Are air purifiers that put ozone in the air dangerous???

Question

My fiance's parents have an air purifier in their home that puts ozone in to the air. They leave it running in their home about 85% of the time... I heard somewhere that this is dangerous for your health. Is this true? Does anyone have any more information about this? Thanks!

Answer 1

Ozone is excessive amounts is dangerous, but these machone you're talking about put out ozone in much less quantities than the dangerous amount and they are perfectly safe. If it gives you a headache it is the the properties of ozone cleansing the toxins from your body, that's what ozone does.

Answer 2

If you have asthma, I would definitely not use ozone as a disinfectant. The level of ozone in the air needed to be an effective disinfectant is higher than levels recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency. In fact there is no true threshold dose at which ozone is safe. Some people are more sensitive to the effects of ozone, especially asthmatics and young children (children breath faster and are more active, so they take in more oxygen/ozone and their lungs are still developing). Further, long term exposure to ozone can cause permanent damage to your lungs. Studies have also shown that ozone can also prevent children's lungs from developing properly. I would also caution you about any disinfectant - some household chemicals like bleach can also damage young children's lungs. If you think about it, if something is strong enough to destroy viruses, it may be harsh to you as well. I think that having a HEPA filter and a Dehumidfier is great way to reduce mold. One of the best ways to prevent getting sick is by washing hands and food. Another thought on a disinfectant is to use ultraviolet light (but don't be in the room when using that either, because it can damage your skin and eyes - like the sun) To learn more about ozone, check out my blog, feel free to leave any additional questions on there. Best of luck.

Answer 3

You can look this up on WebMD.com. Yes, they are very dangerous. Ozone is basically smog. Ozone air purifiers are basically making the inside of your home smoggy and this is not healthy to breathe. Air purifiers that release ions into the air do the same thing but to a lesser degree. I would talk to your fiance's parents and try to convince them to get rid of their air purifier immediately. Print out the information you find on WebMD.com and show it to them.

Answer 4

They are not good the best choice in air purifiers (most hepa filters don't produce ozone)

Ionizing Air Cleaners May Pose Health Hazard


Machines Add to Indoor Ozone, Consumer Reports Investigation Shows

By Salynn Boyles
WebMD Medical News Reviewed By Brunilda Nazario, MD
on Monday, April 04, 2005

April 4, 2005 -- Some popular ionizing air cleaners could be hazardous to your health, especially if you have asthma or allergies, says a product testing group.

An investigation by Consumers Union (CU) -- the products testing group that publishes Consumer Reports -- found that five of the best-selling models tested emitted relatively high levels of ozone.

Ozone exposure can aggravate allergies and decrease lung function. It is a harmful gas resulting from car exhaust, gasoline vapors, and other pollutants.

"It is both misleading and irresponsible for an organization like Consumer Reports to suggest that there is any potential harmful effect from a product that tens of thousands of people have purchased and are using every day without adverse consequences," Sharper Image spokesman and general counsel E. Bob Wallach tells WebMD.

A recent study showed that short-term increases in ozone levels in the outside air contribute to thousands of deaths a year in the United States.

Ongoing Feud

In an October 2003 report, CU researchers concluded that ionizing purifiers do a much poorer job of cleaning the air of dust and smoke than their advertising suggests. The report led to a lawsuit against the consumer group by Sharper Image Corp., which makes the top-selling ionizing air purifiers -- the Ionic Breeze line.

The suit was dismissed in November of last year, and Sharper Image has since agreed to pay just over half a million dollars in court costs.

While acknowledging that the new ozone tests did not show that the air cleaners pose a clear health hazard, Consumers Union vice president and spokesman Jeff Asher says they did suggest a potential risk. None of the ionizing air purifiers tested exceeded a generally accepted ozone safety level when the air was measured 3 feet away.

"The bottom line is that these products don't work anyway, so why would anyone want to expose themselves to a level of ozone which, when added to the ozone that is already in the home, certainly isn't going to do them any good?" Asher tells WebMD.

Wallach added that the Ionic Breeze model used in the latest test has been shown to comply with federal regulations for safe ozone emissions.

CU's latest investigation included Sharper Image's Professional Series Ionic Breeze Quadra S1737 SNX, and four other top-selling brands of ionizing air cleaners: Brookstone's Pure-Ion V2; Ionic Pro CL-369; IonizAir P4620; and Surround Air XJ-2000.

The findings are published in the May issue of Consumer Reports.

All five of the ionizers failed CR recommendations, with overall failed scores based on the air cleaner's ability to remove fine dust, smoke, and pollen from a test chamber. They also failed the standard sealed-room testing for ozone levels by producing more than 50 parts per billion (ppb) of ozone detected within 2 inches away from the machine over a 24-hour period.

They all fared better, however, when the tests more closely mimicked conditions in a typical home. In tests measuring ozone levels 3 feet away from the machine in a well-ventilated room, the Brookstone cleaner Pure-Ion V2 emitted the least ozone at 2 ppb and the IonizAir P4620 model emitted the most, at 28 ppb, according to Asher.

"Fifty ppb is the accepted cutoff level for safety, and clearly the worst (ozone emitter) tested generated just over half of that," he says. "So, one might conclude that there is no danger with these machines. While for most people that is probably true, some people do seem to be particularly susceptible to ozone."

Answer 5

Ozone can be an irritant to people in large enough quantities. It is considered a polutant in our level of the atmosphere.

Answer 6

http://www.airpurifiermanufacturer.com/

Answer 7

A.Mercer,
You do not allow emails, so I find you here...
A. Mercer,
"Immigrants" you say?
NAY! My Dear Father is an immigrant! My Grand Mother is an immigrant! HOW DARE YOU of such a little mind try to SPEAK for ME!!!!!!!!! You are wrong, plain and simple! You like to be wrong, you like to argue and you are sick. That is obvious! Stop posting lies and arguments on my thought provoking post! Waiste your own time on your evil not my good, correct and precious time! You had a chance to be educated, now I tire of you! Begone!

Answer 8

Do the research, ozone is bad...You wouldn't find one of those machines in my home!

Answer 9

Interesting thread!

Answer 10

It's possible for sure