Brief description of Ozone Application
areas and recommendations for Air Disinfection using Ozone:
Air Conditioning
The collection of particulate organic material
and condensation of moisture that occurs around the drip pans, condensation
coils and duct work of air conditioning units creates the perfect
environment for the growth of bio films. Not only do these lead to high
levels of fungi and bacteria that become airborne and get transported around
the building via air recirculation, but they also reduce the efficiency and
heat transfer of the systems. Airborne bacteria and fungi do not only
present a major health hazard but also bad smell. By treating the air
conditioning system with ozone, you can prevent the build-up of bio films,
and consequently the build-up of bacteria and fungi. This will eliminate bad
smell and the spread of health problems such as allergies, rashes, colds,
viruses and legionnaires disease.
Food Storage
Due to ozone's potency as an oxidant, use in
food storage is a perfect application area. It can be utilized as a gaseous
fumigant within a number of phases of food storage, including storage rooms,
coolers, silos, and transport vehicles, fulfilling a number of functions in
each stage.
Two of the main areas in which ozone can be most fruitfully utilized are
within the pre-packing stage of production for products such as meat and
poultry, and the storage of directly harvested products, such as potatoes.
Ozone treatment of products prior to packing dramatically reduces bacteria
levels, as well as controlling Listeria and other pathogens, helping to
extend the shelf life of the products. As well as the products being
treated, the equipment that is used in the production process can be treated
at the same time, thus increasing the efficiency of the process. Ozone
treatment is also safe for ready-to-eat products as well as those that
require further preparation. With the storage of harvested products, such as
potatoes, ozone treatment implies that the problem of products rotting is
greatly reduced due to ozone's ability to eliminate the harmful bacteria,
such as Erwinia in the case of potatoes that cause the rot.
Hotel Rooms
Polluted indoor air is a serious environmental
health concern as well as an unpleasant experience for those subjected to
it, not least when you are paying for the privilege to breathe it. Hotel
rooms, if not properly cleaned and ventilated thoroughly, can hold a number
of objectionable odors. Ozone can eradicate this problem. A specific problem
is when guests have been smoking in a non-smoking room. . Ozone's high level
oxidation properties means that with just a short time of exposure, all the
bad odors will not just be masked, but actually eliminated. The room is left
with a fresh air and is ready for the new customer to use it. Ozone
treatment also brings down the maintenance of carpets, drapes and other
textiles utilized in the room.
Industrial Kitchens
Industrial kitchens often have a problem with
their ventilation systems, majority of the air that passes through the
ventilation system is heavy with grease, and can cause substantial problems
for normal filtration systems, that become clogged and ineffective quickly.
Filters are also quite ineffective against odor. By treating the off-gas
with ozone, both of these areas can be addressed. Ozone reacts with the
grease in the air thereby reducing the amount of grease and at the same time
eliminates odor. The reduced level of grease in the off gas means that ducts
and channels need less cleaning and maintenance thereby lowering operational
costs.
Mold And Mildew Removal
Mould is one of the top causes of allergic
symptoms and can be found everywhere. Mould infects carpeting, insulation,
walls, even the wood and brick framing inside your home. When they grow
uncontrolled, moulds can gradually destroy the surfaces they are on by
rendering them unusable, which makes removal of the surface the only
alternative. The only traditional way to actually get rid of the mould is to
remove all visible mould, disinfect the surfaces, and reduce the level of
moisture.
Using ozone is a well proven way of hindering mould growth. Ozone's strong
oxidation potential means that it actively kills airborne mould spores. It
is also 3000 times faster as a bactericide than chlorine, as well as being
safe for the environment. It is well documented that ozone offers a fast,
thorough and environmentally friendly solution to mould and mildew problems.
Odor Removal
Ozone can help with many kinds of odors in
different kind of situations. It oxidizes and breaks down molecules that
carry the odor in the first place, thus eradicating it. One example is the
use of ozone as odor control within industry. Odor control is rapidly
becoming one of the most discussed topics within industrial environmental
concerns. The reason for this increase in awareness lies in the expansion of
urban populations into industrial areas. This has forced businesses to look
into the problem of odor pollution emanating from their premises. Ozone can
be used to treat the off-gas and thus eliminate the odor. It can also be
utilized within industrial production facilities, in barns and breeding
facilities. Ozone's high oxidization properties mean that it can effectively
control many odors but it is important that every application is carefully
analyzed and engineered. Every odor is in its own way unique and the
ozonation system needs to tailored to get a fully satisfactory result.
Restaurants / Bars / Casinos
Use of ozone in restaurants, bars and casinos
helps to maintain a pleasant atmosphere for customers by keeping the air
clean and controlling the inevitable odors that occur in such places. Low
concentrations of ozone can effectively oxidize micro-organisms that exist
in the air causing bad odor, and also kill bacteria and viruses.
Smoke Removal
With the continued awareness of the dangers of
passive smoking, specially designated smoking rooms are becoming more and
more common. Due to constant exposure to smoke in these rooms however, it
can become a revolting experience entering such rooms, even for those who
smoke. Ozone treatment can leave the room odor and smoke free as the gas
reacts with the smoke molecules, effectively separating them and allowing
them to dissipate. Ozone is effective against any smoke from natural
substances, and can be used not just in smoking rooms, but also in
sanitation of smoke damage from fires.