Ozone:
What Air Cleaner Advertisers Don’t Tell You
by Frank Hammes
President
IQAir North America
Santa Fe Springs, Calif.
Every scientific discovery has its watershed moment. In indoor air quality,
one of the great watershed moments in the awareness of indoor ozone came
in 1983 when a student at the University of Colorado in Boulder wrote a
paper for his science class about his summer job.
He titled it “Ozone Toxicity – How Copier Machines Made Me Sick.” The
student had worked in a small windowless room in the university library.
His job was to run off copies for the school’s professors. Soon, he developed
headaches, a cough, irritated sinuses, and a myriad of other symptoms.
Somehow, he got steered in the direction of what was making him sick. The
copier machines were creating the lung irritant ozone, the main component
of smog.
What no one could have expected was the domino effect that came next.
The student took his paper to the local copy shop to have copies printed
for his class. The copy shop workers saw the paper and made copies for
themselves. Many of them had been experiencing the same problems, but they
didn’t know what had caused their symptoms.
Soon, copies of the paper started to circulate to other shops that were
part of the same national chain of copier stores. As awareness of the issue
grew, the copier machines were fitted with ozone filters, ventilation was
added to the shops, and copier maintenance companies began to stress the
need to maintain the filters properly. The problem was corrected quietly
– very quietly. Today, 21 full years later, it is air cleaners – of all
things – that are producing ozone indoors. Last year, an estimated four
million air cleaners sold in the United States. Ironically, nearly half
of those machines produce ozone.
Ozone-producing air cleaners are being aggressively marketed in the
United States. Rarely does a day go by when I do not receive a direct mail
advertisement or hear a radio or television campaign for these products.
They are being distributed by some of the most well-known and popular retailers
of upscale products in the country. Due to the advertising dollars
these retailers command, they have even enlisted the nation’s leading radio
personalities to hawk their wares, including popular stars who personally
endorse the ozone-producing products.
The spin that these radio spots and infomercials put on ozone generating
air cleaners would be laughable if it weren’t so frightening: “Smell that
sweet fresh ozone in your home.” “One unit is good for a whole house.”
“It’s nature’s way of freshening the air.” “These machines are used by
the Pentagon.” Astonishingly, one ozone-producing air cleaner has even
been able to convince a national allergy and asthma support organization
into putting its seal of approval onto all of their advertising. A recent
trend has been to drop the word “ozone” out of the ads for these machines
completely.
This may be because the American Lung Association, the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency and Food and Drug Administration, Health Canada, and
just about every other respected health organization advises against using
ozone-generating air cleaners. The company using the seal of approval stresses
that it is an electrostatic air cleaner – not an ozone generator – and
that it produces only small amounts of ozone as a byproduct.
Truth be told, I’m not able to comprehend any difference between ozone
that is created by an ozone generator and ozone produced by an electrostatic
air cleaner. The legal limit for both machines in occupied spaces is the
same. Ozone is ozone. The whole situation makes me feel like Howard Beale,
Peter Finch’s character in the movie “Network.” Beale, a longtime television
journalist and prestigious anchor of the evening news, makes an on-the-air
plea urging viewers to “go to the window, open it, stick your head out
and yell, ‘I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take this anymore.’”
Ozone is a lung irritant. Ozone is an asthma trigger. And yet these
machines are being heavily advertised to parents of children who could
die from an asthma attack. The manufacturers of these machines have worked
hard to create a new concept: safe levels of ozone.
Well, guess what? Research has shown that there is no safe level of
ozone that can be added to the air. “Current evidence of the health effects
of ozone suggests that there is no safe threshold concentration for the
onset of health responses due to exposure above background ozone concentrations,”
H. Sterling Burnett wrote in 1994.
In the United States, 50 parts per billion is the designated acceptable
limit for ozone production in the home. A recent University of Southern
California study demonstrated that an increase of ozone by only 20 ppb
increased school absences by 83 percent. I’m interested to find out if
anyone can demonstrate how 50 ppb is the safe level for indoor ozone exposure.
It reminds me of the health recommendation that you shouldn’t “smoke more
than two packs of cigarettes a day.” That was the health advice that was
being commonly quoted just before the surgeon general’s report on tobacco
was issued in 1964.
Prior to that, there was considered to be a safe or even healthful level
of smoking. Who thought it was safe and healthful to smoke? Well, primarily
the advertisers who were trying to sell you cigarettes – that’s who. It
is the same situation today. The advertisers who are selling ozone producing
air cleaners are spending millions and millions of dollars to convince
you that ozone is safe and healthy in your home. They are dead wrong.
We know that asthma is increasing at an alarming rate. Asthma is at
its worst in areas that have increased rates of asthma triggers. Ozone
is a clearly established asthma trigger. There are daily ozone health watches
on the news that warn parents of children with asthma that they should
stay indoors on some days; these health watches look at the ozone levels
outside. How can someone tell parents in good conscience that the asthma
trigger they are putting in their children’s bedroom is at a safe level?
How has “safe” been established here? Is there a safe number of cigarettes
you can have each day? Is there a safe level of secondhand smoke for you
or your kids?
The Internet is the soapbox for the angry person with something to say.
If you go to the allergy and asthma support Web sites, you are going to
find a lot of angry men and women. Mothers and fathers of children with
asthma are posting their experiences with ozone generating air cleaners
on the support sites.
On one site for parents of children with asthma, a mother is encouraged
by another woman to try one of the ozone-generating air cleaners that are
popularly sold on infomercials. The mother responds, “Actually, we tried
a [sic] air cleaner that did emit ozone and [daughter] Anaya flared so
badly she ended up in the hospital.” Another mother tells of getting ionizing
air cleaners to help her three daughters with their asthma. All of the
girls ended up getting headaches and their asthma situation worsened.
A student reporter at Massachusetts Institute of Technology ended up
having to go to urgent care after he took the assignment of reviewing an
ozone producing air cleaner for the school paper. Hopefully, awareness
of the dangers of ozone producing air cleaners will grow, and changes will
come. At press time, I am aware of four class-action lawsuits that have
been filed recently against the manufacturers, distributors and retailers
of ozone-producing air cleaners. It’s happening. People have gone to the
window. They’ve opened it. They are sticking their heads out and shouting
that they are mad as hell, and they aren’t going to take it any more.
Frank Hammes is the director of research and development at The IQAir
Group in Switzerland and president of IQAir North America in Santa Fe Springs,
Calif. IQAir North America has partnered with the American Lung Association
to educate the public on the importance of indoor air quality. Hammes has
been involved in the development of affordable customized air cleaning
solutions for residential, medical and commercial applications for nearly
20 years. After graduating with a master’s degree in law from Trinity College,
Cambridge University, England, he joined the then-35-year-old, family-owned
air filtration business. He has been responsible for the development of
air cleaning systems for automobiles, residential and medical applications.
Hammes currently holds several patents relating to improving the design
and performance of air cleaning systems.Living in Switzerland and California
Hammes has a unique insight into the IAQ issues both in Europe and the
United States. He is a regular contributor to indoor air conferences and
publications in Europe, the United States and Asia. He is the course leader
for IQAir Air Cleaner College. He can be reached by e-mail at fhammes@iqair.com
or by phone at (562) 903-7600 The opinions expressed in this article are
the opinions of Mr. Hammes and are not the opinions of this publication
or the publication’s staff. Persons holding opposing views are invited
to submit articles to IE Connections for publication.
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Ozone Generators and
IAQ
With the considerable
recent media attention focused on the issues of indoor air quality,
microbial contaminants
in particular, ozone is once again being touted as a remedy for all
manner of indoor air
quality concerns. Marketing literature from distributors of ozone
generators boast claims
of eliminating microbial contaminants through the use of ozone. One
website claims "Ozone
helps kill mold and mold odors with large ozone dose shock treatments"
and "Ozone may be
the only way to save your home from deadly mold". The propaganda goes
as far as claiming
that ozone destroys mold leaving only oxygen, hydrogen and carbon
dioxide. These are
the kind of unsubstantiated claims that led to a $1.49 million civil penalty
against Alpine Industries
in April of 2001 and a Court Order to cease making health claims for
its ozone generators.
A recent study has demonstrated that gas phase ozone is ineffective in
reducing the viability
of Penicillium spores on building materials at levels as high as 9 parts
per
million (ppm), levels
that are much higher than those attainable under field conditions
(Appl.Occup.Environ.Hyg.
12(8), August 1997). Recent studies have also implicated a
synergistic effect
between fungal spores and ozone and increased symptoms of asthma in
asthma patients using
an inhaler on an as-needed basis (Am.J.Respir.Crit.Care.Med. 154(3 Pt
1):633-41, Sept. 1996).
The U.S. Occupational
Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) limits ozone exposure in
industrial settings
to 0.1 ppm over an eight hour day, six days per week. The Food and Drug
Administration has
set a limit of 0.05 ppm for the ozone generated from electronic air cleaners
used as medical devices.
The Environmental Protection Agency has stated:
Available evidence
shows that, at concentrations that do not exceed public health standards,
ozone is generally
ineffective in controlling indoor air pollution. The concentration of ozone
would have to greatly
exceed health standards to be effective in removing most indoor air
contaminants
To read the entire
EPA article please visit "Ozone Generators that are Sold as Air Cleaners"
Microbial Fact #1:
Campylobacteriosis
is an infectious disease caused by bacteria of the genus Campylobacter.
Most people who become
ill with campylobacteriosis get diarrhea, cramping, abdominal pain,
and fever within 2
to 5 days after exposure to the organism. (From the CDC website)
Fungal Fact #1:
Cryptococcus neoformans
var. neoformans has been isolated from the soil worldwide, usually
in association with
bird droppings. A less common etiologic agent, C. neoformans var. gattii
has been isolated
from eucalyptus trees in tropical and sub-tropical regions. (From the CDC
website)
We would like to acknowledge
the contributions of our employees to the relief efforts
following the attacks
of September 11, 2001. To date, with Aerotech's matching
contribution, our
employees have donated over $10,000.00 to the American Red Cross
Disaster Relief Fund.
Aerotech Laboratories and its subsidiaries Precision Analytical and
Kalmar will also donate
1% of all cash receipts received during the month of October 2001
to the American Red
Cross Disaster Relief Fund. Our prayers go out to those affected by last
month's terrorist
acts and to the members of our Armed Forces and our allies as they
prepare for combat.
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Additional IAQ Courses
AmIAQ Council
IAQ Technologies Training
Free IAQ Posters -
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** Aerotech Laboratories
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please email IAQ In Commercial Buildings Poster Request with your complete
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request the "Indoor Air Quality In Commercial Buildings" poster. Failure
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IAQ In Residential
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your
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and request the "Indoor Air Quality In Residential Buildings" poster.
Failure to request
the specific poster will prevent the item from being shipped.
---Available Soon---
IAQ In Schools. Please email IAQ In Schools Poster Request with your
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IAQ Photo Contest
*** Aerotech is looking
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the Aerotech Monitor
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If your photo is selected you will win and Aerotech 6(TM) microbial
impactor (value $599).
To enter please email your photo to IAQ Photo Contest
RECOMMENDED IAQ BUSINESS
SEMINAR
**** "Building A Successful
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RECOMMENDED READING
***** NEW "Standard
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******* A must have
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What is fungus, Biodeterioration-spoilage molds, Molds in
biotechnology, Mycotoxins
and Mycotoxicoses, Allergy and other adverse health reactions to
molds, and Fungal
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is published by Munksgaard
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