Ozone air, odor, car or mold treatment questions & answers set No.2.

This article series provides government and other authoritative warnings about using ozone generators and ozone air purifiers in buildings to "purify" indoor air or to "kill mold" in buildings.

FAQs#2 About Using Ozone for Treatment of Indoor Air: Respiratory System

These questions & answers about using ozone to get rid of odors and smells in homes, offices, cars, trucks and RVs were posted originally at OZONE MOLD / ODOR TREATMENT WARNINGS - be sure to read that article.

Watch out:  Ozone is a highly toxic, oxidizing gas. It can be absorbed into the body via inhalation, skin or the eyes. It can also oxidize building materials. See the Ozone hazard and use warning articles listed at the end of this article.

Watch out: In-Home or "portable" ozone generators and industrial or "shock treatment" ozone generators not only fail to find and remove the source of mold or building odors, in addition ozone concentrations generated by ionic air purifiers can exceed (industrial) levels permitted by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

On 2018-07-22 by (mod) - use ozone to get rid of "new car smell"?

There is a significant risk of making the chemical odors worse in the car or even of destroying it by an ozone overdose as we explain in this article series.

In clear sunny weather try leaving the car in the sun with windows open. Most new-car vinyl odors dissipate.

On 2018-07-22 06:32:09.404705 by Adelle

I bought a new Suburu about 9 months ago. It had a strong new car smell that has mostly dissipated. My husband is very sensitive to odors and says that he is still affected by the odors in the car.

They gave him a headache after a 5 minute drive. I was considering using an ozone generator to remove the odors but now wonder if I might just make things worse. Any thoughts?

On 2018-07-17 01:47:32.641588 by (mod) -

Larry,

Thank you for the interesting and helpful comment.

On 2018-07-16 16:56:19.285056 by larry

for those of you that have a issue with horrible smell coming from your ozone machine after running for along time on high, i can tell you to look at any rubber products around machine such as under a rug to keep it from slipping! do not be surprised to find rubber is now dust and gases from rubber have gone into walls and ceiling.

you will have to stain kill the entire area and repaint .

I even had to spray stain kill behind walls through the light switch box , by removing them . these machines should be illegal to sell !!!!!

it cost me thousands !

the MFG took it back as quick as they could get it in there hands! for fear of law suit

i had profession come out and they new as soon as they walked in door that the rotten egg smell was a result of ozone , an i had not told them i had one. They said they see it all the time

On 2018-07-16 07:03:01.863078 by Brian

I had an ozone treatment done at my apt while I was out of town, came home to that horrible sweet weird plasticy chemical smell, eyes and throat burning, etc. Bedroom carpet changed color, even with windows open and fans running the sick feeling in that apt was horrendous.

I quickly broke my lease and moved, taking only my washed clothes and an expensive Avocado brand organic latex mattress and organic latex pillows.

I abandoned a couch and other furniture. While moving all my clothes my vehicle wreaked of that ozone treatment.

My question is, for my new place, I'm still experiencing some symptoms and wondering if my mattress and clothes are continually oxidating??

I'm in a 1400 sq ft loft with bamboo floors and 14ft ceilings. Are my organic latex mattress and clothes that were subjected to the Ozone treatment still making me ill months down the road in a new place?

Thank you for any help.

On 2018-04-15 21:22:37.473375 by (mod) -

Start by finding the actual odor source:

Febreeze is an "air freshener" product that imparts a pleasant (to some consumers) odor to air (if it's sprayed in air), fabrics (if it's sprayed on fabrics), or to room air if you're using a semi-solid perfume (our word) dispenser as an air freshener.

First remove the sources: stop using the product whose odor you find objectionable.

Next use fresh air ventilation to dissipate odors. Sometimes we'll cycle heat up to warm the space to speed offgassing from surfaces that have absorbed an air-freshener odor, combined with fans, followed with fresh air ventilation (open the windows).

You can then try the nearly-free SMELL PATCH TEST KIT TO TRACK DOWN ODOR SOURCES (see live link at the suggested Recommended Articles links ) to isolate building surfaces that continue to emit an odor.

When you know which surfaces are the prime odor reservoirs, you know what needs to be cleaned or sealed.

On 2018-04-15 18:34:55.115398 by Kathleen

Hello, my question is HOW TO GET RID OF THE SMELL FROM FREBREZE. It is everywhere and whatever cleaning I've done thus far falls y the way side; nothing works. Sickening perfume smell/odor persists. Anyway to get rid of this & not cover it up. Continue to remain sick from all this. Thank you

On 2018-03-19 17:24:40.281637 by (mod) -

Gene

Ozone is in essence an oxidant. It might, if over-dosed in a crawl area, cause odors from oxidized materials to be released - more likely from other materials in the crawl area but I can't rule out materials at or very very close to the surface of the soil itself.

On 2018-03-19 03:45:32.494562 by Gene

What effect would an ozone machine have in a crawl space that is of heavy clay soil? Would the composition of the soil or bacteria in the soil release toxic smelling persistent fumes?

On 2018-02-18 03:03:08.610132 by (mod) -

It might be salvageable by stripping and re-finishing

On 2018-02-15 15:09:34.267958 by Peggy

If china cabinet has oxidized from too much ozone treatment...how do you remove ozone odor?

On 2017-12-20 19:46:24.714150 by James

Help! I am extremely sensitive to chemicals. We bought a minivan and the people had used air freshener. I put an ozone generator in for two hours, let it rest an hour, then another two hours. My guess is I overdid it. We took a trip and within an hour I started getting a headache. It smells slightly of ozone, and a strong, sharp, new car type smell. My wife doesn't like it, but doesn't get headaches.

I have left the windows open, etc. We have a long trip 13 hours heading north into cold weather, meaning I won't be able to have windows open. Is there anything I can do in the next couple days to reduce this problem? Please help. I really dread these headaches I get.

On 2017-12-13 05:12:24.958474 by (mod) -

We cannot know the risks that could be involved for a building of which we have no knowledge about air movement and the health Frailty of occupants. Usually you can operate an ozone generator inside of a home without affecting neighbors. However the right approach is to take that question to the manufacturer.

Watch out
A common problem that's brought to us is severe oxidation of building materials when someone overdoses and interior with ozone, causing a worse problem than before.

On 2017-12-13 04:17:23.658916 by Peaky blinder

I wanna use an ozone generator in am 1100 sq ft condoo unit to get rid of a curry odor left by the previous tenant. Is it safe to use when other tenanats are in their units. Its a 4 unit quad type building. Thanks , PK

On 2017-11-09 18:42:58.604927 by (mod) -

James,

Sometimes leaving windows open and vehicle in sunlight can help speed out off-gassing - that might help a bit.

On 2017-11-09 02:58:42.187183 by James

I have a bad allergy to chemicals. We just bought a used suv where the previous owner used air fresheners. I ran an ozone machine 2 hours in the vehicle, then another two hours. I know now it was a very bad idea.

The ozone smell wore off, but now there is an off gassing smell that is strong, and gave me a horrible headache. To remove everything would be impossible. Is there a way to recover cheaply?

I know I overdid it, and now have something worse than what I started with. I can't drive in it without the windows open no matter how cold.

On 2017-11-03 02:44:06.759162 by (mod) -

Roxanna

If the ozone treatment was not overdone then it may have temporarily reduced odors from mold if that's the other source. However it is unlikely that that would have found and removed the actual mold contamination or odor source.

On 2017-11-03 01:37:29.767548 by Roxanna

Our apartment had a musty smell when we moved in. The building was only about 6 months old. I thought maybe a new building smell, but after a bit I realized the smell wasn't going away. When I went out of town and opened my suitcase that had been sitting on the floor with clothes, they all smelled like the musty smell.

Over a couple months it faded, it still there. They came in today with an ozone machine and now it smells exactly like it did when we moved in. Any idea what it could be and be made worse from using the ozone machine? Thanks.

On 2017-10-06 01:41:58.000981 by DJ

I believe it is a chemical reaction between ozone and cleaning agent! Try renting a Odorox

On 2017-10-02 22:20:18.429987 by car problems - please help

Car detailer used chemicals inside car to get rid of pet smell. Then, closed the car while seats were wet and turned on ozone generator. 10 days later, the car still smells and driving it seems to give me sore throat.

On 2017-07-24 12:02:00.056558 by (mod) -

If that were my home, I would seal the cleaned and dried ceilings and walls with the type of sealant paint that is used after fire remediation.

When that paint has dried you can paint again with your desired color and texture finish paint. I have not had success with using ozone to remove cigarette odors that are coming from deposits that have permeated painted surfaces. And you are correct that overdosing can create a worse problem.

On 2017-07-23 01:25:52.273949 by Travis M

We just bought a home and found out the prior owners covered up that they smoked. After cleaning the pet urine smell with enzymes and sealing the floor and putting in new carpet we now can identify a lingering cigarette smell. We're pretty upset over it and have been trying to figure out how we can eliminate the smell.

Our home is 3,200 sqft and we've already washed the walls with vinegar and have been considering painting it all with a sealer. We came across using an ozone machine but after doing some research have seen a lot of good and bad about using them. I'm concerned now that we could oxidize our new carpet or other things and don't know how to use the right amount of ozone.

Do you have any guidance on what levels of ozone to use to get out smoking odors without harming our furniture, new carpet, or our clothes?

Would you recommend sealing everything instead? If the sealing didn't work I didn't want to trap the smell in the walls. Thank you!.

On 2017-05-16 19:43:49.972613 by (mod) - I brought my 2016 Honda Pilot to Honda Service for problem

Chris,

I cannot assess whether the Honda dealer service department acted within their scope of authorized responsibility or not, though in general I speculate that when we leave a vehicle with a dealer for repair we trust them to do what's necessary and to work with competence.

The problem of overdosing a vehicle with an ozone generator is common enough that we've had multiple reports from consumers and common enough that I suspect the risks of mis-use of the equipment are not well understood by many people who use it.

Regrettably in my experience, **IF** the odor problem in the care now is due to oxidized materials (carpets, seats, upholstery, head liner, carpet padding, for example) then it will be difficult if not impossible to cure the odor without complete removal and replacement of those materials - a process and cost that may not be reasonable.

It would make sense first to allow the car to be ventilated in fresh air and sunlight to see how much that helps the problem.

if that's not effective you might try using our SMELL PATCH TEST (search Inspectapedia for that phrase using the search box above) to find out which surfaces or materials seem to be the most problematic. That might allow for limited material replacement that will be sufficient.

Keep me posted as what you find will help other readers.

Daniel

On 2017-05-16 18:54:14.920843 by Chris Ann Schneider - treated the car with an ozone generator without my knowledge or consent,

I brought my 2016 Honda Pilot to Honda Service for problem with the A/C-defrost-heat not working properly and throwing off an odd smell when running. It has 19,000 miles and is under warranty. The tech completely messed up and instead of dealing with the actual problem of the smell when air system was running, treated the car with an ozone generator without my knowledge or consent, and without there being any problem whatsoever reported by me with any issues with an odor present in the cabin.

Now the vehicle is undrivable, with a caustic and overwhelming chemical smell. They've been "airing it out" but it is still unbearable. My 16 yo daughter has asthma and allergies, I have allergies, and being in the car for a short time on Friday after I picked it up caused irritated throats and headache. It is back at the dealer.

The tech said that he didn't know it would cause an odor and maybe I was just sensitive to it. I am trying to keep my emotions put of it. My questions are:

1. Are they allowed to use an ionization machine in my car without my consent?

2. To have this pronounced of a smell, did they use the machine incorrectly?

3. Is there any chance their error can be reversed and the smell will be removed and the vehicle will be safe for my daughter and I to travel in?

4. As the interior is all cloth, it seems from what I was able to read here that it might be irreversible?

5. Should I get a test of levels of any sort? I believe they may have negligently ruined my vehicle and need to educate myself before I talk to them further. I left them just a few hours ago, so I have no idea what they are going to say is their solution. Isthere any possible solution, and if so, how long would it take?
Thank you for any insight.

Reader Question: We also have had a very bad experience with use of Ozone generators.

5/18/2014 Sandy said:

We also have had a very bad experience with use of Ozone generators. We purchased a new condo last May and from the time we did our walk thru we noticed a faint odor as we entered. The builder blew it off as construction odors. After two months we shipped clothing to our second home and noticed a musty smell on everything.

We then noticed that our luggage and other personal belongings had also picked up an odor. We hired a company to do mold testing and they found no elevated mold spores.

The builder hired a remediation company to investigate the source of the odor.

They did thermal imaging, checked air handlers and checked all plumbing and could not determine the source so they tried to get rid of the odor by putting two ozone generators in our home for 4 days! This altered the odor and significantly increased it. Air testing after this showed high levels of VOCS in the house which we think was caused by the ozone oxidizing all the new carpet and furnishings in the home.

As recommended by and industrial hygienist we removed the carpet and all furnishings and tried 6 air purifiers with charcoal filters being changed every two days for a week and two weeks of a flush out process and the odor still remained.

We determined that the odor had permeated into the drywall so we have just had all the drywall sealed with a special primer and two coats of paint applied and we're hoping that this is the final solution after 6 months of dealing with this mess.

My husband has been bothered with severe eye irritations which we also believe is the result of this ozone treatment. We now have to determine how much of our furniture can be salvaged. We've been told that it will continue to off gas. Do you think this is possible and do you have any suggestions for eliminating any remaining odors from mattresses, upholstered and leather pieces. This is all new furniture valued at about $40,000.

Reply: stunning incompetence in mold remediation

Regrettably the procedure you describe as used by your remediation company is packed with improper and ineffective methods, providing a compelling example of in my opinion incompetence that wasted everyone's time and your money. These include:

• Thermal imaging to find mold: thermal imaging finds temperature differences, not mold. Water leaks that caused a hidden mold reservoir may not be present at the time of such scans so even tests for temperature differences ascribed to leaks cannot reliably find mold contamination. This approach is as useless as using a light meter to find energy loss in buildings.
• Dosing a home with ozone to "get rid of mold-related odors" is ineffective and dangerous, because it does not find the mold (which may still produce toxic spores, harmful MVOCs), does not remove the mold, and does not find and fix the cause of mold growth in the building. Without those steps the problem of mold odors is likely to recur. What the ozone generators for mold remediation do provide is an easy profit: just stop by and set up a machine and leave it running. More or less a "magic bullet" approach that's not a useful approach.
• Overdosing with ozone can oxidize materials causing futher odor problems.

The solution at this point is

• Find and remove the mold problem and fix its cause.
• Identify and remove materials that were oxidized so as to produce noxious odors.
• Clean and where necessary, possibly seal affected building surfaces that must remain in place.

Reader Question: We left the ozone machine running and are now left with a strong chemical smell

(May 6, 2014) L.K. said:

We purchased second hand furniture for my sons room that smelled like smoke. A friend gave us an ozone generator to eliminate the smell.

Unfortunately, we did not know much about ozone. We left it running on high in his room for many hours and now are left with a strong chemical smell. Upon doing research, we now realize that ozone is unsafe and have sealed off the room and had windows open and fan running for a week. However, the smell still lingers and gives us a headache to even walk into the room.

I am concerned for my 8 year old son to move back into that room and he is concerned for all his belongings! We have small children as well as a newborn.

How do we keep them all safe once this toxic gas is already in the house? How do we eliminate it? No one seems to know much about ozone or how to get rid of it once it is present. Please help! We are very concerned. - L.K. [reader anonymity protected]

Reply:

Sorry to read you're another victim of over-dosing a room with ozone.

The ozone itself is very volatile and will be long gone if you turned off the equipment and aired out the room.

The smell that remains is probably from oxidized materials, possibly carpeting, padding, foam cushions or something else. That outgassing odor tends to continue for a long time. The solution is usually to identify exactly what is giving off the odor and dispose of it.

See our SMELL PATCH TEST procedure linked to throughout this article.

for an inexpensive and easy way to track down the offending material.

Keep us posted.

Reader Follow-up:

Thank you so much for your response! We had contacted home inspectors, EMT, Poison Control, doctors etc and no one knew anything about ozone! I am glad we found someone who is knowledgeable in the area, as I have been very concerned.

Here are the circumstances of our situation.

The ozone generator was left on high in a small bedroom for aprox 6 hours. The door was sealed, the AC vent closed, the window opened and ceiling fan on. Upon turning off the machine, there was a terrible smell and we had to run out of the room. We got headaches instantly. We then left the ceiling fan on, door sealed, windows opened and box fan blowing out the window, for a week.

However, the room still has a sweet – like, artificial smell to it. There is no carpet in the room. Just a bed, dresser, closet full of spare pillows and blankets, and lots of stuffed animals and toys. The clothing that I retrieved from the room continue to have the same artificially sweet smell even after washing them several times. I got a headache once again from just entering for a moment even after a week of airing out, and every morning I now wake up with a sore throat.

We have small children including a newborn and I worry for their health. I keep all the bedroom windows cracked open every night.

The website was very helpful. However, after reading I am a bit confused. I have several questions.

You mentioned in your response that the ozone would be gone by now.

· Is that “sweet” smell the smell of ozone?

· If the ozone doesn’t stay around, why do I still smell it? And why do I still get a headache?

· Are the dangers of exposure only referring to the actual time when the generator is on, or are there dangers in the lingering smells from the ozone machine? Is that smell toxic as well? Why did people say they had to throw out all their belongings or leave their home, if there was no danger once the machine is off?

· How do I know the ozone level in that room? Is there a way to measure it? Is there a machine/purifier to take ozone out of the air or a way to detox the room and belongings?

· Do I need to throw out everything in the room if it continues to have this smell? Is it safe for my son to sleep in there? Safe for infant to be exposed to?

· What department does this topic fall under and why doesn’t anyone else seem to know anything about it?!

Reply:

My intention suggesting the smell patch test was to try and focus on what is the source of the horrible odors ensuing from overdosing with ozone - the oxidized materials. If you can relate one or more of your smell patch tests to the odor that was bothering you in the first place you know what needs to be tossed out (as oxidized materials usually won't be much deodorized by washing or dry cleaning).

Other odor sources can usually be cleaned successfully, or cleaned then sealed.

Reader follow-up:

Is the odor caused by oxidized materials toxic as well?

At this point, the smell left behind in the pillows, blankets and clothing don't seem to bother anyone (or be noticeable to anyone) but me. So I am wondering if it would be harmful to keep my sons clothing etc once I've washed them several times and the smell is very faint - L.K.

Reply:

Possibly, the odors you smell are harmful in any of a variety of ways: respiratory irritant, or even toxic. One can't say what's toxic or not with not any idea of what was oxidized.

L.K. as people vary in their sensitivity to odors and chemicals and as we're talking vague generalities here "clothing" and "faint smells" niether I nor anyone can by e-texting reliably assess risks to your family.

I would agree that if you are confident that a noxious odor remains and that you can't get rid of it by laundering or cleaning, and if by comparison with other non-ozone-exposed items made of the same material you can confirm that the odor of the offending items truly is due to the ozone treatment, then your choices are to tolerate the odor or dispose of those items.

Question: how do I get rid of high ozone concentrations produced by a spark generator

How do you rid a room of highly concentrated ozone produced by a spark generator?? 400sq ft, various items of wood furniture, paneling, bed with foam mattress, etc?? - Charles 12/2/11

Reply: if you smell ozone it's probably unsafe; if you smell something else later it may be due to an ozone treatment "overdose"

Charles, in the article above we make suggestions for getting rid of ozone smells indoors. If you are inside of an enclosed space while ozone is being generated at levels that you can smell, it is unsafe.

And ozone is ozone. It doesn't matter how it's produced: by spark generator or any other means, the molecules are the same. What does vary among ozone treatments and the people who use them, are

• the level of ozone gas reached in an enclosed space and
• the duration of the ozone exposure in that space

Actually unless you are smelling ozine while you are in an enclosed space while ozone is being generated (something that is most likely unsafe), you are not smelling ozone - it's very volatile and doesn't hang around. So the ozone itself, and its characteristic odor, will dissipate rapidly, minutes to hours, of fresh air ventilating of the space where ozone was produced.

Most complaints we receive are from lingering odors after an ozone overdose of an indoor area in an attempt to remove smells.

An "ozone treatment overdose" is my general term for applying ozone at levels or at a duration long enough to cause chemical changes, probably oxidation, of other indoor materials (carpets, curtains, foam cushions, plastics) that in turn leaves a lingering, obnoxious odor that just doesn't go away satisfactorily. Please review the article above and you'll see an outline of how we suggest you proceed.

Question: I have asthma and was exposed to ozone in an enclosed space for a few minutes.Will that cause health problems?

I have asthma and was in a closed room with the ozone machine working for a few minutes, would that cause me health problems in the future? - Sandy 10/26/11

Reply: a brief exposure to low levels of ozone should not cause lasting health problems for most people, but some are at extra risk

Sandy,

No one give a "for sure answer" to your question about ozone exposure based on a text note; your doctor would have to do that based on an examination.

At 3 STEPS to ASSESS POSSIBLE HARM from OZONE GAS O₃ EXPOSURE we summarize a reasonable approach to assessing possible complaints ascribed to ozone exposure, starting with a consult with your doctor and we describe the TLV point for ozone below which no expert expects there to be an injury or ozone-related complaint (given certain exposure duration assumptions).

At OZONE TOXICITY we report that

Exposure to a level you can smell or exposure to ozone over long periods at levels greater than 0.05 ppm for 24 hours at a time is likely to be dangerous: [3] Health hazards to humans and animals occur and can be severe at ozone levels used for indoor cleaning purposes.

At least some people can smell levels of ozone down to 0.05 ppm. This odor-detection level is already half-way to the recommended limit. If you are generating ozone indoors, even at "low" levels a problem may be present.

People become desensitized to odors in a short time, perhaps 20 minutes. So if you do not smell it, the ozone level could still be hazardous.

As with any potentially harmful or irritating substance exposure, the risk is a function of several variables including

• The health, genetics, medical history etc of the individual
• The level of exposure and duration of the exposure
• See Ozone Gas Exposure Hazards for quantitative levels and permissible exposure limits (PELS) for ozone.
• See 3 STEPS to ASSESS POSSIBLE HARM from OZONE GAS O₃ EXPOSURE

This means that even a brief exposure to very high levels of ozone could injure someone. Of course now, after the fact, you will most likely have no idea of what the actual level of your ozone exposure was.

But in general, a brief exposure to a closed room "for a few minutes" is very very unlikely to produce a measurable future health problem provided

• The ozone generating machine was working normally - if you did not smell a strong ozone odor it was most likely working properly
• You didn't experience any adverse reaction at or close to the time of exposure - to me no initial reaction combined with my first point would suggest that you did not have an acute exposure to ozone.

Ultimately this is a question you need to discuss with your doctor or with a pulmonologist who knows your medical history.

Thanks for the question. Keep us posted on what your doctor says - that will surely assist other readers. .

Question: Spark generated ozone is not the same as UV generated ozone and my ozone is safe

This article represents spark generated Ozone. Long doses of this method can be detrimental with nitros oxide. UV generated ozone in high levels "DOES NOT" cause collateral damage and it would have to be left at super high levels for a over a week to have an affect on carpet or building materials. In ranges near 150PPM it is 100% effective on killing mold with exposure times over 6 hours and 99.996% of all bacteria.

When the treatment is over the ozone converts back to oxygen 'O2' and the clean smell is gone within 2 days. I have independent test results to prove it and detailed personal and business experience using it. Most articles I have read have been by mold remediation contractors that would take a major blow to their profits because they would not be able to rent their equipment to insurance companies. If a building is wet of course it needs to be dried and sheetrock removed.

There is no need however to tear a house apart because there is mold present on dry sheetrock. I challenge anyone to a significant 'bet' that can prove otherwise. Brent - 9/29/11

Ditto- DCW.

Reply:

Thanks for your comment, Brent. We note that you appear to disagree with the U.S. EPA as well as the fundamentals of chemistry, science, and other authoritative sources cited above and below as well as with our own extensive field experience with severe odors and damaged building materials following over-use of ozone as a cure all for building smells or mold.

Brent, there is almost nothing correct in what you say in claiming that how ozone is generated affects the potential toxicity or volatility of the ozone molecules.

Ozone is O₃ , a molecule that is identical regardless of how it was generated. At this point with so many years of expert research on this topic, there isn't much room for arm-waving challenges, bets, and assertions.

We agree that ozone is highly volatile and does not stay around in buildings. We also agree that ozone, precisely because of that extra oxygen molecule, is highly volatile and can oxidize other molecules. It is precisely that volatility that can result in overdosing a building or car or other enclosed space and its contents, apparently oxidizing materials and causing related problems.

And please compare your 150PPM concentration of ozone with the recommended industry standards, limits, exposure limits, etc. See OZONE EXPOSURE STANDARDS where you will see that your recommended dosage levels are enormously higher than any recommended human exposure.

DCW: in the most elementary chemistry class one learns that an ozone molecule is identical regardless of how it is generated. What may vary is the ozone level reached in an enclosed space, and the duration of exposure of the space to that gas.

Ozone or O3, or "trioxygen" is a molecule made of three oxygen atoms. In this form, and referred to as an "allotrope" of oxygen, ozone is an unstable gas - that means it breaks down into oxygen molecules.

While ozone is helpful in the upper atmosphere (filtering out UV light rays), in lower atmosphere, or in buildings, it is an air pollutant that is harmful to humans and other animals, and a gas that can oxidize or "burn" plants or various materials found indoors.

Ozone is widely used in industry in a variety of applications and can be of significant benefit and use when applied properly. Improper use of ozone is a topic of discussion in this and related articles for which we provide citations.

Question: who says Ozone can be dangerous?

I think these claims about the hazards of ozone are made-up. Tim / 2011

8/11/2014 Anonymous said:

I am a 72 year old white male. I have no significant health problem. I have had an ozone machine running in my 1300 ft.sq home for 30 years, 24/7. I live in a humid southern climate next to a river and a large swamp. In the beginning, it killed a small patch of mold next to a window and it has never come back.

There is no mold elsewhere in my house. If these machines were dangerous I would be dead by now. I dont see how an odor can linger because it completely dissipates in about 15 minutes after you turn it off which I have done just to see the effects.

Once the third electron comes in contact with anything, dust, mold, virus, bacteria, it reverts back to O2, regular oxygen. I know it is very dangerous to the bottom like of Big Pharma.

They have convinced the FDA to indicate in papers that it is dangerous. I have a friend who bought one. He has asthma. He didnt have an attack for eight months of using the machine.

Then he read about the FDA's report on the 'dangers'. He quit using the machine and is back to seeing the doctor for his asthma attacks. I am not a doctor but I am reporting my own experience and condition. After 30 years of ozone machine use, I am probably the youngest looking, healthiest guy you ever saw at my age. So how do we know that most or all of these conditions listed here arent from other causes or other conditions?

If you took me for an example it would certainly blow all these contradictions out of the water.

Furthermore, my wife is from Charleston, WV and I used to tell her she had terminal allergies.

That is chemical city down in a valley with Union Carbide and other chemical plants blowing alarms and releasing chemicals on a regular basis. After moving south she continued to have the allergies. After the ozone machine, none.

She had tried everything, over the counter and homeopathic,nothing had helped. You say what you want and people can do what they want but I stand firm in my beliefs on this issue.

Reply:

Tim and Anonymous: please read again with more care, including the US EPA and other citations at the end of this and each Ozone-related article at this website. While anonymous is certainly entitled to his beliefs, they are just that, beliefs, not credible science.

This article includes fourteen citations regarding ozone hazards. And above in the FAQs we refer readers to OSHA and other sources who set standards for allowable ozone exposure. Those articles contain hundreds of additional source citations.

And like the US EPA, InspectAPedia is an independent publisher of building, environmental, and forensic inspection, diagnosis, and repair information provided free to the public - we have no business nor financial connection with any manufacturer or service provider discussed at our website.

Question: How to treat a person [who] inhaled ozone? ... chest pain

(May 8, 2014) Jorge said: Bought an imported portable generator ozone, a concentration of 400mg / h of ozone as equals in ppm? How to treat a person inhaled ozone? And this with chest pain and lack of air 2 weeks?

Reply:

Jorge,

The treatment question you ask required consulting with a physician who has expertise in environmental medicine and will e
Surely involve a medical examination and some diagnosis before any treatment is discussed. No one should prescribe treatment in a Q&A forum.

To address your other question, I don't thnk one can immediately translate mg. of a substance into ppm in air. That's because the concentration of a substance in air that results from release of a quantity of that substance depends o.

Where it is released, or more specifically, the volume of the space and the fresh air intake or air exchange rate of the space. Releasing 400 mg of a substance into a closed shoebox produces a much higher ppm concentration in air in the shoebox than releasing the same quantity into an auditorium.

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Recommended Articles

• OZONE AIR PURIFIER WARNINGS
• OZONE HAZARDS - home
• OZONE MOLD / ODOR TREATMENT WARNINGS
• OZONE SHOCK TREATMENTS NOT RECOMMENDED

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OZONE ODOR TREATMENT FAQs-2 at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.

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INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to BUILDING ODOR DIAGNOSIS & CURE

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