Ozone generators & Ozone based air purifiers & air cleaners:

Do ozone generators and air purifiers work? Are ozone generators, mold treatments, deodorizers, and air purifiers recommended? As reported by the U.S. EPA, ozone generators that are sold as air cleaners intentionally produce the gas ozone.

Often the vendors of ozone generators make statements and distribute material that lead the public to believe that these devices are always safe and effective in controlling indoor air pollution. Page to photo: one of our ozone gas detector test instruments using a Draeger bellows pump and a colorimetric gas sampling tube.

Are Ozone-Based Air Purifiers or Air Cleaners Effective, Safe, Recommended?

Ozone generators that are sold as air cleaners intentionally produce the gas ozone. Often the vendors of ozone generators make statements and distribute material that lead the public to believe that these devices are always safe and effective in controlling indoor air pollution.

For almost a century, health professionals have refuted these claims (Sawyer, et. al 1913; Salls, 1927; Boeniger, 1995; American Lung Association, 1997; Al-Ahmady, 1997).- U.S. EPA cited in detail below.

Article Contents

• OZONE AIR PURIFIER WARNINGS
  • BEST WAYS to REMOVE an INDOOR ODOR or CONTAMINANT
  • OZONE GENERATING AIR CLEANERS ARE NOT RECOMMENDED as a Mold Treatment
  • HOW is INDOOR OZONE GAS HARMFUL?
  • REACTIONS & NEW PROBLEMS FROM OZONE GENERATORS USED INDOORS to REMOVE ODORS
  • OZONE GENERATOR AIR CLEANERS & INDOOR AIR CHEMISTRY

For almost a century, health professionals have refuted these claims (Sawyer, et. al 1913; Salls, 1927; Boeniger, 1995; American Lung Association, 1997; Al-Ahmady, 1997). The purpose of this document is to provide accurate information regarding the use of ozone-generating devices in indoor occupied spaces. This information is based on the most credible scientific evidence currently available.

In inspecting and testing many buildings we often encounter both owners and consultants who try to solve an existing problem by treating the symptom (for example an odor) rather than by treating the cause (a dead animal, for example, or insufficient fresh air intake, for another example).

The best ways to get rid of an indoor odor or airborne particle contaminant are:

1. Find and remove the odor source or problem particle source (such as dust, pet allergens, mold).
2. Make sure there is adequate fresh air intake for the building
3. Use high quality air filtration to reduce the level of circulating dust indoors.

The proper way to get rid of an indoor mold problem is to remove the problem mold and correct the conditions that caused it to grow. Attempts to rely on odor killers, mold killers, deodorants, or ozone generators are futile and may be harmful. Details follow.

Ozone-generating Air Cleaners are NOT RECOMMENDED to "Purify" Indoor Air and NOT RECOMMENDED as a Mold Treatment

Ozone Indoors - Bottom line: 

At airborne concentrations of ozone which are safe, that is, are unlikely to be a hazard to humans, ozone is ineffective at removing contaminants.

At high levels in indoor air, ozone is likely to be hazardous to building occupants, and in our direct experience its use at high levels indoors can lead to surprise chemical reactions and oxidations of other building materials that in turn lead to new indoor odor, VOC, and other problems.

Notice: our discussion of the ineffectiveness of ozone as an indoor air cleaner and the potential hazards of indoor use of ozone for deodorizing, cleaning, or killing mold, is focused on the issues surrounding ozone and equipment that produces it indoors. AHAM , The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, certifies the effectiveness of various types of portable air cleaners.

Some vendors suggest that ozone-generating devices have been approved by the federal government for use in occupied spaces. This is not the case.

Watch out: The U.S. EPA emphasizes in its own publications that

NO agency of the federal government has approved these [ozone generating] devices for use in occupied spaces.

Because of these claims, and because ozone can cause health problems at high concentrations, several federal government agencies have worked in consultation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to produce this public information document.

How is Indoor Ozone Gas Harmful to People

The same chemical properties that allow high concentrations of ozone to react with organic material outside the body give it the ability to react with similar organic material that makes up the body, and potentially cause harmful health consequences. When inhaled, ozone can damage the lungs (see - "Ozone and Your Health" - www.epa.gov/airnow/brochure.html ).

Relatively low amounts can cause chest pain, coughing, shortness of breath, and, throat irritation.

Ozone may also worsen chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma and compromise the ability of the body to fight respiratory infections. People vary widely in their susceptibility to ozone. Healthy people, as well as those with respiratory difficulty, can experience breathing problems when exposed to ozone.

Exercise during exposure to ozone causes a greater amount of ozone to be inhaled, and increases the risk of harmful respiratory effects.

Recovery from the harmful effects can occur following short-term exposure to low levels of ozone, but health effects may become more damaging and recovery less certain at higher levels or from longer exposures (US EPA, 1996a, 1996b).

Manufacturers and vendors of ozone devices often use misleading terms to describe ozone.

Terms such as "energized oxygen" or "pure air" suggest that ozone is a healthy kind of oxygen. Ozone is a toxic gas with vastly different chemical and toxicological properties from oxygen. Several federal agencies have established health standards or recommendations to limit human exposure to ozone.

Ozone-generating Air Cleaners Used to Remove Odors May Produce Excessive levels of Ozone Gas and May Cause Problematic Chemical Reactions with Other Building Contents

Ozone is a highly toxic gas but even highly toxic substances can be encountered safely. The main concern with this material is that concentrations to which people are exposed do not average more than 0.1 ppm over an 8-hr day, and do not exceed that value by more than a factor of 2 or 3 during the exposure." [1]

While expert use of ozone can be successful in some deodorizing applications, we have received primarily complaints from people who tried using ozone to get rid of indoor odors only to find that they had made things worse.

Question on Getting Rid of New Smells After Using an Ozone Generator Indoors:

I was hoping that you may have some suggestions on how to rid a house of the left over odor or chemicals, from using an ozone generator.

It's a long story, but I used a high powered ozone generator in my house, to get rid of skunk smell. Now I can't get rid of the left over nitric oxide, or whatever odor or gases, that linger in my house. I have been leaving the windows open every day, with running the heat on high (85 degrees) at night, to try to force off-gas the odors/gases.

All I can find is where others have had the same thing happen, and they ended up having to leave their homes. we are still hoping I can find a way to rid my house of the problem. - Nadine -

Answer:

We have investigated a number of post-ozone treatment complaints and have been able to resolve the problem successfully, but not always at low cost. Ozone gas itself is very reactive - an oxidant. It does not stay around long after it has been generated in a building unless there is a continuing source such as an ozone generator still at work.

But when high levels of ozone have been produced in an enclosed space, we find that other materials in the space become partly oxidized, subsequently giving off horrible, often chemical-like odors. We have traced odors to painted surfaces, furniture, upholstery, curtains, carpeting, carpet padding, and other materials.

Try making a smell-patch test -

see SMELL PATCH TEST to FIND ODOR SOURCE to determine just which building component has been oxidized.

Following this procedure we can often narrow down the source of post-ozone-treatment smells to a single material that can then be removed or remedied, such as carpet padding or a specific piece of furniture.

More about tracking down odors in buildings is

at ODORS, SMELLS, GASES IN BUILDINGS-DIAGNOSIS & CURE

Ozone-Generating Air Cleaners and Indoor Air Chemistry

The following data is obtained from "Ozone-Generating Air Cleaners and Indoor Air Chemistry" , a U.S. EPA Document

Ozone-generating air cleaners are marketed to homeowners as well as business establishments ostensibly to remove odors and other contaminants from indoor air.

IEMB has characterized ozone and oxides of nitrogen (NO_x) emissions from these devices in full-scale environmental chamber tests and characterized performance in a research test house.

To date, findings demonstrate that, for those models tested, ozone generation rates are generally within the ranges stated by the manufacturers and some models have the capacity to generate ozone concentrations of 200 parts per billion (ppb) in the test house, well above EPA's 8-hour ambient ozone standard of 80 ppb.

Additionally, ozone and nitrogen dioxide emission rates increase with decreasing relative humidity, and the relationship between ozone emission rate and NO_x generation rate varies between different models of different manufacturers.

Ozone-generating air cleaners equipped with an ozone sensor/controller designed to prevent activation of the ozone generator at concentrations above 50 ppb performed erratically in full-scale chamber tests but appeared to perform as designed in limited short-term (24 h) tests in a research test house.

We [the U.S. EPA] conclude that more extensive testing is needed to characterize the sensor/controller.

However, tests in the research test house clearly demonstrate that these devices are capable of producing ozone concentrations well above those of accepted health guidelines.

IEMB is currently investigating the impact of ozone generators on concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in indoor environments. These experiments investigate the chemical reactions that take place when an ozone-generating air cleaner is operated in the presence of emissions from a typical source of VOCs, such as an air freshener or cleaning product.

Results demonstrate that the ozone-generating air cleaners have little impact on airborne concentrations of solvents used in consumer products, but do impact concentrations of many of the fragrance compounds emitted by this type of product.

Reaction products include formaldehyde and other oxygenated organics.

The interaction between ozone and some of the product emissions, such as terpenes, triggers formation of ultra fine particles. IEMB is currently refining analytical approaches to better characterize the "soup" of particles and gases that results from operation of these devices in the presence of VOCs.

Ozone Air Purifier Air Cleaner Research

• Health Canada, RESIDENTIAL INDOOR AIR QUALITY GUIDELINE: OZONE [PDF] - retrieved 2022/06/26 original source: https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/publications/healthy-living/residential-indoor-air-quality-guideline-ozone.html
• U.S. EPA, OZONE GENERATORS THAT ARE SOLD AS AIR CLEANERS [PDF] (2014) - retrieved 2022/05/26 original source: https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/ozone-generators-are-sold-air-cleaners
  Excerpt from Introduction:
  Ozone generators that are sold as air cleaners intentionally produce the gas ozone. Often the vendors of ozone generators make statements and distribute material that lead the public to believe that these devices are always safe and effective in controlling indoor air pollution.
  
  For almost a century, health professionals have refuted these claims (Sawyer, et. al 1913; Salls, 1927; Boeniger, 1995; American Lung Association, 1997; Al-Ahmady, 1997).
  
  The purpose of this document is to provide accurate information regarding the use of ozone-generating devices in indoor occupied spaces. This information is based on the most credible scientific evidence currently available.
  
  Some vendors suggest that these devices have been approved by the federal government for use in occupied spaces.
  
  To the contrary, NO agency of the federal government has approved these devices for use in occupied spaces. Because of these claims, and because ozone can cause health problems at high concentrations, several federal government agencies have worked in consultation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to produce this public information document.
• Chen, Wenhao, Jianshun S. Zhang, and Zhibin Zhang. PERFORMANCE OF AIR CLEANERS FOR REMOVING MULTIPLE VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS IN INDOOR AIR [PDF]
  
  ASHRAE transactions 111, no. 1 (2005): 1101-1114. [PDF] 2018/11/04 ret: www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360132317301592
  
  Abstract: Fifteen air cleaners, representing different technologies and types of devices, were tested with a mixture of 16 representative VOCs (17 VOCs in tests for products associated with ozone generation) in a full-scale stainless steel chamber by using a “pull-down” test method. Their initial performance was evaluated in terms of single-pass efficiency (η) and the clean air delivery rate (CADR).
  
  Technologies evaluated include sorption filtration, ultraviolet-photocatalytic oxidation (UV-PCO), ozone oxidation, air ionization (plasma decomposition), and botanical air cleaning. Based on test results, the relative effectiveness of the available technologies tested and the effect of product configuration and VOC properties on the VOC removal efficiencies are analyzed.
  
  The implication of test results on the development of a standard test method for performance evaluation of gas-phase air cleaners is also discussed briefly in this paper.
• Guieysse, Benoit, Cecile Hort, Vincent Platel, Raul Munoz, Michel Ondarts, and Sergio Revah. "Biological treatment of indoor air for VOC removal: Potential and challenges." Biotechnology advances 26, no. 5 (2008): 398-410.
• Yang, Dong Sik, Svoboda V. Pennisi, Ki-Cheol Son, and Stanley J. Kays. "Screening indoor plants for volatile organic pollutant removal efficiency." HortScience 44, no. 5 (2009): 1377-1381.
• Yoo, Mung Hwa, Youn Jung Kwon, Ki-Cheol Son, and Stanley J. Kays. "Efficacy of indoor plants for the removal of single and mixed volatile organic pollutants and physiological effects of the volatiles on the plants." Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science 131, no. 4 (2006): 452-458.

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Reader Q&A - also see RECOMMENDED ARTICLES & FAQs

On 2018-11-04 - by (mod) -

Andrea and Haz

I don't know for certain Haz, but certainly I would agree that there must be some harmful gases or chemicals that we don't smell; furthermore normally the olfactory section of the human brain, when exposed to signals from continuous exposure to any odor, ultimately begins to tune out a response - in other words you stop noticing the odor. So "odorless" is also a bit subjective.

Andrea:

Please see your question and a detailed reply at the end of the article just above. You may need to refresh or clear your browser cache.

On 2018-11-04 by Hazemach

Is there chance of odorless toxic compounds being produced via reaction with carpet, paint, etc?

On 2017-06-19 by Andrea

We live near Los Angeles and on some days the ozone levels are much higher than others. We live in a tiny efficiency--just 180sf. We air out the place very early in the morning before there is much traffic and while the ozone levels are low.

However, just opening the door several times a day and running the bathroom fan during showers brings in outdoor air through breezy door "seal." How much plant leaf surface area should I have in the form of houseplants indoors to do a good job of removing ozone from this tiny home? I have outdoor plants that I can bring inside, with the limitation being space to place them.

I also have a basil plant that is very healthy and bushy and that I keep near my OttLite full spectrum desk lamp.

We will be moving to a 2BR, 2.5BA duplex with a garage below, so that adds the potential for small amounts of exhaust to seep into the home if they remain after the garage door is shut. Other than airing things out and outfitting the home with lots of plants, is there anything else I can do?

I thought I'd tighten the seal on the inside garage door and air out as usualy when the O3 is at it's lowest level.

On 2017-04-06 - by (mod) -

At this point you'll need to find which surfaces or items (rugs, upholstered furniture, painted wall or ceiling surfaces) are the odor source and remove or seal them.

And of course ventilate.

Use the on-page search box at the top or bottom of this page to find our SMELL PATCH TEST PROCEDURE for an easy way to do that.

On 2017-04-06 by Lizryan15@gmail.com

A restoration contractor has used 3 commercial ozone generators and unsmoke degrease all and Odor x 9 D-9.The generators were run for 72 hrs. straight turned off cleaned with above products. The smell in my home so bad I went to hospital for eyes and nose irritation. We are removing all furniture, rugs everything is reacting.

Any ideas when chemical reactions will stop. So far we have been out of house for 1 month.
Any thoughts
Thank you!#

On 2016-08-15 - by (mod) - exposure to ozone indoors from a generator is unsafe and not recommend by anyone

Angela:

As we warn in this article series, un-biased experts including the US EPA and Health Canada have been fighting the ozone-machine crowd for about a century, rebutting inaccurate or misleading claims about its benefits or its ability to clean indoor air.

While no one can diagnose your shortness of breath, coughing, illness based on an e-text, it's reasonable that if you were exposed to high levels of ozone your lungs might be affected, not to mention the worse effects of smoking and ozoning yourself in a small room.

You should consult with your doctor, review your complaint, case history, and all of the other questions the doc is going to ask; your doc may in turn refer you to a pulmonologist. Tell them that as per the product information you collected you may have been exposed to ozone at high concentrations in a small room.

In the live link at Recommended Articles see ARTICLE INDEX to BUILDING ODOR DIAGNOSIS & CURE

where you will find links to a complete series of articles on use of ozone in residential environments, homes, apartments, etc. including information on the effects of ozone exposure.

On 2016-08-15 by Angela - injured by staying in room with ozone generator

I visited Las Vegas last week and stayed in a really nice high end casino/hotel. I made reservations months ahead for a non smoking room, however, when I arrived to check in, I was told all they had was a smoking room. I didn't want it but the person man insisted that the rooms didn't smell. He also said they can accommodate us with an oxygen machine to purify the air...so I agreed to take the room and proceeded to check in.

Well long story short, I placed the ozone generator in the restroom and was on most of the time we were there...wich was 3 nights and 4 days. We stepped out of the room only for about 4 or 5 hours a day.

I was in the bathroom a lot, I spent hours at a time in there...in the jacuzzi, shower,getting ready (I take over 2 hours ) or smoking, since my boyfriend doesn't smoke and doesn't exactly like me to neither. So when I went in there to smoke with the machine on, I would place it on the counter and sit close to it

I was amazed at the effectiveness of this machine and took a picture of the make,model,and even the website. Anyways,in the following days I was there, I was feeling really sick, couldn't stop coughing, I couldn't breathe, I felt extreme pressure in my chest, I was very dizzy with a bad headache and when we left the room to attend an event we had to climb a couple of flights of stairs, and I couldn't breathe and was close to passing out

. I didn't know the least bit or even suspect it had anything to do with this machine, I had never even heard of them until earlier today when I came online and looked up the website to purchase one. So I decided to do a little research and kinda shop around for a good price.

Then I started reading up more information and the health risks and what not. Well my symptoms are still there and I have this persistent cough that won't go away, not to mention this pain in my chest and lungs. So at this point I'm quite concerned considering the amount of time I spent in a small room with this machine on at its highest capacity.

I copied the following information from the website and copied it on here for the make and model.

Thanks in advanced and I really hope I can get some answers in regards to my concerns.

Rainbowair Activator 500 Series II, Ozone Generator (5200-II)
Rainbowair Ozone Generator
Rainbowair
Price: $425.00
Product ID : 5200-II
Manufacturer: Rainbowair
Weight: 11.00 lbs
0 review(s)

Description : Rainbowair 500 Series II Ozone Generator

Designed specifically for the hotel industry, this is the ozone generator unit of choice for the hotels across North America and abroad.

* Series II technology ensures years of reliable performance
* Variable ozone output up to 500 mg/hr output, 0.3 amps at maximum output
* 1 hour timer
* 5,000 sq/ft treatable area
* 115 CFM air movement
* 6' removable power cord
* 12 lbs. • 12" x 7" x 9" (LxHxW)
* All ozone generator models available in 110 or 220 volt configurations
* 5 year warranty on parts and labor (6 months on ozone generator plates), safety switches, steel or aluminum cabinetry, powder coat finish
* Shipment made worldwide
* Made in the USA

Watch out: IMPORTANT: OZONE IN HIGH LEVELS IS NOT RECOMMENDED FOR OCCUPIED AREAS. IF YOU ARE UNSURE AS TO WHICH OZONE UNIT IS THE BEST CHOICE FOR YOUR APPLICATION PLEASE CONTACT CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1-877-646-9663.

Rainbowair Activator 500 Series-II Spec Sheet

What are the benefits of Ozone?

Ozone is very effective in eliminating odors including tobacco smoke, human and pet odors, food odors, mold and mildew odors, garbage odors, renovation odors and much more

It is not a re-odorant. It totally destroys the offending gases that are the source of everything we smell. Unlike many other deodorizing methods, ozone actually searches out and destroys the problem gases.

It will react with contaminants in the air, water, fabrics and on other surface of the walls and ceilings. Unlike other types of air purification systems, an ozone generator does not depend on the air passing through the machine to do its job. Ozone generators also produce large quantities of ions via the corona discharge.

The ions cause the dust particles to agglomerate, and precipitate from the air leaving a cleaner environment.

What are the benefits of using negative Ions?

The negative ions cause microscopic particles (particulates) floating in a room, that often cause people to have allergic reactions, to clump together and fall to the floor where they can be vacuumed up. This is due to an electrostatic charge between the negative ions and other air molecules and particles in the air.

Negative ionizers have been used for years to help rid closed indoor environments of allergens such as dust particles, animal dander, pollen, mold spores, cigarette smoke, cigar smoke, particulate matter, etc. floating in the air.

According to the book, The Ion Effect, negative ions are effective for allergies, asthma, catarrh, hay fever, sinusitis, eczema, burns, emphysema, and even as a substitute for tranquilizers. It was discovered that negative ions balance serotonin in the body, and this explains why people tend to feel more alert, stable and energized in the presence of negative ions.

Recommended Maintenance Kit: RAKIT-52-II - rainbowair ozone generator maintenance kit

Any device that pulls air through it requires cleaning and or preventative maintenance. Consider heating and air conditioning systems,automobile air filters, room air cleaners, etc.

Rainbowair Activator ozone generators also require occasional maintenance to keep them operating at peak performance.

On 2015-09-17 by Lori

can an ozone producing air cleaner cause items in the home to become sticky?

Question: Apartment manager treated my apartment with ozone generator, ruined carpet, killed my plants, I have chest pain

I was told by an apartment manager when I moved in to my new apartment that it was a smoke free facility and when I was ready to move in,I went in the apartment they had for me and it smelled of cigarette smoke. I told her that I had allergies to cigarette smoke, so I couldn't move in and she said that they would repaint and clean the carpet so that I could move in.

Originally she told me that if any of the residents had smoked in their apartments that they would replace the carpet and they didn't do that for me. What I found out later is that there had been two chain smokers that had lived in this apartment. So they said they would put an ozonator in here and that the smell would go away and said it was okay for me to be in the apt while it was on.

I have had chest pain on my right lung now for three months and have no energy and am having a very hard time seeing specialists because of this. She told me that they would not replace the carpet when I moved in because they had just replaced it when earlier she told me that they would.

All she has done since I have been here is lie to me.Do not use an ozonator and be present and remove all plants as my big fig tree leaves turned black. So what do you think it has done to my lungs? - Jan-Marie 3/15/12

Reply:

Jan,

For our opinion & advice on determining if you have been injured by ozone exposure, see our suggestions

at 3 STEPS to ASSESS POSSIBLE HARM from OZONE GAS O₃ EXPOSURE.

As we replied to Josh in that Q&A, by no means do we advocate panic about ozone exposure, but it is quite evident that some applications of ozone make sense and others do not.

There we also note the ozone issues arising from over-dosing or over-exposing building interiors and contents just as you describe. Details about oxidizing damage from over-doing an ozone treatment are at OZONE TOXICITY.

Question: How much plant area is needed to remove indoor ozone

2018/11/04 Andrea said:

We live near Los Angeles and on some days the ozone levels are much higher than others. We live in a tiny efficiency--just 180sf. We air out the place very early in the morning before there is much traffic and while the ozone levels are low. However, just opening the door several times a day and running the bathroom fan during showers brings in outdoor air through breezy door "seal."

How much plant leaf surface area should I have in the form of houseplants indoors to do a good job of removing ozone from this tiny home?

I have outdoor plants that I can bring inside, with the limitation being space to place them. I also have a basil plant that is very healthy and bushy and that I keep near my OttLite full spectrum desk lamp. We will be moving to a 2BR, 2.5BA duplex with a garage below, so that adds the potential for small amounts of exhaust to seep into the home if they remain after the garage door is shut.

Other than airing things out and outfitting the home with lots of plants, is there anything else I can do? I thought I'd tighten the seal on the inside garage door and air out as usualy when the O3 is at it's lowest level.

Reply: research on how much plant leaf area you need to remove ozone from your home.

Andrea:

Citing research I can clarify your concern about how much plant leaf area you need to remove ozone from your home.

It is correct that plants, at least in cool conditions, absorb some ozone, removing it from air through the stomata (small openings) in plant leaves.
Without an actual measure of the ozone level in a space and scientific data on the ozone removal rate of a specific plant leaf (genera, species, area, and growing conditions such as temperature and humidity) no quantitative guess is accurate and in my view would be mere fantasy.

Using a specific plant that can remove a lot of ozone (pothos) a total plant leaf surface area in square meters that is equal to room volume in cubic meters is as close as you'll get to a less than 20% effectiveness.

This scientific article is pertinent and worth a look:

• Abbass, Omed A., David J. Sailor, and Elliott T. Gall. "Effectiveness of indoor plants for passive removal of indoor ozone." Building and Environment 119 (2017): 62-70.
  Abstract
  
  Indoor vegetation is often proposed as a passive approach for improving indoor air quality. While studies of outdoor environments indicate that vegetation can be an important sink of outdoor ozone, there is scant data in the literature concerning the dynamics of ozone uptake by indoor plants. This study determined ozone deposition velocities (vd) for five common indoor plants (Peace Lily, Ficus, Calathia, Dieffenbachia, Golden Pothos).
  
  The transient vd was calculated, using measured leaf areas for each plant, for exposures mimicking three diurnal cycles where ozone concentrations in chamber tests were elevated for 8 h followed by 16 h in the absence of ozone. Estimates of vd at the end of the first exposures ranged from 5.6 m h−1 for Golden Pothos to 0.9 m h−1 for Peace Lily.
  
  Values of vd were approximately 50% and 66% lower at the end of a second exposure and third exposure, respectively. Estimates of vd were also made for a range of photosynthetic active radiation (PAR) levels typically observed indoors. An increase in PAR from 0.6 to 41.2 μmol m−2 sec−1 resulted in increases in vd ranging from a factor of 1.7 (Diffenbachia) to 4.7 (Peace Lily).
  
  For deposition velocities measured in this study, the ozone removal effectiveness ranges from 0.9% to 9% for leaf surface area to room volume ratio of 0.06 m−1 (approximately one plant for every 1.8 m2 of floor area) when accounting for values of air exchange and background loss typical of a residential environment.

However, indoors, In my view the answer is zero. Only if there were a continuous source of ozone indoors should such steps be a serious consideration.

Ozone is a highly reactive molecule: it does not accumulate nor hang around.

Above on this page se cite articles are also helpful in answering the question of the effectiveness of indoor plants at removing indoor ozon.

...

Continue reading at OZONE GENERATOR EFFECTIVENESS for INDOOR AIR POLLUTION or select a topic from closely-related articles below, or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see these

Recommended Articles

• OZONE HAZARDS - home
  • OZONE AIR PURIFIER WARNINGS
  • OZONE EXPOSURE STANDARDS
  • OZONE GAS EXPOSURE EFFECTS
  • OZONE GAS PROPERTIES
  • OZONE GAS EXPOSURE LIMITS - EPA
  • OZONE GENERATOR EFFECTIVENESS for INDOOR AIR POLLUTION
  • OZONE HAZARDS
  • OZONE in HOT TUBS, SPAS, POOLS
  • OZONE MOLD KILL TREATMENT
  • OZONE MOLD / ODOR TREATMENT WARNINGS
  • OZONE MSDS [PDF]
  • OZONE REFERENCES & OZONE GENERATOR INSTRUCTIONS
  • OZONE SHOCK TREATMENTS NOT RECOMMENDED
  • OZONE TREATMENT TIME RECOMMENDATIONS
  • OZONE TESTS
  • OZONE TOXICITY
  • OZONE for WATER DISINFECTION
  • RELYING on OZONE to KILL MOLD
  • XENON LAMP OZONE OUTPUT?
• SMELL PATCH TEST to FIND ODOR SOURCE

Suggested citation for this web page

OZONE AIR PURIFIER WARNINGS at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.

Or see this

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

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Citations & References

In addition to any citations in the article above, a full list is available on request.

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