Too much ozone in air?Can someone explain?
Can someone ,please, explain to me why is it said that we have dangerous levels of ozone in the air due to pollution these days? Wouldn't higher than normal levels of ozone we breathe be good for us? Also why is it said that ozone air purifiers are bad? I want to start ozone therapy but still have some confusion about things that are being said about ozone. I don't care what the mainstream says but what about some well known health gurus like Dr. Mercola? This is from his site:
'When we breathe air unpolluted by human activities, we usually take in about 10 to 15 parts of ozone per billion parts of air (10-15 ppb). However, pollution from human activities has greatly elevated levels of the ozone we breathe. Since the Industrial Revolution, surface ozone measurements have increased in some places as much as 100-200 percent - with spring and summer ozone concentrations reaching above 125 ppb during episodes of excessive heat.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established 80 ppb of ozone exposure over eight hours as the National Ambient Air Quality Standard.
NEVER use Ozone Generators that use ozone as their primary source of purification!
Ozone is an unstable oxygen molecule (O3) that oxidizes anything it bumps into. So if it "bumps" into iron, it makes iron oxide or rust. Ozone air purifiers work by propelling the ozone by a fan, whatever the ozone bumps into it oxidizes. This is great for removing odors, killing mold and mildew -- and even killing small animals with enough exposure!
If a home is flooded or has a sewage backup, professionals will use this technology to help clean up the mess. Since people and pets are removed while the ozone is applied and are only brought back after the ozone is removed, this is an appropriate use of the technology.
Still, there are several firms that sell ozone air purifiers for home use. This can be dangerous because overexposure to ozone can bring on asthma symptoms, and a high enough level of ozone can actually scar your lungs! Beware of the following misleading sales pitches often used by retailers trying to sell ozone purifiers for residential use:
You need to turn up the ozone air purifier until you smell a fresh laundry scent - since your olfactory system becomes accustom to smells over time, this means that your purifier has to continually be set to deliver higher concentrations of ozone, often leading to serious health consequences!
Ozone purifiers are approved by the federal government for use in occupied spaces -- NO agency of the federal government has ever approved these devices for such use. In fact, several federal government agencies have worked in consultation with the EPA to produce a review that clearly documents that ozone is not appropriate for use in residential or home air purifiers.'
Thanks to all.