Are air ions a therapeutic factor of sylvinite speleochambers?
Both in sylvinite (such as Berezniki) and halite (such as Solotvino) subterranean salt caves the enhanced ionization of air with light-weight negative ions is registered. An enhanced content of air ions is viewed as one of the operating factors of the speleo-, halotherapeutic method, along with dry highly-dispersed salt aerosol. In sylvinite caves the enhanced aeroionization is created due to radioactive γ- and β- decay of K40contained in sylvinite. It is assumed that in sylvinite speleochambers located on the surface of the ground the same ion generation mechanism acts – the ions are created in the air of a room adjacent to walls. The significant circumstance is that potassium content in the strata of natural sylvinite varies greatly (from 17 to 43%), therefore, the ion generation in the air adjacent to walls also varies greatly. Besides, there are different sizes of rooms faced with salt blocks, their thicknesses, intensity of ventilation, filters, the numbers of attending patients,
