Using Ozone to Purify Water and Air



Posted: Sunday, April 03, 2011

by Ben Mester
Plan B Publishing

Ozone has been used to treat water, air, and the environment since the beginning of time. Thunderstorms regularily create ozone and other cleansing compounds such as hydrogen peroxide, which fall to the Earth, cleansing not only the ground, but the water and air we breathe. But in recent days, using ozone to purify water and air has started being banned in some regions. The state of California has especially cracked down on the use of ozone in air purifiers. This decision has come into sharp criticism since many countries, most notably France, Germany, and Switzerlard, use ozone as their primary method for purification of water. True this is not the same as air purification, but ozone as a compound has been shown to be harmless to humans, whether used to treat water or used to treat air, and ozone as a compound has had a long history of use as a purification agent.

In the early 1900's ozone began to be tested by European scientists as a way to disinfect and clean natural springs and wells. Because of it's efficacy, it has grown in use over time and, as mentioned earlier, has become the premier method of purifying water in many countries. Another cool use for ozone is in pool sanitation. Ozone generators, though expensive at this point, are becoming very widespread in use in many homes as a non-chlorine sanitation method. Ozone has the ability to disinfect and render harmless compounds which are harmful to the human body. As the dangers of chlorine continue to become more and more evident, both in the water that we drink as well as in the water we swim in, many people are opting to pay the more expensive route of purifying their water in a more natural method. As I stated before, ozone is a chemical that's naturally occurring, being created both by thunderstorms and by the ultraviolet spectrum of the sun's rays. Residing primarily in the upper atmosphere, ozone is considered essential to life.

So how does an ozone generator work? Well depending on whether or not the ozone generator is being used to purify water or air, it generally works by using electricity, ultraviolet light, and compressed air in order to generate ozone and distribute it into the environment. Ozone that's used in air filter technology is usually used to battle things like odors and mold. Some controversy exists as to just how effective ozone is as a mold remediation method, but experts continue to employ it in the field, which must tell us something. But back to how the process actually works. When an ozone generator creates ozone, which is just three molecules of oxygen O3, the ozone molecules then oxidize impurities, which causes them to be destroyed or rendered harmless. Oxidization is both powerful and quick at dealing with harmful compounds and impurities, and ozone is among the quicker oxidizers, which is a nice benefit. Ozone works in a similar fashion as hydrogen peroxide, which also destroys harmful compounds through oxidization. Hydrogen peroxide is another method of non-chlorine water purification that is becoming more and more accepted. So don't let anyone fool you into believing that ozone should be banned for use.

Ozone air purifiers for odor and mold control are growing in popularity, especially with NASA air purifier technology now being available that cleanses the environment more than any known system. Once you check it out, you won't settle for less.
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