Ozone is a Purifier and not a Pollutant

The news media recently has been stating that ozone in the atmosphere is hazardous to our health. Ozone is a portrayed as a toxic gas, pollutant and a cancer agent (carcinogen). None of these statements could be further form the truth.

Ozone is an active form of oxygen, contains no other compounds and is naturally formed by the energy of the sun converting a small amount of oxygen into ozone. Human or animal life cannot exist without oxygen and ozone, so why do our "authorities" continue to make unfounded statements concerning the deleterious effects of ozone?

The main reason for misunderstanding ozone is that our educational system does not teach the benefits of ozone. All we remember is that the "ozone layer" does protect us from harmful radiation generated from outer space. Most European's, however, are taught how ozone has been utilized to purify drinking water in their countries for almost a century since ozone does not produce carcinogenic by-products as does the chlorination process. Europeans also understand the healthful benefits of breathing more ozone found in the mountains and along the seashore.

Instead of being harmful, ozone in the atmosphere is actually beneficial to our health. There is no bacteria, virus, fungus or spore that can exist in the presence of ozone, which cannot be said of any chemical. In fact, it is ozone that actually destroys the hazardous chemicals we put into the atmosphere, which is one reason why the ozone layer is being depleted.

In many large U.S. cities, the pollution level is read in parts per million (ppm) of ozone and is usually in the range of 3-5 ppm. However, scientists have proven that "The highest concentration of ozone possible in polluted air is about 1.0 ppm, and rarely exceeds .03 ppm" (1). What is being misinterpreted, as ozone pollution are levels of photochemical oxidants generated by auto and truck emissions such as nitric oxide. Ozone is extremely difficult to measure and most oxidation meters cannot measure ozone concentration, yet the meters are indicating "ozone levels".

Instead of only informing us of "ozone pollution" and blaming fluorocarbons from spray cans for helping to destroy the ozone layer, authorities should mandate that all trucks, buses, locomotives, boats, industrial smokestacks and power plants be equipped with emission control devices. Although automobiles now have such devices on the exhaust (only in the U.S.), diesel fumes contain particles that are much finer than gasoline fumes. "The particles in diesel fumes are so fine that they elude the body's natural defenses and penetrate to the depth of the lungs, carrying dozens of different chemicals"(2). Again, more ozone in the air would help destroy these chemicals before they enter our lungs. In fact, ozone concentrations of 0.3 - 0.5 ppm in ambient air actually inhibits the growth of human cancer cells without affecting
non-cancerous cells, as proven by the Washington University School of Medicine (3).

As a final point of interest, the citizens of Los Angeles, California, realized that the chlorine process generated many cancers causing agents in their drinking water, and voted to eliminate the use of chemicals. Los Angeles is presently installing the largest ozone system in the world to purify drinking water without chemicals or carcinogens.

When are you going to insist that the "Authorities" Start Cleaning Up the Atmosphere?"

1. Kirk Othmer, "Ozone," Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, Vol. 16, 3rd Edition, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

2. Editorial, "Diesel Soot's Threat to New York Times, June 3, 1985.

3. Lee, Sweet & Hagar, "Ozone Selectively Inhibits Growth of Human Cancer Cells," Science, Vol. 209, August 22, 1980, Page 931-932
    

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