Any one have any experience with ozone air cleaners? Will they help allergies? Are they dangerous or a health hazard? I have heard that they can be a lung health hazard but wonder if this is because they are being run at too high an output per room size/area. Any commits? RM~
This is Turtle.
The Ozone air cleaners is a perfect tool to be used to clean the air, but two things that make it not good to use at this time in the development of the equipment. 1] if it makes too much O3 for you to breath. It is not good for you at all. 2] If it does not produce enough of O3 it is useless. The controls of this type equipment is not here yet. Maybe one day a big company will pick up the ball and run with it.
TURTLE
We've got one. Love it. We only have to bathe once a year.
Now don't get one of those piddly kind. 900ug/hr max is what you want (you'd use this setting to clear a room where a dead body had laid for three months - in the summer), lesser setting for normal use. Ozone decomposes into Oxygen in about 30 minutes.
I have no idea whether they'd be good for allergies - my guess is no. Allergies are affected by airborne allergens, very large (relatively) things like spores, dust, dander, pollen, etc. Ozone attacks individual molecules.
Probably a super filter is your best direction.
We have asthma and allergy problems in our family. A combination of an electrostatic filter and conventional high efficiency fiber filter in our central air system has been very effective. Based on considerable research and authoritative advice we stay away from anything that is known to emit ozone. The following reference is a good summary on the subject.
O3 -Ozone has an 8 hr EPA exposure limit of 50 ppb . Ionic Breeze put out 50 ppb. In a room closed off on a nice day with out any venting im sure levels would rise , to what level, I have no idea as 03 will dissipate in larger rooms. There are many published group medical studies concluding O3 aggravates lung problems such as Asthma. A recent study published in Reuters related O3 to "sudden complete heart failure", not death, but weakening.
O3 is an oxidant, steel rusting, rubber deteriorating, are examples of oxidation. Sure the units dissipate their O3, but you are adding a proven lung damaging chemical to your living space, is this what you want?
I used to live in a small apt and had 3 units on air filters running ' Bionaire" and I believe had the negative affects associated with O3. And still suffer but not much since I moved and junked my 3 units.
There is allot of research done and published as to negative effects relating to health issues, you can Google it. The fact the EPA has a 50 ppb 8 hr limit should awaken you immediately to O 3 s potential for causing permanent harm.
The real known issue is of O3 generators used for smoke-smell removal that are known to output 300-500ppb O3, or multiple small units such as what I had. I called sharper image and at first they gave me a 65ppb output, but later in writing backed off that claim. A lung specialist I talked to said said " why add something that may pose a risk".
These are sold only for profit, thats it.
The Ionic breeze even at say 50 ppb was rated the worst of all air cleaners by Consumer Reports they tested, in a large group test. You can find their article online.
As the medical community becomes more aware by controlled group scientific testing and with tight house construction of todays houses, I predict O3 generators like the Ionic breeze will be shunned as people become aware of their long term exposure hazards. Your used unit you say can put out so much it bothers you, well at that point it may very well be putting out truly unsafe high levels that will cause you damage over the long run, I personally junked mine all 3 and returned the Ionic breeze.
The point is why add something , even in small doses that is a proven irritant and lung damaging chemical.
Cigarettes, Second hand smoke, asbestos, CCA treated wood ' Banned" , etc etc etc were all once thought safe, O3 is not safe.
If you want some articles Email me I may have saved a few.
Junk those units.
I suggest that you stay away from them until they are proven safe and effective. Don't believe the carefully worded adds. Things like will HELP reduce.... are meaningless. It will help if it removes 0.0000001% of all the pollution over a year, but it will not do enough for you to really notice. The safety issue has not really been fully addressed.
Read:
"Available scientific evidence shows that at concentrations that do not exceed public health standards, ozone has little potential to remove indoor air contaminants.",
"There is evidence to show that at concentrations that do not exceed public health standards, ozone is not effective at removing many odor-causing chemicals."
"if used at concentrations that do not exceed public health standards, ozone applied to indoor air does not effectively remove viruses, bacteria, mold, or other biological pollutants."
'nuf said.....
Rob Mills wrote:
I have 2 Ionic Breezes, they state that they are good for 500 sq ft. They do work well and are silent until I forget to clean them and then they make some noise. My home is 1650 sq ft so I am not even close to the max out put that I should have. I live in a dusty region with a dog and these do help.
As for your allergies it would depend on the allergy. I am allergic to mold in the air. The Breezes do not do much for that.
They will in time remove all of the "floaties" in the air. I also use ASHRE rated air conditioner filter.
The Ionic Breeze produces ozone
Sunlight causes melanoma. Do you go out only at night? To answer your question: Because the benefits outweight the risks, if there are any risks.
Well, one out of four isn't a complete bust. There are NO peer-reviewed studies complaining of "second-hand" smoke. There has NEVER been a case of commercial-product asbestos causing any health risk (including brake mechanics who used to breathe the asbestos dust all day). CCA has similarily fallen into the "Oh My God! We're all going to die" hysteria.
The people who honestly believe Chicken Little was a prophet have an alphabetical list of ghastly threats:
Alar Breast Implants Charcoal-broiled steaks DDT etc.
Don't junk the units. I'll buy them.
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