Note: If using an ozone generator to help eliminate odors in a vehicle, be aware the ozone process should be left unattended for a variable period, depending on the level of ozone being produced from the generator and its capable output. Although ozone is broken down naturally in the atmosphere, the formation and destruction rates of ozone vary. The level of O3 generated in a particular setting by an ozone generator will vary due to humidity, altitude, and vehicle contents. After the ozone process is finished, open the vehicle’s doors or all the windows to allow for fresh air replacement for at least 45 minutes. Be sure to follow the tool manufacturer’s cautions and warnings!
Ozone, or O3, is a molecule composed of three atoms of oxygen. Oxygen in the atmosphere exists as dioxygen, a molecule made up of two oxygen atoms. Two atoms of oxygen, or O2, form the basic oxygen molecule – the oxygen we breathe that is essential to life. Ozone is essentially an O2 element with an extra oxygen atom attached to it like a supercharged form of oxygen. Oxygen is regularly transformed into ozone through forces such as lightning and also ultra-violet (UV) light from the sun striking the atmosphere of the earth. Nature has been creating O3 for millions of years as a natural sanitizer. After a short period of time, the third oxygen atom can detach from the ozone molecule and re-attach to molecules of other substances, thereby altering their chemical compositions. When the O3 molecule decomposes back into regular dioxygen, it leaves no residue and nothing to clean up. This is nature’s response to pollution in the air. Ozone is a highly reactive oxidizing agent used to deodorize air, purify water, and treat industrial wastes.
Ozone Generators
An ozone generator is designed to intentionally alter molecules of oxygen turning them into ozone molecules, which are made up of three oxygen atoms. When the O2 molecules are exposed to a corona discharge such as an electrical current or UV light that emits light of a certain spectrum, some of the dioxygen molecules split into separate oxygen atoms (free oxygen). While most of these oxygen atoms recombine into dioxygen, some of the freed oxygen atoms bump into other O2 molecules and form ozone. Ozone generator devices are designed to create ozone at high levels in an unoccupied space in an effort to sanitize and disinfect organic matter, moisture, chemicals, microorganisms and other elements that combine to generate residual odors. The reason that ozone is able to reduce strong odors is that it goes after pollutants at the source. Ozone can follow the same path that vapors took when they entered soft materials and oxidize many of those embedded odors.
