What is Ozone?

With plenty of coverage in the media about ozone depletion, the question of what is ozone is a natural one to ask.

Most oxygen molecules found in the air only consist of 2 oxygen atoms.
Ozone however, contains three oxygen atoms, the chemical notation for it is O3.  Because the third oxygen atom readily binds with other substances, ozone is quite unstable.  So that covers the question of what is ozone, but just as important is what it means to us.

Ozone can be found everywhere. Most of ozone is high up in the atmosphere, where it shields us from harmful rays from the sun. No doubt you have heard of the ozone layer, and that in certain parts of the world it is getting depleted due to it reacting with various chemicals.

For instance, studies have shown that in the Antarctic, the amount of ultraviolet measured at the surface can double during the annual ozone hole.

This is a real cause of concern, as holes in the ozone layer leave us more exposed to the ultra violet rays of the sun, thereby increasing the incidence of skin cancer.  So high up in the atmosphere we really want to have plenty of ozone.

Closer to the ground ozone can also be present, and is unfortunately often found in the form of smog.

So how does ground level ozone come about? Well, it is the product of a set of chemical reactions of various substances with sunlight acting as the mediator. The substances in question are nitrogen oxides, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide or nitrogen oxides – the products of power plants, cars, and other fossil fuel combustion technologies.

In summertime smog is often at it worst, as long hours of sunlight and high temperatures speed up the photochemical reactions that produce ozone.

There are some concerns about whether or not ozone is dangerous. In high quantities it becomes a powerful irritant, and can even cause damage to the lungs, or respiratory problems.

However in lower quantities ozone can be quite useful. Because it so readily reacts with other molecules in the air, it is great for neutralizing cooking odors, cigarette smoke, and fumes. Many air purifiers therefore generate some ozone and some air purifiers called ozone machines only do that.

For more information on related products, please choose from the following:

 Ozone Air Purifiers