By:
Gibson's Repair
Gibson's Repair
Being in the field of HVAC and indoor air quality, it is important for us to address the dangers associated with home air
purifiers that generate ozone. Some of these purifiers are labeled as making "energised air," "pure air," "fresh air," "activated
air," or "o3" air. Whatever the label, if the unit produces ozone, there are real dangers that the consumer needs to be informed
of. To get a little background on what these units do, please read on.
Many people are familiar with the phaseout and ban of some older refrigerants we used to commonly come across. The one
that is in most people's minds is Freon 12 - used in cars and refrigerators. R12 is a refrigerant that has been phased out and
is no longer in production in the USA. The reason for this is due to the fact that Freon 12 contained a large amount of chlorine
as one of it's components. We'll get to that in a minute.
Earth wide, we are familiar with the hole in the ozone layer. This is a very important part of our atmosphere and we all had to
do something to protect it. The Montreal Protocol was put into effect which planned the phase out of chlorine based
refrigerants. Believe it or not, this has actually helped slow down the damage being done to the ozone layer.
Ozone is comprised of 3 oxygen molecules bonded together. The clean oxygen we normally breathe is made of 2 oxygen
molecules. Ozone is considered one of nature's best cleaning agents. It is an important part of our atmosphere and without
it, life would not be possible. However, ozone is also considered a toxic gas. It is a gas much like oxygen, nitrogen, helium,
hydrogen and so on.
The reason for the damaging hole we caused in the ozone layer is in part because of chlorine based refrigerants. As these
gases were released into the atmosphere, chlorine reached the ozone layer. One of the three oxygen molecules that make up
ozone would break free and attach itself to chlorinated organic compounds. This did two things:
1) cleaned the atmosphere of these compounds
2) depleted the amount of ozone in the atmosphere.
Now why would we say that ozone is toxic and dangerous to humans and animals? Well, when an ozone generator is placed
in a home, it does the same thing that happens in the upper atmosphere. The third oxygen molecule breaks free and
reattaches itself to organic materials in the air of your living space. This includes airborne bacteria, smoke and compounds
that may cause odor. Much like the chlorine spoken of, organic materials in your home are attacked as well. Good huh? Well
can you think of anything else organic in your home? What about you and your pets? The third oxygen molecule also
reattaches to your sinuses, throat and even lungs. Ozone is known to cause serious lung damage! If we are trying to rid our
home of dangerous compounds, why would we introduce a dangerous gas? Have you ever seen smog alerts on the news?
Smog alerts are issued when ground level ozone exceeds safe levels. And people want to put that in their homes? The state
of California has issued warnings about ozone generators stating that using one can be compared to living in a stage 1 smog
alert. An article written by the Mayo Clinic focuses on the danger of ozone generators. The American Lung Association
recommends not using these products as well. (You must type "ozone generator" in the search box to find this info). The CDC
has written information on ozone dangers. The EPA has even issued warnings about residential ozone generators - click here
to link to their page (get ready - it's almost 11 pages).
purifiers that generate ozone. Some of these purifiers are labeled as making "energised air," "pure air," "fresh air," "activated
air," or "o3" air. Whatever the label, if the unit produces ozone, there are real dangers that the consumer needs to be informed
of. To get a little background on what these units do, please read on.
Many people are familiar with the phaseout and ban of some older refrigerants we used to commonly come across. The one
that is in most people's minds is Freon 12 - used in cars and refrigerators. R12 is a refrigerant that has been phased out and
is no longer in production in the USA. The reason for this is due to the fact that Freon 12 contained a large amount of chlorine
as one of it's components. We'll get to that in a minute.
Earth wide, we are familiar with the hole in the ozone layer. This is a very important part of our atmosphere and we all had to
do something to protect it. The Montreal Protocol was put into effect which planned the phase out of chlorine based
refrigerants. Believe it or not, this has actually helped slow down the damage being done to the ozone layer.
Ozone is comprised of 3 oxygen molecules bonded together. The clean oxygen we normally breathe is made of 2 oxygen
molecules. Ozone is considered one of nature's best cleaning agents. It is an important part of our atmosphere and without
it, life would not be possible. However, ozone is also considered a toxic gas. It is a gas much like oxygen, nitrogen, helium,
hydrogen and so on.
The reason for the damaging hole we caused in the ozone layer is in part because of chlorine based refrigerants. As these
gases were released into the atmosphere, chlorine reached the ozone layer. One of the three oxygen molecules that make up
ozone would break free and attach itself to chlorinated organic compounds. This did two things:
1) cleaned the atmosphere of these compounds
2) depleted the amount of ozone in the atmosphere.
Now why would we say that ozone is toxic and dangerous to humans and animals? Well, when an ozone generator is placed
in a home, it does the same thing that happens in the upper atmosphere. The third oxygen molecule breaks free and
reattaches itself to organic materials in the air of your living space. This includes airborne bacteria, smoke and compounds
that may cause odor. Much like the chlorine spoken of, organic materials in your home are attacked as well. Good huh? Well
can you think of anything else organic in your home? What about you and your pets? The third oxygen molecule also
reattaches to your sinuses, throat and even lungs. Ozone is known to cause serious lung damage! If we are trying to rid our
home of dangerous compounds, why would we introduce a dangerous gas? Have you ever seen smog alerts on the news?
Smog alerts are issued when ground level ozone exceeds safe levels. And people want to put that in their homes? The state
of California has issued warnings about ozone generators stating that using one can be compared to living in a stage 1 smog
alert. An article written by the Mayo Clinic focuses on the danger of ozone generators. The American Lung Association
recommends not using these products as well. (You must type "ozone generator" in the search box to find this info). The CDC
has written information on ozone dangers. The EPA has even issued warnings about residential ozone generators - click here
to link to their page (get ready - it's almost 11 pages).
The FDA has published that the maximum limit of ozone in our air should not exceed .05 PPM. One ozone generator
manufacturer's booklet shows that their product produces at it's very lowest settings >.02 PPM. Does that mean it's safe?
Does that mean it stays at a safe level and can't build up? If an ozone generator is placed in a home and continually emits this
toxic gas, what prevents it from exceeding the safe level at some point? Studies are showing this to be the case in many
situations. Most people don't plan on spending several thousand dollars to place an ozone monitor in their home. Most ozone
generators don't have a shut off to keep them from exceeding the safe limit either. How do you know that you aren't
"overflowing" your home with ozone and damaging your lungs?
manufacturer's booklet shows that their product produces at it's very lowest settings >.02 PPM. Does that mean it's safe?
Does that mean it stays at a safe level and can't build up? If an ozone generator is placed in a home and continually emits this
toxic gas, what prevents it from exceeding the safe level at some point? Studies are showing this to be the case in many
situations. Most people don't plan on spending several thousand dollars to place an ozone monitor in their home. Most ozone
generators don't have a shut off to keep them from exceeding the safe limit either. How do you know that you aren't
"overflowing" your home with ozone and damaging your lungs?
Mark Boeniger at NIOSH, Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies Branch in Cincinnati, Ohio made this
quote about ozone generators and he doesn't have any good news to tell us. "There is a possibility that when you first bring an
ozone generator into the indoor environment that you will start to feel better, but by the time you can tolerate the ozone
concentration generated by the device, you run the risk of developing serious health problems," he said. As with other types of
chemical substances which people come in contact with on a regular basis, the body can develop a tolerance to ozone. That
tolerance, however, doesn't mean an end to health problems. "When you inhale ozone at high concentration levels, the cilia in
the lungs, which help to clean pollutants out of the lungs, are damaged," Boeniger said. "As a result, the lungs become much
more permeable and you run the risk of developing severe allergies."
quote about ozone generators and he doesn't have any good news to tell us. "There is a possibility that when you first bring an
ozone generator into the indoor environment that you will start to feel better, but by the time you can tolerate the ozone
concentration generated by the device, you run the risk of developing serious health problems," he said. As with other types of
chemical substances which people come in contact with on a regular basis, the body can develop a tolerance to ozone. That
tolerance, however, doesn't mean an end to health problems. "When you inhale ozone at high concentration levels, the cilia in
the lungs, which help to clean pollutants out of the lungs, are damaged," Boeniger said. "As a result, the lungs become much
more permeable and you run the risk of developing severe allergies."
Indoor air pollutants + toxic ozone = purified air???? It just doesn't make sense does it? |
One thing that is important to note is that you can not "destroy" matter. If ozone attacks a substance, it merely changes it into
something else. In some cases, it becomes more toxic than it originally was.
A selling point of these "air purifiers" is that they produce a sweet smell. And to many people, the smell is sweet. They say,
"It's like the smell after a lightning storm." However, the sweet smell produced is the smell of ozone. As time passes, other
odors are masked because ozone is known to reduce your personal sense of smell due to how it reacts with your body. By
using one of these machines, there is a superficial odor reduction at the cost of one of your senses.
Antifreeze used to be sweet to the taste. Animals would drink it and die regularly until the government required a bad taste to
be put in the mix. Did the sweet taste make antifreeze good? Likewise, does a sweet smell mean that ozone is good?
All of the companies that make these units come prepared to tackle statements about the dangers of ozone in a living space.
Ozone generator manufacturers are also surrounded by controversy. One has been the subject of a Dateline NBC
investigation. There have been class action lawsuits about false claims by many of them. We used to think asbestos was
safe at one time. It was used everywhere. What about cigarettes? Until the 1960's people had no idea about the many toxins
in cigarette smoke. Have you seen ads recently about Benzene exposure on television? It wasn't considered toxic in the past.
There was a factory in St. Louis where employees regularly washed their hands in Benzene because it was great at removing
grease. People who have been exposed to benzene are now coming down nationwide with AML which is a form of leukemia
related to benzene exposure. Just because millions of ozone generators have been sold does not mean that they are safe.
The sale of these units create massive profits. Large profits mean the ability to hire people who are marketing geniuses.
Marketing geniuses make their products appear so appealing even if they are not safe. Many web pages and letters have
been posted by them to show "how safe ozone is" as one of their marketing tactics. Interestingly, they always fail to mention
the fact that ozone reacts with the organic matter in your lungs! Do you want something attacking one of your most important
internal organs? One of the claims made is that ozone is ok to use since it is naturally found in the environment. Carbon
dioxide is naturally found too but you wouldn't want to put that in your home would you? Ozone is great in the upper
atmosphere, however it is not intended to be used in our homes.
One comment made about removing toxins from your home simply stated to open your window for a while. It is more effective,
costs nothing and doesn't introduce potentially toxic gas into your home. We want to "bring the outdoors in" anyway don't we?
Another very effective solution is the proper exchange of outside air introduced into our homes, HEPA filtration and UVC lights
positioned in the proper location of your HVAC system. Please be careful and informed about the decisions you make. Don't
be fooled by sleek looking units, smooth salesmen and promises of better air made by them. If you are truly concerned about
the quality of air in your home, get a professional involved who knows what to do to clean up your air. Don't put blind faith in an
"air purifier" peddler or a retail store that has never opened up your personal HVAC system to see what lurks inside. If you
decide to purchase an ozone generator, do so only after doing much research on the subject.
Sincerely,
Gibson's Repair
Written with the safety of the general public in mind
something else. In some cases, it becomes more toxic than it originally was.
A selling point of these "air purifiers" is that they produce a sweet smell. And to many people, the smell is sweet. They say,
"It's like the smell after a lightning storm." However, the sweet smell produced is the smell of ozone. As time passes, other
odors are masked because ozone is known to reduce your personal sense of smell due to how it reacts with your body. By
using one of these machines, there is a superficial odor reduction at the cost of one of your senses.
Antifreeze used to be sweet to the taste. Animals would drink it and die regularly until the government required a bad taste to
be put in the mix. Did the sweet taste make antifreeze good? Likewise, does a sweet smell mean that ozone is good?
All of the companies that make these units come prepared to tackle statements about the dangers of ozone in a living space.
Ozone generator manufacturers are also surrounded by controversy. One has been the subject of a Dateline NBC
investigation. There have been class action lawsuits about false claims by many of them. We used to think asbestos was
safe at one time. It was used everywhere. What about cigarettes? Until the 1960's people had no idea about the many toxins
in cigarette smoke. Have you seen ads recently about Benzene exposure on television? It wasn't considered toxic in the past.
There was a factory in St. Louis where employees regularly washed their hands in Benzene because it was great at removing
grease. People who have been exposed to benzene are now coming down nationwide with AML which is a form of leukemia
related to benzene exposure. Just because millions of ozone generators have been sold does not mean that they are safe.
The sale of these units create massive profits. Large profits mean the ability to hire people who are marketing geniuses.
Marketing geniuses make their products appear so appealing even if they are not safe. Many web pages and letters have
been posted by them to show "how safe ozone is" as one of their marketing tactics. Interestingly, they always fail to mention
the fact that ozone reacts with the organic matter in your lungs! Do you want something attacking one of your most important
internal organs? One of the claims made is that ozone is ok to use since it is naturally found in the environment. Carbon
dioxide is naturally found too but you wouldn't want to put that in your home would you? Ozone is great in the upper
atmosphere, however it is not intended to be used in our homes.
One comment made about removing toxins from your home simply stated to open your window for a while. It is more effective,
costs nothing and doesn't introduce potentially toxic gas into your home. We want to "bring the outdoors in" anyway don't we?
Another very effective solution is the proper exchange of outside air introduced into our homes, HEPA filtration and UVC lights
positioned in the proper location of your HVAC system. Please be careful and informed about the decisions you make. Don't
be fooled by sleek looking units, smooth salesmen and promises of better air made by them. If you are truly concerned about
the quality of air in your home, get a professional involved who knows what to do to clean up your air. Don't put blind faith in an
"air purifier" peddler or a retail store that has never opened up your personal HVAC system to see what lurks inside. If you
decide to purchase an ozone generator, do so only after doing much research on the subject.
Sincerely,
Gibson's Repair
Written with the safety of the general public in mind
| The dangers of ozone generators sold as "air purifiers": Public Safety Announcement |
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| Feel free to contact us with your experience on how an ozone generator caused you personal problems. Responses are at the bottom of the page. |
Responses to this article:
7/28/2009
Thank you so much for your beautiful article on the ozone generators issues.
Just yesterday, a local Ames, Iowa, business had me over to discuss having me teach a couple of workshops on their
premises. After two hours, both my throat and lungs were irritated, I was getting a headache, and just couldn't wait to get
outside... Yes, they had one of "those" air-purifying machines - and were very proud of the fact that they've been using it for 6
years. They were shocked when I suggested that running that machine was not the best idea...
I just forwarded the link to your site to them.
Thanks for keeping people informed!
1/11/2010
To whom it may concern:
I want to thank you for the very informative information about ozone generators you have on your web info page.
I only wish I had known about it earlier. I received a O3 generator for Christmas. The friend giving it to me did so because they
understood it was beneficial to those of us who suffer from asthma and chronic bronchitis----as in me.
I used it in my bedroom one night and in the morning though my breathing was better. But after a couple of days---no more
use of the generator at night--I continued to feel like my lunges had been burned by smelling chlorine gas--as in bleach. Now,
after several days of not using the generator my lungs are finally starting to lose that "burned feeling" and I am nearly back to
my "normal" self---poor as it is. The effect was not only a matter of discomfort and additional breathing problems but "drug me
down" generally. Thankfully, as I mentioned, I'm getting back what breathing and energy I have, so apparently my lungs are
recuperating gradually on their own.
I called the mgf. of the product about 3 days go and they gave me the run around. Said they would check it out and return my
call regarding the effects of O3 on asthmatics. I'm sure that will happen when h___ freezes over.
I recall that at least 25 or 30 years ago a product became available to generate ozone in the form of a dark blue "light bulb"
about 2 1/2 inches across. Mysteriously it disappeared from the market. I should have connected the dots before using this gift
generator---but that was a long time ago.
Anyway, thanks for the good info and thanks for your time in reading all of this.
Being an old business man connected to the electronics field for about 55 years, I appreciate your challenges and wish you all
a very profitable and happy 2010.
7/28/2009
Thank you so much for your beautiful article on the ozone generators issues.
Just yesterday, a local Ames, Iowa, business had me over to discuss having me teach a couple of workshops on their
premises. After two hours, both my throat and lungs were irritated, I was getting a headache, and just couldn't wait to get
outside... Yes, they had one of "those" air-purifying machines - and were very proud of the fact that they've been using it for 6
years. They were shocked when I suggested that running that machine was not the best idea...
I just forwarded the link to your site to them.
Thanks for keeping people informed!
1/11/2010
To whom it may concern:
I want to thank you for the very informative information about ozone generators you have on your web info page.
I only wish I had known about it earlier. I received a O3 generator for Christmas. The friend giving it to me did so because they
understood it was beneficial to those of us who suffer from asthma and chronic bronchitis----as in me.
I used it in my bedroom one night and in the morning though my breathing was better. But after a couple of days---no more
use of the generator at night--I continued to feel like my lunges had been burned by smelling chlorine gas--as in bleach. Now,
after several days of not using the generator my lungs are finally starting to lose that "burned feeling" and I am nearly back to
my "normal" self---poor as it is. The effect was not only a matter of discomfort and additional breathing problems but "drug me
down" generally. Thankfully, as I mentioned, I'm getting back what breathing and energy I have, so apparently my lungs are
recuperating gradually on their own.
I called the mgf. of the product about 3 days go and they gave me the run around. Said they would check it out and return my
call regarding the effects of O3 on asthmatics. I'm sure that will happen when h___ freezes over.
I recall that at least 25 or 30 years ago a product became available to generate ozone in the form of a dark blue "light bulb"
about 2 1/2 inches across. Mysteriously it disappeared from the market. I should have connected the dots before using this gift
generator---but that was a long time ago.
Anyway, thanks for the good info and thanks for your time in reading all of this.
Being an old business man connected to the electronics field for about 55 years, I appreciate your challenges and wish you all
a very profitable and happy 2010.