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TOMI Environmental Solutions, Inc. thinks it’s important that you understand the basics of Ozone. Ozone is a pale blue unstable gas that is very active and has a characteristic penetrating odor, readily detectable at concentrations as low as 00.1 to 00.5 ppm. It is an unstable molecule consisting of three atoms of oxygen, unlike a stable oxygen molecule that consists of only two atoms of oxygen. Because the ozone molecule is so unstable, the third oxygen molecule quickly breaks off from the base oxygen molecule. This lone oxygen atom goes in search of another atom to bond to. If it finds another oxygen atom it will form a new molecule of normal oxygen. But if it finds a carbon or sulfur molecule the rogue oxygen atom will interfere with that molecule’s chemical bonds and destroy it in the process.
 All living creatures are made up of compounds containing carbon bonded to nitrogen. For small organisms such as mold, viruses and bacteria, destroying many of these bonds can cause death. Breaking of the carbon-sulfur bonds can destroy the compound as well as its odor. This simple process is how ozone does its deodorizing work when the cause of odors is sulfur-based.
Scientists Schwang and Munchmeyer first investigated the deodorization action of ozone in air in 1913. Since that time, numerous studies have confirmed their original results. Specific tests using hydrogen sulfide (rotten egg odor), stale cigar butts (smoke), stale urine and dim ethylamine (decomposed fish odor) have shown that the level of objectionable odors is significantly reduced by the use of ozone. In all cases, the reduction in odor levels was noticeable and demonstrated the deodorizing effect of ozone.
Because ozone is an excellent oxidizing agent, it can be used to purify air in homes and buildings, tunnels, zoos, etc. The US, EPA, FDA, and Health Canada recognize ozone as an approved disinfectant process and is “generally recognized as safe.” Properly used, ozone has been proven highly effective; it has been used in literally thousands of situations for over 50 years, to produce air free of bacteria, viruses, fungus, and odors. In general the time needed for destruction of microorganisms and odors decreases as the ozone concentration increases. Most microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, mold, and fungi) are killed in less than one-minute at a concentration of 1 to 5 mg/L of ozone. (Other concentrations of ozone may be necessary to destroy microorganisms in a damp environment.) The US EPA has measured the half-life of ozone in outside air to be 12 hours. It is because of these two facts that TOMIES, Inc. employs a two-step process when cleansing a building; first, introducing a high concentration of ozone air for a fixed period of time, and second, completely replacing all of the ozone air containing ozone within the treated building with fresh, outside air before allowing reoccupation.
LINKS FOR WEBSITE
ACGIH – American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists
http://www.acgih.org
AIHA – American Industrial Hygiene Association
http://www.aiha.org
California State EPA
http://www.calepa.ca.gov
Journal of Immunology
http://www.jimmunol.org
National Institutes of Health
http://www.nih.gov
New York State Public Health Department
http://www.health.state.ny.us
U.S. EPA Mold Resources Website
http://www.epa.gov/iaq/molds/moldresources.html
U.S. EPA Mold Remediation Guidelines
http://www.epa.gov/iaq/molds/mold_remediation.html
U.S. EPA Asthma Website
http://www.epa.gov/iaq/asthma
The U.S. Green Building Council
http://www.usgbc.org/
International Ozone Association
http://www.io3a.org/
International Ultraviolet Association
http://www.iuva.org/
Restoration Industry Association
http://www.restorationindustry.org/
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