Ozone

About Ozone

At first glance, the average person may be quickly confused over ozone's good and bad behavior.  

Numerous claims of ozone's benefits as an antimicrobial, odor remover, and air purifier are countered with adverse health warnings and blame for material damage.

Is ozone mankind's best chemical or worst enemy?  It depends...
 

Most people know oxygen in its most stable form where two atoms of oxygen comprise the molecule (O₂).  This is the form of oxygen that makes up approximately 21% of the air we breathe and is considered essential to life.  Other names for this molecule include diatomic oxygen and dioxygen.

The ozone molecule is comprised of three atoms of oxygen (O₃).  Ozone is considerably less stable than its diatomic partner O₂ as the third atom can easily detach from the ozone molecule and re-attach to molecules of other substances, thereby altering their chemical composition.  It is this instability that puts ozone in a class of being reactive to other chemicals and makes it such a strong oxidizing agent.  Other names for this molecule include triatomic oxygen, trioxygen, and superoxygen.

At room temperature, ozone is a pale blue gas with a sharp odor that is generally formed by an electrical discharge through air although other production methods have been developed.  Electrical storms produce ozone which results in one of the smells of a thunderstorm.  The odor may also be noted near an electric motor that has arcing contacts.
 

Atomic Oxygen (O)

Diatomic Oxygen (O₂)

Ozone - Triatomic Oxygen (O₃)
 

Good Up High - The Stratospheric Ozone Layer
Our planet's upper atmosphere contains ozone which acts as nature's sunscreen by filtering out a large portion of harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun.  This layer is within the stratosphere; between 10 and 30 miles above earth.

Research has shown that numerous chemicals have been having an adverse impact on this protective ozone layer and are resulting in depletion of ozone in the stratosphere.  Although there have been debates on the ozone depletion issue, the general consensus of 250 international scientists indicate the need to save this protective layer by society controlling or eliminating the use of certain chemicals.
 

Because of its reactive properties, ozone is also considered to have adverse chemical reactions with many common materials and compounds. 
 

Sources of Ozone
Ground level ozone is primarily formed by reactions of sunlight with nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons from fuel burning facilities, automobiles, etc.

Indoors, baseline ozone levels are established from outdoor conditions and may be increased by some types of appliances including photocopiers, laser printers, electrostatic air filters/precipitators, etc.

Ground level ozone concentrations typically rise from May through September when higher temperatures and increased sunlight combine with stagnant atmospheric conditions or inversions that are associated with ozone air pollution episodes.

In July 1997, the EPA set a new stricter outdoor ozone standard of 0.08 parts per million (ppm) averaged over an eight-hour period.  Compliance is based on the forth highest reading per year averaged over three years. 
 

These claims are often targeted at airborne contaminants, odors, allergens, insects, and/or chemicals and may include references to the FDA, EPA, and various medical groups.  

Initially, it may appear that ozone treatment of indoor air is the magic potion for all of our air quality problems, however, it is recommended that you investigate further before reaching this conclusion.
 

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