Cleaning with the Power of Ozone
Ozone is a word we are all familiar with. We know about the Earth's ozone layer, and the hole that has been created in it, but the general public is usually unaware of what ozone truly is. This lack of understanding along with its connection to smog has given people a bad impression of what ozone truly is and how it can help us. Let's start with the basics:
What is Ozone?
Oxygen gas molecules found in the air consist of two oxygen atoms. Ozone is a gaseous molecule that contains three oxygen atoms (O3).
In the stratosphere, it occurs naturally and it provides a protective layer, shielding the Earth from ultraviolet radiation and subsequent harmful health effects on humans and the environment. In the troposphere, it is a chemical oxidant and major component of photochemical smog. Ozone is formed in the air when hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide or nitrogen oxides react in the presence of sunlight and heat.
Source: Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center, 1990
How Ozone Cleaning Works
Ozone is created by nature and found in optimal levels where the air is pure. In moderate concentrations ozone has been proven safe and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has approved its use as an effective cleaning agent.
Ozone is the element with the second highest oxidation potential, the first highest is fluorine. Ozone is highly reactive and interacts with contaminates and allergens in the air. In small doses it destroys pollutants through oxidation,the process where one of the oxygen atoms breaks off and attaches itself to the pollutant, cleansing it and at the same time making it heavier than the air so it falls to the ground.
After this reaction is complete the ozone molecule is now an oxygen molecule and the pollutant has bonded (or been cleansed) with oxygen and is sitting on the ground, no longer able to attach it self to objects or be inhaled by the respiratory system.
In large doses ozone can be used as a powerful air-purifying agent. When smoke stained contents are placed and sealed inside a drying chamber and filled with a high concentration of ozone, the odors can be removed very quickly. We can also remove odors from structural materials, such as drywall from the home of heavy smokers.
Why Ozone is thought to be bad
The only time ozone can be harmful is when it is found in extremely high concentrations. Ozone Action Days are a good example of this high concentration. Ozone Action Days are days when already polluted areas containing high concentrations of hydrocarbons in the air are mixed with high heat and humidity levels, which create high levels of ozone as a byproduct. Hydrocarbons are pollutants that are found mainly in factory smokestacks and vehicle exhaust.
This effect can be thought of as a natural way for the sun to neutralize the hydrocarbon pollutants. The ozone that is produced will act as a cleansing agent to the hydrocarbon pollution.
