Ozone, or activated oxygen, is probably the most misunderstood element in the air we breathe. Both loved and hated ozone has carried the label of poisonous gas and modern medical hero. On the one hand, we are told that it is harmful, and capable of causing damage to our lungs. On the other hand, we have found it has the potential of being the greatest natural purification element available to deal with man-made pollutants. So how does this affect our children and loved ones?
Close your eyes for just a moment, and think about how fresh the air smells outside after a thunderstorm. Have you ever gone for a walk in the woods and asked yourself, “ How can it smell so fresh when I see mold all over the base of the trees? ” The answer to these questions is Mother Nature’s production of ozone. So, lets all buckle our seatbelt and take a deep breath, because here comes the science. Ozone is nothing more than three oxygen molecules bound together. Effectively, O1+O1+O1 = O3, and nature produces this naturally to combat mold, mildew, industrial pollutants, aerosols, pesticides, bacteria, fungi, and viruses just to name a few. So how does this happen? The air we breathe is composed of about 80% nitrogen and 20% oxygen. The oxygen in our air becomes “activated” or ozonated when it rises up into the atmosphere and is bombarded by the sun’s photo chemical energy in the form of UV rays. The UV energy changes O2 into O3 (ozone), and then sends it back to our breathable environment with the sole purpose of sheding the extra O1 molecule to oxidize air pollutants. This leaves breathable O2 in the environment to continue the cycle again and again. Nature is efficient if nothing else!!
The term, “oxidizing” simply means to burn without giving off light or heat. The reason oxidation is such a powerful means of killing bacteria and lower life form organisms, is that they are primarily anaerobic. This means that they can’t live in environments where activated oxygen/ ozone is present.
Have you figured out why this benefits us so greatly yet? Even as far back as 1989, the EPA told Congress that indoor air pollution is one of the nations most important environmental health problems. Studies found that most homes have airborne concentrations of hazardous and toxic chemicals two to five times higher than outdoors. What are some of the toxins the EPA and independent researchers found :
- Benzene from paint, new carpet, new drapes and upholstery
- Ammonia in tobacco smoke and cleaning supplies
- Chloroform from paint, new carpet, and upholstery
- Formaldehyde from plywood, cabinets, particleboard, and wallpaper
- Sulphur dioxide, cyanide, and carbon monoxide from tobacco smoke
- Trichlorethylene from paints, and cleaning supplies
- Nitrogen dioxide from stoves, and furnaces
- Pollen from plants and trees
- Mold spores from moisture and bacteria
- Dust mites from dust and bacteria
National statistics show that a normal adult breathes approximately 23,000 times a day, and spends more than 80% of each day indoors. What’s more alarming is that children are more vulnerable to toxic vapors because of their higher metabolic rate. Children breathe in more than twice as much oxygen and toxins relative to body size than adults. They are more active, which increases their breathing rate, and they play closer to the ground where heavier pollutants settle. Also, normal development in early childhood includes a great deal of hand-to-mouth behavior, which provides another avenue for pollutants to enter the body.
So why is it that so many peoples perception of ozone is negative? Mostly,
because ozone is synonymous with smog when reported in news and media. The most irritating constituents of smog are hydrocarbon molecules from cars, sulphur and nitrogen compounds from industry, and smoke pollutants from a variety of sources. Now, the media can try to trick us but we have already done our science earlier and H + N + S does not equal O3. In saying that many will say that HIGH ozone levels cause irritated eyes, throat, and lungs. As with all elements, anything in HIGH doses will cause side effects. So, why are ozone levels so high in places like L.A.? In areas where pollution is more rampant Mother Nature’s answer is to produce more cure. In this case it’s ozone. Higher levels of ozone will help oxidize away the hydrocarbons, sulphur compounds, and nitrogen compounds much the same way as the body’s immune system responds with elevated white blood cell counts to fight an infection.
Finally, what does the future hold for us as parents in the constant fight to keep our children healthy and germ free? Ozone is now being used in a variety of ways to improve our lives and the lives of our children. Ozone is being used to treat our water rather than chlorine, and as of today there are over 2,000 water purification facilities worldwide. The biggest in the world built recently in Los Angeles. European doctors and respected N.Y. University researchers all state that ozone has been used to eliminate AIDS in humans, animals, and blood supplies, without any side effects. And, the introduction of home ozone purifiers are available to parents interested in killing germs, bacteria, mold, mildew, and e-coli in order to make there home a safe haven for their children. But, don’t be confused with all the air purifiers on the market and what they do. Hepa- filter purifiers only do what their name implies, filter. Air flows through a hepa-filter and dust particles are trapped in the filter. Ionizers put out negative and positive ions into the air, which cling on to dust circulating in the air, weighing it down so it falls to the floor and can be moped or vacuumed up. Ozone purifiers release the same ions into the air and remove dust, BUT they also produce low levels of ozone which seeps into crevices, carpets, drapes, furniture, under beds, in closets, on countertop surfaces and other places where normal air currents are minimal and oxidizes all odors and chemical by-products we and our children breathe in daily. Hence, with researchers pushing the limits and expanding the uses of ozone therapy we can all take a deep breath and let out a sigh of relief, just sanitize your home before you do!!
To learn more on how to order this purifier for yourself just visit my website at www.freshairliving.com/aeryck and enter "guest" as the password.
