Whitepaper: Ozone

Ozone is a form of the chemical element, oxygen. It is a molecule consisting of three oxygen atoms – O3 (versus O2 for oxygen gas). Ozone is formed when an electric discharge passes through air; for example, by lightning and by some electric motors and generators. It is an unstable, faintly blueish gas with a characteristic odor one may notice after a thunder and lightning storm.

Ozone is a non-specific and strong oxidant. It breaks carbon-carbon bonds, especially double and triple carbon-carbon bonds, thus it reacts with and destroys many types of organic compounds as well as microorganisms such as bacteria, yeast, and molds, and viruses. It also chemically oxidizes dissolved inorganic contaminants in water such as iron, arsenic, sulfide, and nitrite, often converting them to more innocuous or removable forms. Ozone is unstable and will break down into oxygen gas molecules. If there is nothing left for it to react with, it can last for about 30 minutes (in deionized water) and for hours in air.