Am I doin harm to myself--Ozone..

[Not the Autorx Frank]

We have one of the living air classic thingys and I have to admit, I love the thing... no smelly oders and seems harmless. Everyone I know is telling me to get rid of it, but I hear conflicting info in both camps. I do run it on ultra low and open the windows plenty to exchange air...

your thoughts??????

 

[kanling]

What good will it do if you open the windows?

I don't know anything about the "living air classic" thingy, but if it generates ozone it is technically CAUSING air pollution not eliminating it.

Though if it isn't bothering you and satisfies you then keep using it. I don't think there are any long-term health effects from ozone. Keep rubber products well away from the unit.

 

[kanling]

Ozone is created as well by high voltage sources that ionize molecules in the air and causing oddball charged oxygen molecules such as O3 (ozone). Also by sparks around brushes of electric motors. Not a myth.

 

[Ray Garlington]

It would be better not to breathe concentrated ozone. if you want to use it, use it when you aren't there.

 

[robbobster]

Schmoe, ozone is created in the upper atmosphere as you mention. But ionizers also create it - it's simply O3, versus O2 which is the stable form of oxygen.

Consumer Reports noted this in their recent tests of ionizers. Without copying the entire article, they note "Our latest tests also show that some ionizing models can expose you to significant amounts of ozone."

And "Two separate tests--in a sealed room and in an open lab--show that some can create significant levels of ozone."

Frank, ground-level ozone is considered a pollutant, check out what wikipedia has to say about it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozone

 

[stringsattached]

Are you talking about the "EcoQuest" living air purifiers?

Alpine Industries and EcoQuest International were sued by the FTC in 2000 for making false claims about the performance of their air purifiers.
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/health/alpine.html
http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2000/04/alpineindustries2.htm

I have a [stand alone] air purifier in my home that uses a HEPA filter, and it truly does make a world of difference for me. I paid about $80.00 for it. However, companies making claims about things almost no one really understands (and didn't previously care about), and then charging ridiculous amounts of money makes me awfully suspicious.

The new Ionic Breeze w/"Ozone Guard" sells for $350.00 or $450.00, depending on which model you buy. Maybe I'll just buy 5 of the purifiers I already have instead...

 

[robbobster]

Not sure about EcoQuest, but Consumer reports did say that air cleaners that lacked fans were useless - you need a way to circulate air into the filtering element.

They were particularly hard on that Sharper Image "Ionic Breeze" thing.

I've got several HEPA filters in my place, they really make a huge difference as I'm very susceptible to upper-respiratory problems (sinusitis, etc.). Used to get sinus infections all the time, now only once per year or so ever since I've used the HEPA filters.

 

[TallPaul]

quote:

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Also by sparks around brushes of electric motors.

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Yeah. I was looking at a 1958 Lionel catalog and they were talking up their open motor design that produces the desired ozone smell.

 

[kanling]

The cheapest and most effective method of home air purification is to replace your cheap furnace filter with a pleated one with a high MERV rating. You have to be careful as that will cut down on the airflow, though. Then run the blower fan all the time to constantly circulate the air through it.

Ionic Breeze is a monsterously overpriced piece of junk. Sharper image makes millions off of that thing through clever marketing and counting on the fact that most people are quick to grab their credit cards without doing a minute's research. Some people say oil companies and Wal Mart have no corporate morals... agree or not, they are angels compared to Sharper Image.

 

[Papa Bear]

I saw one of those ion (ozone) generators at a shopping mall a few years ago. They were selling them and they had one on display with a clear plastic housing instead of white plastic.
It actually had a television flyback transformer (high volatge ~ 30k volts) in it driven by an oscillator.
I worked as a t.v. repairman for almost 30 yrs, and if you didn't get that anode lead securely seated in the CRT (cathode ray tube), you could smell the ozone being generated by the high voltage.
Ozone is that sweet smell in the air after a lightning storm.
P.B.

 

[PandaBear]

quote:

---

The cheapest and most effective method of home air purification is to replace your cheap furnace filter with a pleated one with a high MERV rating. You have to be careful as that will cut down on the airflow, though. Then run the blower fan all the time to constantly circulate the air through it.

Ionic Breeze is a monsterously overpriced piece of junk. Sharper image makes millions off of that thing through clever marketing and counting on the fact that most people are quick to grab their credit cards without doing a minute's research. Some people say oil companies and Wal Mart have no corporate morals... agree or not, they are angels compared to Sharper Image.

---

Just like the Japanese "ionizer" crazy several years ago, everything that touches air had an ionizer in it, and the manufactures put warning label about the ozone and lack of "scientific evidence" about its usefulness.

Also, about 10 years or more ago, Japanese also have "magnetic health shoes" that contain magnets in the heel area for better blood circulation or what so ever.

 

[Vilan]

If it is generating ozone, that's not good. Ozone is a feel-good chemical, and it IS a good thing... way up in the atmosphere. But you don't want it ground level, it's not a good thing to be breathing in. Not sure just how bad it is, but I remember it being mentioned in one of my chem classes at university. Maybe a Web search can tell you more.

And I'm with Kanling... what's the point of using it if you open the windows anyway?

 

[Schmoe]

myth...ozone is not emitted directly into the air by specific sources. It is formed in the presence of sunlight through chemical reactions of oxygen in the air with nitrogen oxides and volative organic compounds. Otherwise known as smog. You talking about one of those "ionizers" that ionize the air? Think you might have gotten some of the terminology mixed up. The ionizers are what remove the smells.

 

[TheTanSedan]

I wouldn't run it were I in the house. Now, gone off to work, they're great at helping out a stale house.

Quite a few car dealerships use them to de-odorize cars. Place switch on the "Kills All Forms of Life" and leave windows shut at at least overnight. Bye bye cigaret smoke.