Are ozone generators a health hazard?

There has been quite a bit of controversy the last few years about ozone and ozone generators in general. There are many purifiers that release trace amounts of ozone, and this actually useful, because ozone is good at destroying smoke, fumes, and odors.
But some of these air purifiers, called ozone generators or ozone machines, rely solely on ozone to clean the air, and that’s where we run into problems.

Although ozone is good at removing odors and the like, unless very high doses are applied, it is relatively ineffective at breaking down larger airborne pollutants. But if ozone generators apply these high doses, then ozone becomes harmful to our health.

As an aside, ozone generators are actually used in commercial applications, for instance to sterilize food storage and refrigeration environments. In that case the area is sealed air tight, and saturated with ozone for several days.

Ozone is a lung irritant, and is definitely not suitable for people with asthma. Other side effects that are reported when using ozone generators are:

• Headaches
• Sore throats
• Irritated eyes
• Laryngitis

Another problem with ozone generators is that as the ozone reacts with airborne pollutants, other chemicals can be created that are potentially more harmful than the original pollutant.

When the ozone generator uses corona discharge technology in a humid environment, then nitric acid and nitric oxide can be produced. Let’s hope that your unit does not leave a metallic or bleach-like odor lingering in the room, as this is a tell tale of these strong lung irritants being produced.

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

Ozone Air Purifiers | Whole House Purifiers