Why Negative Ions and Ozone
The main differences in
the air between healthy outdoor environments and unhealthy or harmful
outdoor environments are the levels of negative ions, ozone, and pollutants.
Healthy environments have higher levels of negative ions, moderate levels of
ozone, and low levels of particles and/or pollutants. Unfortunately, most
indoor environments are more similar to unhealthy and hazardous
outdoor environments. This includes negative ion, ozone, and pollutant levels.
Negative Ion and Ozone
Levels in Healthy and Unhealthy Environments:
As an
example, in healthy outdoor environments such as in the mountains, or in a
country meadow, the negative ion concentration is typically 2000 to 4000
negative ions per cubic centimeter. By contrast, the negative ion
concentration in an unhealthy place, such as on congested L.A. freeways, is
less than 100 negative ions per cubic cm. The negative ion concentration in
most indoor environments is between 100 and 200 negative ions per cubic cm. In
extremely healthy and invigorating environments, such as near a large
waterfall, the negative ion level is around 1,000,000 per cubic cm., which is
the level produced by the "Surround Air" Ionizer. Effects of Negative Ions
The ozone level in healthy
outdoor environments is typically between 0.02 ppm (parts per million) and
0.04 ppm, which is the ozone level produced by Surround Air Ionizer purifiers.
In most unhealthy indoor environments, the ozone level is virtually zero. In
some unhealthy indoor and outdoor environments, the ozone level may actually
be well above 0.1 ppm, which is too high. However, this only happens when the
hydrocarbon level (pollution from industrial smokestacks, vehicle emissions,
etc.) rises to a very high concentration. It has been proven that ozone breaks
down the hydrocarbon (a.k.a. VOC) molecules. When the pollution is high enough
though, the nature cannot help but to overcompensate under this strain.
Is Ozone Safe?
This is why indoor
environments need a source of negative ions and ozone. In addition to being
beneficial to your health when occurring at proper levels, they are highly
effective at removing particles and contaminants from the air, which
results in a much healthier environment by itself.
Particulate removal is
critical since there are a variety of sources of indoor air pollution in the
typical home. In fact, the
EPA advises us that indoor air pollution is the nation's worst
environmental health problem, even 2 to 10 times as bad as outdoor air
pollution. In addition, most people spend well over 90% of their time inside,
making clean indoor air even more important for our health.
Filters may remove some of
the larger particles from the air (0.3 microns or larger), but it is more
critical to remove the finer particles out of the air. The smaller the
particle, the deeper it is taken into the lungs when inhaled. The deeper a
particle travels into the lungs, the more damage it causes.
Fortunately, negative ions and ozone can remove particles as small as 0.01
microns. This allows them to remove pollutants that air filters cannot,
such as bacteria, chemicals, fumes, fine dust, viruses, etc.
Types of Pollutants / Particles
Removed from Air
(Partial List)
| Ozone |
Negative
Ions |
|
Chemicals
Algae
Exhaust Fumes
Bacteria
Carbon Monoxide
Mildew
Tetrachloride
Nicotine
Acrylic Acid
|
Germs
Ammonia
Cigarette Smoke
Mold/Mold Spores
Fungi
Fertilizer Chemicals
Oils
Resins
Carbolic Acid
|
Odors
Gases/Fumes
Viruses
Formaldehyde
Benzene
Propane
Ether Alcohol
Gangrene
Industrial Waste
|
|
Solid
Particles
Smoke
Dust/Dust Mites
Dead Skin
Pollens
Insect Feces (Allergen)
Mold Spores
Animal/Pet Dander
Chemicals
|
- Approved by the U.S. FDA
(Food & Drug Admin.) as an approved allergy treatment.
- Ionization is mandatory in
many European and Russian Hospitals.
- In March of 1999, Good
Housekeeping Magazine had its engineers test an ionizer by using a smoke
test, and found that it cleared out the smoke in a tank.
How Negative Ions Purify the Air
Virtually all
particles in the air have a positive charge, while negative ions have a
negative charge. In which case, negative ions and particles magnetically
attract to one another. When there is a high enough concentration of
negative ions in the air, they will attract to floating particles in large
numbers. This causes the particle to become too heavy to remain airborne.
As a result, the particle will fall out of the air, preventing it from being
inhaled into the respiratory tract where it can trigger breathing and health
problems.
The ionized particle will
then be collected by normal cleaning activities, such as vacuuming or dusting.
If the particle happens to be kicked back up into the air again, it will be
ionized, and quickly settled out of the air once again.
In nature, negative ions are
generated by processes such as sunlight, lightening, waves from the ocean, and
from waterfalls. "Concrete Jungles" minimize the natural production
of negative ions by disrupting the delicate electrical balance between the
atmosphere and the earth. Surround Air Ionizers recreate them with electrodes
("needlepoints") to electrically produce negative ions. This method
produces a density (about 1,000,000/cm3) that is comparable to the
world's largest waterfalls, such as Niagara Falls, which offers one of the
healthiest environments in the world.
(Effects of Negative
Ions)
Surround Air Ionizers do not
cause any of the drawbacks of typical needlepoint ionizers though. As a
result, there is no "black wall" effect, erosion or wearing down of
the electrodes, or any other "side effects".
Other Negative Ion Benefits
Asthma, Allergies, and
other Respiratory Problems and Illnesses. Many scientific studies have
been conducted over the years (mostly in Europe and Russia) showing how
exposure to high levels of negative ions drastically or significantly reduce
asthma and allergy symptoms, as well as respiratory-related illness.
Migraine Headaches.
Inhaling negative ions prevents the production of Serotonin inside the brain.
The overproduction of Serotonin inside the brain is the cause of migraine
headaches.
Depression. A study at
Columbia University suggested that negative ion treatment is more effective
than anti-depressant drugs such as Prozac and Zolof, and there are no side
effects with negative ions.
Fatigue. The
production of Serotonin (chemical produced inside the brain) also causes
fatigue, and negative ions prevent the production of Serotonin inside the
brain.
Sleep. A study in
France found that negative ionizers helped people to sleep better, by
preventing the production of the chemical Serotonin in the brain.
Mental Performance and
Concentration. Several tests have shown people exposed to negative ion
treatment perform much better in mentally-oriented activities than those who
are not.
Physical Performance.
Due to test results performed by Russian scientists, negative ionizers were
always installed in the locker rooms and resting places for the Russian
athletes.
Burns. Studies
performed in one hospital found that burn patients were far more likely to
recover more quickly and thoroughly.
How Ozone Purifies the Air
Ozone oxidizes airborne
pollutants, then reverts back to oxygen,
transforming polluted air to pure and
refreshed air.
Here is how the process works:
-
Oxygen molecules (O1
and O2) are converted to ozone (O3) by either a
high-voltage electrical charge (such as from lightning), or by ultraviolet
light (such as from the sun rays).
-
One oxygen atom (O1)
splits off from the ozone molecule, and reacts with other particles when
it comes within range of a particle and/or pollutant. Ozone is highly
reactive, so it never fails to initiate this reaction with other
particles.
-
As the 2nd most powerful
oxidant in existence, the single oxygen atom proceeds to
"oxidize" the particle it reacts with. This means it burns the
particle, which changes its physical properties. As a result, the particle
will no longer be toxic, and will no longer be able to reproduce if it is
biological. In other words, the particle becomes completely harmless.
-
When the single oxygen (O1)
molecule oxidizes the particle, it too is destroyed. This leaves behind
the O2 it split away from, or pure and clean oxygen.
Is Ozone Safe?
Effectiveness of Ozone at Low Levels
Russian scientists performed
a study to see how effective ozone was at improving indoor air quality in
schools. Respiratory-related illnesses were drastically improved after the
ozone systems were installed. The ozone concentration produced by the systems
were 0.015 ppm (parts per million).
In testing performed by two
scientists by the name of Elford and Van den Ende, it was found that ozone
effectively destroyed bacteria at 0.04 ppm.
Many publications have
published studies showing the effectiveness of lower concentrations ozone
(0.01 to 0.03 ppm) at removing odors and pollutants. Some of these include the
Refrigeration Service Engineers Society (RSES), U.S. Air Force
technical publications, and Manufacturing Chemist.
Test Results
Disinfection of the
pollutants below were measured in identical conditions within a containment
chamber, with one exception. In one chamber, the pollutants were exposed to a
relatively stable 0.05 parts per million of ozone concentration, and normal
room air in the other chamber (close to 0 ppm). Pollutant count measurements
were taken before, during, and after the 4 hour testing period. Each
chamber began with an identical amount of the tested pollutants.
| Test
Pollutant |
Beginning
Count |
No
Ozone
(After 4 hrs.) |
Ozone
(0.05 ppm)
(After 4 hrs.) |
Approx.
Ratio* |
| Staphylococcus |
7,250,000 |
6,320,000 |
940,000 |
7:1 |
| Aspergillus |
4,500 |
5,500 |
1,500 |
5:1 |
| E.
Coli |
3,500,000 |
16,500 |
2,500 |
7:1 |
| Salmonella |
2,500,000 |
11,200 |
4,180 |
3:1 |
| Candida |
200,000 |
560,000 |
3 |
186,666:1 |
* Ratio of how much more
pollutants remained in the "non-ozone" chamber than the
"ozone" chamber after the 4-hour testing period.
Statements from Professional Studies on Ozone
ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigeration,
and Air Conditioning): "Ozone
controls surface mold on packages and walls, and reduces scale development and
decay. The presence of ozone . . . . significantly reduces the occurrence of
mold." What is Mold?, About Mold, Mold
Facts
Refrigeration Service Engineers Society (RSES):
"Ozone is one of the purest and most powerful
oxidants and germicides known."
Professional Studies on Ozone Safety
The Refrigeration Service
Engineers Society has reported that electric-arc welders exposed to ozone
levels of 0.2 to 0.3 ppm (parts per million) for a decade showed no adverse
effects. The Surround Air Ionizers produce between 0.02 to 0.04 ppm of ozone.
Also, according to the 1961
Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, "During the 80-year history of the
large scale usage of ozone, there has never been a human death attributed to
it." To this day, there has still never been a single human death or
incident of harm attributed to ozone.
This despite the fact that
ozone was widely used in hospitals during the first half of the 20th century,
and is still widely used in European hospitals. In addition, millions of ozone
air purification systems are in use worldwide, both commercially and
residentially.
By Contrast, well over a
million people are hospitalized, and well over 100,000 are killed every year
due to medication side effects, according to the FDA.
Ozone is completely safe and
effective when occurring within FDA and OSHA standards of 0.05 ppm (parts per
million). In healthy and clean outdoor environments, ozone occurs between 0.02
ppm and 0.05 ppm. Ozone has not been found to be harmful to the lungs until
occurring at concentrations of 0.1 to 0.2 ppm. However, it is very difficult
(if not impossible) to adjust most ozone air purifiers to produce anywhere
close to this amount of ozone. Is
Ozone Safe?
Self-Policing
In addition, the smell of
ozone will become unpleasant and obnoxious well before reaching harmful
levels, serving as a built-in and self-policing safety mechanism. If
this happens, you know to make an adjustment (i.e. adjust setting of machine,
increase air flow, place in more open/larger area).
However, at proper levels
(0.02 ppm to 0.05 ppm), it will have a pleasant and clean smell to it,
reminiscent of the smell outside after a lightening storm. Surround
Air Proper
Ozone Levels
Guaranteed Safe Ozone Levels with Surround Air Ionizer
The "Surround Air"
XJ-2100 Ionizer will produce about 0.02 ppm to 0.04 ppm (parts per million) of
ozone, which is well within the safety standards of 0.05 ppm of the FDA
and OSHA. The ozone concentration of the XJ-2100 "Surround Air"
Ionizer purification system is highly consistent and predictable since
it only intends to produce enough ozone for a single room.
With the "Surround
Air" Ionizers, you will smell the ozone at first, but only barely. After
a day or two, you will either barely smell the ozone, or will not smell it at
all, as the pollution level in the room is minimized.
Many other types of air
purifiers produce enough ozone for multiple rooms, since they are rated to cover
large areas spanning many rooms. However, if this ozone becomes trapped in a
smaller area than what the unit was rated to cover, the ozone level can become
too high.
