What is Ozone?

Ozone is a naturally occurring gas found in the ozone layer of the Earth's atmosphere, which rests between 10 km and 50 km above the surface of the planet. It is produced by both the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays, and lightning strikes on Earth. In the ozone layer, the sun's harmful UV rays are filtered out before reaching ground level. If ozone ceased to exist, life on this planet would also cease to exist.

Ozone (O₃) is the same as oxygen (O₂), but with one more oxygen molecule added in. In technical terms, ozone is known as a tri-atomic molecule comprised of three oxygen atoms, and is also described as "activated oxygen" or "super oxygen". It is an unstable blue gas, which means that in normal air conditions, ozone will cast off its third oxygen molecule, naturally converting into oxygen. Because of its unstable nature, ozone cannot be stored and transported like other industrial gases, and must therefore be produced on site.

Ozone has a smell that is easy to recognize, and in low levels makes the air smell fresh. Most people can smell the presence of ozone in concentrations of about 0.01ppm. It is the one of the strongest oxidizers known to exist (it works 3,125 times faster than chlorine), second only to fluorine. Because of its oxidizing properties, ozone does not simply cover up unpleasant smells, it safely and quickly destroys smells at the molecular level. Ozone has the ability to alter, decompose and/or neutralize materials that are toxic, without creating additional or by-product toxic compounds of its own.

After ozonation odor treatment, any remaining ozone quickly converts back into safe, fresh breathable oxygen, leaving no residue or harmful chemicals.

How Does Ozone Work?

How does ozone shock treatment actually work to remove smells? Organic (living) substances like odors are composed of hydrocarbon molecules. Many times these organic odor substances are microscopic, invisible to the human eye.

Ozone is an unstable molecule (see What Is Ozone? for more information) that attacks hydrocarbon molecules, breaking them down into harmless substances like carbon dioxide, oxygen and trace amounts of water.

When ozone comes into contact with living organisms, like bacteria, viruses, fungi, yeast and protozoa, it disrupts the integrity of the cellular membrane by oxidizing of the phospholipids and lipoproteins. In plain English, as ozone makes contact with these living organisms, it creates tiny holes in the cell wall, injuring the organism, causing it to lose its shape. This reaction is called an "oxidative burst". As ozone molecules continue to collide into the cell wall (a thousand times in just a few seconds) the cell wall can no longer maintain its shape and the organism will die. The human body uses the same technique to attack and destroy bacteria and viruses.

Ozone attacks fungi, inhibiting its cell growth at certain stages. It also attacks viruses, damaging their reproductive cycle.

Because of the impact ozone has on living organisms, it is important that people evacuate the areas being treated by ozone until the process has completed. Once the ozone is no longer being generated, the ozone will quickly convert into safe, breathable oxygen, leaving no residue.