Ozone Air

Purifiers

My daughter has asthma. Would she benefit from an ozone air purifier in her room?

Answers from James T C Li, M.D., Ph.D.

Despite manufacturers' claims, ozone air purifiers don't remove asthma triggers from the air.

In fact, inhaled ozone can make asthma worse.

Ozone generators sold as air purifiers intentionally produce the gas ozone.

Ozone can mask odors by changing the chemical composition of particles or other gases in the air, making the air seem fresher and cleaner.

However, ozone generators do not actually filter out the small particles that trigger asthma.

Inhaling ozone, even in small amounts, can irritate the lungs.

Specific effects may include throat irritation, coughing, chest pain and shortness of breath, as well as an increased risk of respiratory infections.

Some ozone air purifiers are made with an ion generator, sometimes called an ionizer, in the same unit.

You can also buy ionizers as separate units.

Ionizers do remove particles from the air, causing them to attach to nearby surfaces or to each other and settle out of the air — but they may generate unwanted ozone.

Air filters that remove small particles — such as high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters — are effective in removing allergens from the air, without posing any ozone concerns.

To work effectively, filters need to be cleaned or replaced regularly, according to the manufacturer's instructions.

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/asthma/expert-answers/asthma/faq-20058187

What Ozone Is and Why It Is Dangerous

Most people, even if they do not know what ozone is, have heard of it, usually in context of the ozone layer in the atmosphere that protects the earth from ultraviolet light.

However, ozone is not so benevolent a substance when we come into close contact with it.

As the Environmental Protection Agency says: "Good Up High, Bad Nearby."

Ozone is a molecule consisting of three oxygen atoms, rather than the two that comprise a "normal" oxygen molecule.

The third atom can relatively easily become detached from the other two, and once free, it will interact with other substances.

One of these "other substances" is your body.

Even small amounts of ozone, according to the EPA, "can cause chest pain, coughing, shortness of breath, and throat irritation," as well as even worse effects.

Those with asthma may find their conditioned worsened by exposure to ozone, and ozone also reduces the body's ability to combat respiratory infections.

http://www.airpurifierguide.org/faq/what-happened-to-ionic-breeze