What is Ozone?
Ozone – General Information Ozone is a naturally occurring component of fresh air. It can be produced by the ultraviolet rays of the sun reacting with the Earth’s upper atmosphere, which creates a protective ozone layer, or it can be created artificially with an ozone generator. The ozone molecule contains three oxygen atoms whereas the oxygen molecule contains only two. Ozone is a very reactive and unstable gas with a short half-life before it reverts back to oxygen. Ozone is the most powerful and rapid acting oxidizer man can produce, and will oxidize all bacteria, mould and yeast spores, organic material and viruses. A Brief History Of Ozone Ozone has played a significant role in the waste treatment process in the past and will continue to do so in the future. The utilization of ozone in industrial situations has a long and impressive history, one that predates current environmental concerns. The American Indians, for whom fishing was a central industry, recognized a correlation bet
Ozone is a molecule composed of three atoms of oxygen. Two atoms of oxygen form the basic oxygen molecule–the oxygen we breathe that is essential to life. The third oxygen atom can detach from the ozone molecule, and re-attach to molecules of other substances, thereby altering their chemical composition. It is this ability to react with other substances that forms the basis of manufacturers claims.
Ozone is a gas that occurs both in the Earth’s upper atmosphere and at ground level. Ozone can be “good” or “bad” for your health and the environment, depending on its location in the atmosphere. How Can Ozone Be Both Good and Bad? Ozone occurs in two layers of the atmosphere. The layer closest to the Earth’s surface is the troposphere. Here, ground-level or “bad” ozone is an air pollutant that is harmful to breathe and it damages crops, trees and other vegetation. It is a main ingredient of urban smog. The troposphere generally extends to a level about 6 miles up, where it meets the second layer, the stratosphere. The stratosphere or “good” ozone layer extends upward from about 6 to 30 miles and protects life on Earth from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays. What is Happening to the “Good” Ozone Layer? Ozone is produced naturally in the stratosphere. But this “good” ozone is gradually being destroyed by man-made chemicals referred to as ozone-depleting substances (ODS), including
Ozone is one of the naturally occurring trace gases that make up our atmosphere. The atmosphere serves three critical functions: it provides life-giving oxygen, keeps the earth warm, and protects us from deadly ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun. Most of the atmosphere consists of nitrogen and oxygen, the air we breathe. These gases do not hold heat so they do not keep us warm. They also do not protect the earth from UV rays. For those functions you have to turn to the trace gases found in the atmosphere, commonly referred to as greenhouse gases. They are: water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, and nitrous oxide. These trace gases function like the transparent covering of a greenhouse, allowing sunlight to filter through to the earth’s surface, then trapping the heat. Without the greenhouse effect the earth’s temperature would plummet far below zero each night. Ozone is a particularly critical trace gas because it plays two roles. In the lower atmosphere it adds to the green
