Ozone Information
What is Ozone?
Most people have heard of ozone in the context of the ozone
layer - the layer of our atmosphere that protects us from the
sun's harmful UV rays. Ozone (O³, a gas composed of three oxygen
atoms) is naturally generated when atmospheric oxygen rises to
the stratosphere, and is exposed to the sun's ultraviolet rays.
In addition to forming a layer of protection, ozone is one of
the most powerful naturally occurring sterilisers in the world,
destroying bacteria, viruses, allergens, mould and odours on
contact. Naturally occurring ozone continually cleanses our air
and water, effectively purifying the planet.
Ozone is a chemically reactive gas. This simply means that it
‘attacks’ other chemicals. Ozone kills any bacteria, viruses and
other organic matter it comes into contact with by rupturing its
cell walls. This occurs when the extra oxygen atom breaks free,
destroying the offending organism through oxidation. The very
nature of Ozone’s killing action means that contaminants are
incapable of developing a resistance to it over time.
Although Ozone is very powerful, it has a very short life cycle,
so when the extra atom breaks free and oxidisation occurs –
Ozone (O³) automatically reverts back into Oxygen (O²).
Ozone Sanitisation
Ozone’s sterilising properties have been utilised for many
years in the water industry, and more recently in the laundry
sector for the decontamination of fabrics. New pioneering
technology has now enabled the safe utilisation of Ozone in
gaseous form as a sanitising agent, opening up a world of
possibilities for an innovative new approach to sanitisation.
By using ozone generating equipment it is possible to convert
the Oxygen (O) present in atmospheric air into Ozone (O). A
high output ozone generator can generate and sustain Ozone at
bactericidal levels, providing a very fast and efficient air and
surface sanitisation.
By raising indoor atmospheric Ozone concentration, it is
possible to completely sanitise any given area, as the
additional Oxygen atom in the generated Ozone oxidises and will
eventually kill all of the following:
Odours
Bacteria
Viruses
Allergens
Mould – Fungus
Insect Infestations
The Sanitisation Process
Once the equipment is set up the operator leaves the area and
starts the sanitisation process remotely. The Ozone diffuses
into the area and engulfs all exposed surfaces and penetrates
hidden areas and fabric items.
The Ozone rich atmosphere is sustained for a short period of
time, typically one hour, during which time all bacteria and
other unwanted elements are destroyed. When the
sanitisation process is complete, Ozone reverts back into
Oxygen. This can be further accelerated by using an ozone
generator with an Ozone deactivation programme, allowing the
process to be completed very quickly.
Advantages of Using Ozone for Sanitisation
Imagine the possibilities created by safely harnessing the
sanitising power of ozone in gaseous form. As a gas, ozone is at
its most effective. Ozone gas can fill areas very quickly, will
penetrate into places that are traditionally difficult to reach
(including fabrics and upholstery) and will inactivate
contaminants on contact.
Consider the labour force, time and range of chemicals required
to disinfect the entirety of a large room and its contents.
By using ozone instead, all of the walls, the doors and
doorframes, the windows, the floor, the ceiling, the contents,
soft furnishings and even the air can be treated automatically,
with no additional chemicals and in a very short timescale. With
traditional sanitising methods there is a risk of
re-contamination as contaminates can potentially be spread
around the area on cleaning cloths and implements. This risk is
completely negated by using Ozone Sanitisation. As Ozone
is a gas composed entirely of Oxygen, it leaves no chemical
residue whatsoever.
At the end of the sanitisation process, the only by-product
remaining is fresh clean air. When compared to traditional
chemical sanitising agents, Ozone would therefore seem the
natural choice for any organisation looking to reduce the
environmental footprint, time and labour requirement of their
current sanitisation processes.
Is Ozone Sanitisation Safe?
The simple answer is Yes – when performed by a trained
operator, Ozone sanitisation is completely safe.
The sanitisation process requires that the area for treatment is
unoccupied and any potential leakage points are identified and
adequately sealed. It is completely safe to use Ozone in an
unoccupied, sealed area, as long as you wait until the ozone
changes back to Oxygen prior to reoccupation.
Ozone will naturally revert back to Oxygen once the sanitisation
process is completed. Therefore while high levels of Ozone are
toxic, within a short time all of the Ozone will have literally
disappeared. The sanitisation process leaves behind no
chemical residue, just fresh clean air! When compared to
chemical germicides, pesticides, bactericides, fungicides or
even simple air fresheners – Ozone is a much cleaner, safer
option.
How long does Ozone remain in an area after it has stopped
being generated?
As soon as Ozone is generated and dispersed in a room it
begins to change back into Oxygen. This occurs automatically due
to Ozone’s natural chemical instability. Ozone has a very short
half life, which means that it will revert to Oxygen within a
short timescale, in amounts equal to half its level. The
exact timing is highly dependant upon a number of factors, but
is especially affected by temperature (the higher the
temperature the faster Ozone decomposes to Oxygen).
The natural reversion process is accelerated further by the
presence of any contaminants, pests, allergens and even by
general items within a room (furniture, fabrics etc), as the
Oxidation reaction consumes the extra atom within Ozone.
In many cases, Ozones ability to naturally degrade means that it
can be utilised safely and efficiently as a sanitising or odour
remediating agent without any further measures being employed.
This is possible wherever time is not a constraint, and the area
being treated can be safely left unoccupied with no risk of
people inadvertently entering the area. For example, where
a building is unoccupied overnight. Typically, if there is
a minimum period of 5-6 hours where the area can be safely left
uninhabited, a high output Ozone generator, like the
OU5 can be safely deployed.
There are a number of scenarios where this would however not be
possible, for example:
Where it is not possible to guarantee that the area will remain
unoccupied
When time is a constraining factor
When multiple areas need treating in succession
In populated areas (e.g. Nursing Homes, Hotels, Offices, etc)
When it is necessary to rapidly return Ozone levels to within
the regulated safety limits, this can be easily achieved by
using an
Ozone generator with an integrated Ozone destruct facility.
This
new breed of Ozone Generator enables the safe use of Ozone
for odour remediation and sanitisation in places where it was
previously difficult to implement.
 The
use of Ozone gas comes under the HSE’s guideline EH38. It
is imperative that when using Ozone, companies take every
precaution necessary to ensure compliance with the current
legislation.
The Occupational Exposure Standard (OES) for Ozone is currently
0.2 ppm over 15 minutes. Our most powerful Ozone generator, the
Ozone Ultra Pro is designed to produce Ozone at a rate of 10
g/h allowing it to generate Ozone at very high levels, so we
take the issue of Health and Safety very seriously.
The
Ozone Ultra Pro is designed to ensure that upon completion
of a treatment cycle, Ozone levels are returned to a level below
the current OES. As you can see from the graph opposite, a 20
minute treatment of a 35m³ area produces Ozone levels above 2.5
ppm. The deactivation phase returns Ozone levels back down to
within Health & Safety requirements long before the end of the
cycle, leaving the area safe for immediate reoccupation.
Is Ozone Sanitisation better for the environment?
High levels of Ozone are highly toxic to organic matter – this
is the principle behind our sanitisation process and exactly why
Ozone sanitisation works.
The sanitisation process leaves behind no chemical residue, just
fresh clean air! When compared to traditional chemical
sanitisers or even simple air fresheners – Ozone is a much
cleaner, safer option – and is a superior solution for anyone
wishing to reduce their environmental footprint.
Can Ozone help reduce Allergens?
An allergen is a substance that causes an allergic reaction.
The majority of indoor allergens contain a protein - that is,
the part of a living organism that includes hydrogen, oxygen and
nitrogen. From our perspective this is very important, as this
protein (and hence the allergen) can be destroyed by Ozone
oxidisation.
Indoor air quality is often as much as 20 times more polluted
than the air outside. Common indoor allergens are dust mites,
mould spores, pet dander, pollen, and tobacco smoke. The
prevalence of these allergens in indoor environments has
increased dramatically in western society due to advances in the
way we build and insulate our properties.
With our advanced equipment, it is possible eliminate any
protein based allergen that comes into contact with Ozone.
When used at scheduled regular intervals, Ozone sanitisation can
allay the accumulation of allergens in any indoor environment -
providing a significant improvement to the quality of life of
those affected by indoor allergies.
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