that the particles may attach to nearby surfaces such as walls or furniture, creating an undesirable grimy layer; or attach to one another and settle out of the air. In recent experiments, ionizers proved ineffective in removing dust, tobacco smoke, pollen or fungal spores compared to either high efficiency particle filters or electrostatic precipitators. (Shaughnessy et al., 1994; Pierce, et al., 1996).

Even at concentrations that greatly exceed public health standards, ozone is ineffective at cleaning the air. And unfortunately, there is evidence to suggest that in some circumstances ozone generating devices exceed tolerable output limits. Due to the varying brands and models of these machines, and the different room sizes in which they are eventually used, there can be great variation in the eventual concentration of ozone in the air.

In a study by Shaughnessy and Oatman (1991), a large ozone generator recommended by the manufacturer for spaces "up to 3,000 square feet," was placed in a 350 square foot room and run at a high setting. The ozone in the room quickly reached hazardous levels of 0.50 to 0.80 ppm, 5-10 times higher than public health limits.

In a 1995 EPA study, several different ozone generators were tested in a home environment, in rooms of various sizes, with doors alternately opened and closed, and with the central ventilation system fan alternately turned on and off. The results showed that some ozone generators, when run at maximum settings in a sealed room, frequently produced hazardous concentrations of 0.20 - 0.30 ppm. When the units were run at lesser settings, with interior doors opened, concentrations generally remained within public health standards.

Due to this wide variation in output and concentration, it is impossible for consumers to know how much ozone is actually in the air they are breathing; in many ordinary circumstances, ozone generators can produce toxic levels. At least one manufacturer is selling machines equipped with ozone sensors that turn the machine on and off in response to ambient ozone levels, in order to maintain levels of this entirely undesirable gas within a"safe" range. The EPA is currently conducting tests to evaluating the reliability of these sensors.

Digg del.icio.us Blink Stumble Spurl Reddit Netscape Furl

Article keywords: ozone air purifiers, lung damage, indoor air pollution

Article Source: http://www.articles2k.com

J Schipper is interested in pure air You will quit smoking How to live longer

Top Home Improvement Articles
1). Installing Ceramic Tile in a Shower By : Mark J. Donovan Installing ceramic tile in a shower starts with a proper foundation. The foundation consists of WonderBoard or Durock cement board on the walls and a Shower Pan Membrane Liner in the base of the shower, if the shower floor is to be tiled too. WonderBoard or Durock cement board, also known as backerboard, are resistant to water and are ideal materials for applying ceramic tiles to high-moisture areas.
2). Ideas For Kitchen Nooks By : T Agee For many, the most popular room in the house is the kitchen. If you have a kitchen nook that goes along with that, then you’re lucky. But you may also be stumped for how to decorate your nook. Luckily, there are countess options available to you. One thing that you will want to do is choose a style for your nook that won’t overwhelm the kitchen itself.
3). Tips on Cleaning the Lacquered Brass Using Simple Home Made Agent By : Mitch Johnson If you decided to wash the lacquered brass there are some simply tips which you can use.
4). Vanities Are Not Just Plain Wood Anymore By : T Agee It used to be that a bathroom sink vanity was a fairly plain piece of cabinetry with doors underneath and perhaps a set of drawers for storage on one side. Not anymore. Homeowner’s today are leveraging all sorts of interesting materials to create a custom vanity. In fact, one of the most popular bathroom styles these days is to forgo a vanity all together by utilizing old-fashioned pedestal sinks.
5). Benefit From The Stylish Look Of Vertical Blinds By : Peter Wilson Every homeowner wants to make his or her property look as good as possible, both inside and out, and part of doing this is to select the right décor. Selecting the right window coverings is an integral part of getting the right look for home, and can make a big difference to the look and feel of any room. The contemporary look of vertical blinds is a valuable addition to any home improvement, and whatever type of decoration theme you have in the room these window blinds can give the perfect finish.
6). 10 Tips For A Window Coverings Makeover By : Rob Carlton You cannot stand it. The same old dreary windows that do little to add life to your home. It is time for a change. But, where do you start? How do you keep from making an expensive or embarrassing mistake? In fact, how can you know what you really want? 1.Start with one room at a time. There may be the temptation, especially when moving into a new home, to decorate all of the rooms at once.
7). Closet Organizers - Bringing Order To Messy Closets! By : Caroline Smith Closet organizers are cleverly designed to optimize the use of the space available, and can work wonders at transforming a cluttered closet into a neat and tidy storage place. We all know how annoying it is to have an a closet crammed full of old clothes and to never be able to find what we're looking for. Or when we do find that favorite dress, all too often it's lying in a crumpled heap at the bottom of the closet.
8). The big surprise with a Sectional sofa. By : Kenneth Langlet Have you ever had a sectional sofa in your home? If not you are in for a big surprise. The sectional sofa that you can decorate your family living area with is one that is going to complete your style. You can find a sectional sofa that uses plants, animals, that is a solid color that will be made of stripes and even a sectional sofa that will be customized to match your drapes.
9). Five Weekend Project Ideas To Add Value To Your Home By : Craig Rowe Five Weekend Project Ideas To Add Value To Your Home
10). Making A Splash In The Kitchen: Suggestions For Spicing Up Your Backsplash By : Jason Flintstone If it's true that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, then it should come as no surprise that women want a beautiful yet practical kitchen with all the comforts and amenities the queen of the castle deserves. Let's face it, trendy, healthy meals take time and space, and part of creating beautiful meals means creating a beautiful environment to prepare them in.

New Home Improvement Articles
1). Basement Finishing Ideas For DIY Enthusiasts By : Isabel Baldry Basements can be a major selling point when it comes to real estate. Many people like having a finished basement for many different reasons. For those with a little DIY knowledge the basement can easily be turned into the best spot in the house.
2). This Is Why You Should Choose Solar Power By : Bryan Wong The amount of solar power that the Earth receives from the sun is estimated to be 770 trillion kilowatts or an amount 5,000 times bigger than the sum of all energy resources we are using. You can also profit from this and save money read here how...
3). Ensuring Your Air Conditioner is Running Efficiently By : Gail Metcalf It is scorching outside and you know the air conditioning is going to cost you on that next bill, but what else can you do?
4). Installing A Relaxing Indoor Hot Tub By : Lee Dobbins Some important things to think about if you are considering an indoor hot tub.
5). Azek Trim Adds Value To Your Home By : Bob Prezzano There are a lot of reasons why builders prefer Azek trim. Perhaps the foremost preference is due to its material consistency.
6). Methods to Control Mosquitos By : Gail Metcalf You need to protect yourself from mosquitoes. When you think about mosquito pest control by netting, you could break it down into individual control and public control.
7). Kitchen Remodeling from a Tropical Paradise By : Chris Campbell Having your kitchen remodeled is really no big deal, as long as you do it while your lying on the beach. Preferably a beach on a warm tropical island, with a pleasant trade wind keeping your margarita cool from the oh so scorching rays of the sun.
8). Get Yourself A Home Improvement Book By : William King A home improvement book can help you with all of your remodeling needs. A good book will be full of information on how to get the job done right. If you are unclear about how a job needs to be done, referencing it in a book can be a major benefit to you.
9). Ideas For Kitchen Nooks By : T Agee For many, the most popular room in the house is the kitchen. If you have a kitchen nook that goes along with that, then you’re lucky. But you may also be stumped for how to decorate your nook. Luckily, there are countess options available to you. One thing that you will want to do is choose a style for your nook that won’t overwhelm the kitchen itself.
10). Vanities Are Not Just Plain Wood Anymore By : T Agee It used to be that a bathroom sink vanity was a fairly plain piece of cabinetry with doors underneath and perhaps a set of drawers for storage on one side. Not anymore. Homeowner’s today are leveraging all sorts of interesting materials to create a custom vanity. In fact, one of the most popular bathroom styles these days is to forgo a vanity all together by utilizing old-fashioned pedestal sinks.