What is Ozone?

Ozone (O₃) is an 'active oxygen', an unstable molecule made up of three oxygen atoms. In the natural environment ozone is created by the oxygen in the air being exposed to UV radiation from the sun. Ozone has a powerful oxidising effect. This oxidising effect means that the gas is able to break down a great many substances and act as a natural cleaning agent. Ozone is the most powerful oxidising agent that is safe to use.

Its properties mean that ozone kills bacteria, viruses, moulds, spores, cysts and yeasts. It oxidises iron, magnesium, hydrogen sulphate and sulphur. When ozone comes into contact with a chemical, it either oxidises it or it converts the target chemical into a harmless bi-product. Ozone has a clear, fresh smell, like the air after a thunderstorm.

Using ozone has many advantages compared with other cleaning agents.

There is no developed resistance to ozone, as is the case with other disinfectant measures. Ozone is far more effective than chlorine at killing bacteria, fungal organisms and viruses. The reaction time to ozone is short and requires less contact time than chemical substances. Ozone also has a short lifetime, lasting just 10 to 20 minutes in liquid form before turning back into ordinary oxygen. This allows a reduction in transport, production and storage management, and also in emissions of chemicals. This results in environmental and health-related benefits.

Ozone can only be produced on site by an ozone generator using air and electricity. The correct ozone levels can be maintained electronically, without the need for any manual measuring procedures.

Ozone has been used as a cleaning agent for a long time, though in Europe its use has become more widespread only over the last twenty to thirty years. Parallel research shows that chlorine can be harmful, and scientific environments have recommended the elimination of chlorine from the purification of drinking water and also from other industrial processes.