When it comes to odors, there is nothing quite like the use of an ozone generator to thoroughly eradicate any traces of the smell stuck looming in the air. From the strong odors of tobacco smoke, mold, mildew, fire damage, and even pet urine that has tainted the entire airspace of the environment – ozone generators quickly work to oxidize the odors. This odor eliminating air generators are heavily used throughout different industries to quickly restore an environment back to normal conditions – such as hotels, apartments, rentals, food processing plants, and even disaster restoration project areas.
Ozone generators are regularly used inside indoor environments to remove odors hanging in the air, as well as to kill mold, remove smoke and cigarette smells, and even attack bacteria and viruses traveling throughout the airspace. Although these air machines have been historically successful in doing its job at removing these airborne contaminants, over the years the ozone generator has gained negative attention due to its potentially hazardous nature to human health in an indoor environment where this ozone machine has been used to treat the air.
In this article we are going to discuss how an ozone generator works indoors on the airspace and what safety precautions need to be taken to protect human health from the possible dangers emitted from ozone machines into the indoor air.
What is an Ozone Machine
Ozone machines are one option among a whole list of air purifiers or systems that can be used within an indoor environment to clean the air and remove pollutants from personal indoor air spaces. This type of air purifier is a device that produces a high level of ozone from the machine into the air to help address and eliminate airborne pollutants including odors and mold/mildew contaminants that can taint the air quality. These devices have little capability to filter and remove dust and other fine particles from the air – due to a lack of a pre-filter or other filtration to capture these airborne contaminants.
The O3 molecules that are emitted from ozone machines work aggressively through oxidation to attach to airborne pollutants in the air. The ozone molecule is a chemical where oxygen molecules become imbed with three oxygen molecules instead of two. The third oxygen atom will detach from the ozone molecule in the air, in the pursuit to re-attach to molecules of other substances to alter this substances chemical composition. This additional oxygen atom will help to remove odorous compounds in the air, however, when it comes to these third oxygen atoms in the air it can be significantly dangerous to human health upon exposure to this additional oxygen molecule in the air.
Uses of Ozone Generator
Ozone generators are placed and utilized in a variety of locations in an effort to remove an amalgam of pollutants within the indoor air space. These generators are used in both consumer and industrial environments to aid in the removal of airborne pollutants (noxious odors and mold/mildew) from the air. However, any environment where there are individuals present, is strongly advised against the use of this ozone generator due to the intentional production of ozone gas from the machine.
When it comes to implementing an ozone generator inside of a home, the main uses of this generator in the air is to remove the following:
- Mold Removal: Does ozone kill mold inside of a home? It has been said that the production of ozone emissions into the air of a home where mold is growing will help to halt the growth and render the mold spore reproduction impeded. The third oxygen atom that is released in O3 molecules can combine itself with the mold and spores produced from mold in the air and ultimately change the cells that compose the mold to halt its growth – however, it will not kill the actual mold presence in the home. Also, the ozone will help to remove the odors that are commonly emitted from mold in the environment, the distinctive musty odors that mold releases will be eliminated.
- Odor Removal: The broad array of odors that develop inside of a home are usually the cause of bacteria that forms this odor and taints your home’s scent. When these odors are created, it will require the use of an effective solution to rectify this odor from within the airspace of this area – and often times people will turn to an ozone generator due to its effective ability to oxidize these odors completely from the air. The are many different types of odors in the home and they are often susceptible to oxidation to change there structure.
How to Use an Ozone Machine
The operation of any air purifier or air device should be initiated with the reviewing of the instruction manual to better verse yourself in the operation of the machine as well as the dangers that you should avoid when using this machine in an indoor environment. All ozone machines can vary slightly, and therefore it may cover a different amount of area than other ozone machines. It is important to remove all living things from the area that the ozone generator will run in, including pets, plants, and people. Ozone emissions have the potential of being extremely hazardous to human health and even to some of the contents in your home, therefore it should be avoided at all costs when present in an indoor environment.
When it comes to operating time of an ozone machine inside of your home, it is necessary to set a timer, if it is not provided on the machine, to time the run-time of the machine in the environment. Running an ozone machine indoors for longer than 6 hours can lead to potential harm to your home – as they are only intended to be ran in a given space for approximately three to six hours at a time. This time allocation for the ozone machine to be used is because it is the ideal amount of time for the ozone to properly make contact with and impact the properties around them without making it more challenging for the molecules to disappear from the air, creating ozone machine dangers in the environment.
Is Ozone Smell Bad for You?
The emission of ozone and the odor that it releases into the air of an enclosed environment can have a wide range of effects on not only the air quality within this space, but also on those individuals exposed to the ozone produced into this environment. Similar to how ozone reacts with those organic materials found within the airspace of the treated environment, ozone that is released into an enclosed space will also react with similar organic material that is used to construct the human body – and thus can be potentially hazardous to those humans that are greatly exposed to this emitted gas in the environment.
When ozone is steadily produced into an enclosed indoor space it will start to create an overabundance of O3 molecules within this environment. As the molecules begin to buildup in the air, the smell that is released from the emissions of ozone from ozone generators will be heightened, and very noticeable in the airspace.
What Does Ozone Smell Like
Ozone was a colorless gas that was accidentally exposed by a German scientist in 1785. This gas was named ozone after the Greek word “ozein”, which translates to “to smell” in English, a fitting label to this odor removing gas that is produced into the air. In nature, ozone is rarely produced naturally, except after lightning storms that will emit ozone into the air.
As ozone is released into the environment in low concentrations, it will begin to display a distinctive odor throughout this space – one that is commonly described as a sweet and pleasant odor. This odor emanates a “fresh, clean air” aroma that one will identify with being in the mountains, near waterfalls, or even after a thunderstorm occurs near the environment.
How Long Does It Take for Ozone to Dissipate?
Have you ever stopped to consider how long ozone works in the environment to break down airborne contaminants and odors from the air, and when will the O3 molecules dissipate? Upon the formation of ozone from an ozone generator, it will work to revert back into oxygen. This occurs through a process called oxidation – oxidation will react with organic materials such as odors or smoke in the air, and reactions with bacteria which will consume ozone by oxidation reactions.
Also, ozone breaks down thermally, therefore the higher the temperatures are in the indoor environment where the ozone was emitted into, the faster the ozone will be destroyed and dissipate into the air. Any additional ozone that remains in the environment after these processes occur are labeled “residual” ozone that will revert back to oxygen usually within 30 minutes of its release into the airspace.
Ozone Effects on Humans
The health hazards and safety precautions that have recently been discovered and outlined when dealing with or exposure to an ozone generator is something that is quite alarming. Ozone generators have the potential to adversely impact human health, especially to those who are exposed to the emission of ozone within their personal indoor environment. As we discussed earlier, ozone reacts with organic material that is present within the airspace of your environment, but it can also potentially react with organic materials that are found within the human body.
When ozone is inhaled/ingested into the human body it can result in damage to the lungs along with other health symptoms that can dramatically influence the health of these individuals that were exposed to the ozone emission in the air. Relatively low levels of ozone in the air can produce symptoms such as chest pain, coughing, shortness of breath, and even throat irritation. Ozone can also alter the magnitude of other diseases and illnesses including asthma and other chronic respiratory diseases.
Alternative Air Purifier for Odor Removal Indoors
If you are experiencing an odor issue inside of your home or any other indoor environment, your go-to may be to break out an ozone generator to quickly restore the environment back to normal conditions, however, it is now time to store your ozone machine away for good. The health and safety concerns that have been called out from ozone generators have led to the discovery of other alternative forms of air purification that can effectively remove odors from the air and do so safely – without hazard to your indoor air quality or your personal health.
There are a variety of different air purifier technologies that are currently offered to consumers through an assortment of brands that all work differently in an environment, addressing a variation of contaminants present in indoor environments. The most common air purifier technologies will include carbon, ionizers, and ozone that each work in a specific process to capture and remove airborne contaminants from the airspace, however, when it comes to odor elimination the other technologies aside from ozone have their flaws and will not be as efficient as other technologies can be at odor removal. When it comes to odor removal, the EnviroKlenz Air Purifier is a top choice for odor elimination completely from the environment through the use of a patented earth mineral technology.
Air Filter Odor Eliminator
The EnviroKlenz patented earth mineral technology was designed to work to attack the VOCs and noxious odors, breaking them down on a compound level inside of an air cartridge. The majority of air purifiers fail in odor elimination due to the fact that they simply only focus on particle filtration, but with the EnviroKlenz Air Purifier you will address both chemical and odor elimination, as well as particle filtration through the use of a hospital-grade HEPA filter. This air purifier can be safely applied into any indoor environment such as a home, office, or even industrial settings to help combat a wide variety of airborne contaminants in the air – this is done without the emission of byproducts or masking agents into the air.
Breathe in the good – we’ve got the bad covered
Our clean air products filter out the bad stuff – viruses, allergens, dust, and mold – and deactivate these toxins for good, leaving behind purely fresh air in your home, office, and beyond.
EnviroKlenz® Medical Disclaimer:
“Any information that is provided on this website is not for the use by any commercial or personal entity without expressed written consent of the blog author. The material and statements illustrated within this blog are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any diseases or medical conditions. Nor does the author in any way guarantee or validate the validity, totality, or efficacy of any claims and will therefore not be held responsible for the content of any claims. Always consult your medical physician for any specific medical advice or recommendations.”
