Ozone (o 3 ), sometimes called "active oxygen," contains three atoms of oxygen instead of the two we normally breathe. Ozone is the second most powerful sterilizer in the world and can be used to destroy bacteria, viruses and odors. Interestingly, ozone is easily seen in nature, mostly as a result of lightning strikes that occur during a storm. In fact, the smell of fresh, clean, spring rain that we noticed after the storm is due to nature's ozone formation. However, we are probably familiar with ozone without reading about the "ozone layer" that surrounds the planet above Earth's atmosphere. Here ozone is created by the sun's ultraviolet rays. It'll protect us from ultraviolet radiation.

Depending on where it is located in the environment, ozone can be good or bad.

Bad ozone

You may have heard that ozone is in the Earth's lower atmosphere, close to the surface level of the ground. One way to develop ozone is by reacting to emissions from chemical plants, industrial boilers, power plants, vehicles and other sources in sunlight. Therefore, ground-level ozone is a pollutant of what is more commonly known as smog.

Good ozone

Located about 6-30 miles above the Earth's surface, our Earth has a protective ozone layer that protects us from the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays. Artificial chemicals are known to destroy this useful ozone for us. So in 1987, the United States, along with more than 180 countries, adopted a treaty called the Montreal Protocol to phase out the production and use of substances that can consume the ozone layer.

Effects of ozone on specific bacteria, viruses and molds

Bacteria are microscopically small, single-celled creatures with a primitive structure. The bacterial body is sealed by a relatively solid cell membrane. Ozone interferes with the metabolism of bacterial cells, most likely by inhibiting and blocking the work of the enzymatic control system. A sufficient amount of ozone breaks through the cell membrane, which leads to the destruction of bacteria.

Viruses are small, independent particles composed of crystals and macromolecules. Unlike bacteria, they reproduce only within the host cell. They convert the protein of the host cell into their own proteins. Ozone destroys most viruses by diffusing them from the protein coating to the nucleic acid nucleus, which in turn damages viral RNA. At higher concentrations, ozone destroys the capsid or outer protein shell by oxidation, so that the DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) or RNA (ribonucleic acid) structures of the microorganism are affected.

The effect of ozone below a certain critical concentration value is small or zero. Above this level, all pathogens are eventually destroyed. This effect is called an "all-or-nothing response", and the critical level is called a "threshold value".


Ozone as disinfectant to destroy pathogens such as coronavirus


Coronavirus is the leading news headline today, and we are learning more and more about how deadly the virus can be. There are many ways to disinfect, but ozone is 99% effective when killing pathogens such as influenza, SARS and coronavirus

What is Coronavirus?

COVID-19 had not previously been identified in humans. Coronavirus (COVID-19) is closely related to the SARS virus (COV-2). According to the World Health Organization, coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV) from the common cold.

How does ozone kill a virus?
Typically viruses are small, independent particles consisting of crystals and macromolecules that multiply only within the host cell. The new coronavirus is considered the” enveloped virus". Enveloped viruses are generally more sensitive to physico-chemical challenges. In past studies, 99% of viruses have been damaged or destroyed after 30 seconds of ozone exposure. Ozone damages viral RNA by destroying viruses by dispersing viruses from the protein coating into the nucleic acid nucleus. At higher concentrations, ozone destroys the outer protein shell by oxidation.

When disinfecting large areas, ozone gas has been proven to kill SARS coronavirus. Since the structure of the new 2019-nCoV coronavirus is almost identical, it is somewhat safe to believe that it will also work on the new coronavirus. There are currently more than 17 scientific studies proving that ozone gas can destroy the SARS coronavirus.

Some options can combat COVID-19 when used to specifications. It is thought that high-quantity ozone generators for shock treatment for disinfection using ozone gas will be successful. Ozone will move through the air and penetrate the ground and cracks.So it disinfects in great detail. For safety reasons, no human, pet or plant should be left in the room during the disinfection cycle.