Ozone indoors?

[wkjames]

I was reading through the thread about UV sterilizers, and I guess it had never really registered with me that people in this hobby commonly use ozone in their systems. (Please remember, I'm relatively new) Here is a repeat of my other post:

Ozone in the atmosphere is good... Ozone in your house is poison. Ozone = Smog.

Read this, especially the second to the last paragraph: http://www.cal-iaq.org/o3_fact.htm
EDIT*** This is a better link: http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/ozonegen.html#table%201 ***EDIT


If you are really interested in checking more into this, here is a Google search that lays this out: http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&aq=t&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGLR,GGLR:2006-18,GGLR:en&q=ozone+generators+health+hazard

I love aquariums, but as a healthcare professional, there is NO WAY ON EARTH I would ever put one of these POISON MACHINES in my house. I don't care how good it may or may not be for my tank. I'm not sure how it's still legal to sell or purchase equipment that generates ozone. My health and the health of all of those I welcome into my home is too important.

[clownnut]

anything can be harmful, if you dont know how to use it.

[sea monkey]

many common air filters like the ionic breeze are ozone generators but too much can definitely be a problem .

most people have the ozone from their aquariums pass through carbon to remove it .

[wkjames]

anything can be harmful, if you dont know how to use it.

Very true, but O3 (Ozone) is harmful, especially indoors. Even produced in small amounts, the quantities tend to accumulate since most homes today are built to such high standards and are so relatively airtight. The quantity of ozone generated by these units is quite likely to be a contributor to increased risk of (or aggravation of existing) asthma, bronchial infection, pneumonia, emphysema, and a host of other respiratory problems. As to your point of 'knowing how to use it' I don't know that there is a safe way to 'use it' indoors. The only way to consider having one of these in your home is to vent it outdoors, generating heating and cooling concerns, as well as significant expense. I think if you do the reading as I have, you would agree – Ozone at ground level (as opposed to the upper atmosphere) is simply dangerous, especially indoors.

[wkjames]

many common air filters like the ionic breeze are ozone generators but too much can definitely be a problem .

most people have the ozone from their aquariums pass through carbon to remove it .

That goes to my earlier point... I can't believe it is still available for sale. Read some of the information in the links I posted. Not only does it not help clean the air, but indoor use is not safe. You get better air purification passing plain air through the carbon filter than ozonated air through one.

[sea monkey]

I will read them : )

[Frogbone]

Your first link is
1. From California
2. Berkeley to be specific
3. almost 10 years old.

I need something more tangible to all of a sudden throw out ozonizers.

If they were such a dangerous thing, how come we don't hear about it? Where are all the coughing, dying reefers ? (not the ones's you think of :lol_hitting: )

I appreaciate the warning but I don't buy it. No offense :smile: :biggthumpup:

[wkjames]

Ewwww. Berkley... Ick! (and it smells funny) How about this one: http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/ozonegen.html#table%201
Your first link is
1. From California
2. Berkeley to be specific
3. almost 10 years old.

I need something more tangible to all of a sudden throw out ozonizers.

If they were such a dangerous thing, how come we don't hear about it? Where are all the coughing, dying reefers ? (not the ones's you think of :lol_hitting: )

I appreaciate the warning but I don't buy it. No offense :smile: :biggthumpup:

[kjdeut]

Ozone/UV is also very common in hot tubs.

[Frogbone]

OK, let me rephrase.

I know that ozone can be dangerous but I see no harm in running an aquarium ozonizer through a skimmer and have the skimmer air go through a carbon pad.

The whole house air purifiers with ozonizer have big warning labels that say to not run them while you or your pets are in the house. That does tell me something right there.

Does anyone know how much ozone the house purifiers pump out ?

[Redwinger]

Bah, coffee will kill you one day, the next day it won't, Ozone will kill you today and the next week someone comes out with a study that it prevents cancer. Diets are good for you one day then the next they harm you. IMO it is all relative. Crap we all used to play with mercury when we were younger, now a thermometer breaks and they call in a hazmat team.:laugh:

[stuckey_t]

That's the whole point of injecting it into the skimmer anyway. You're not just shooting it into the air of the house:rotflmao:

[Chris Goetz]

Bah, coffee will kill you one day, the next day it won't, Ozone will kill you today and the next week someone comes out with a study that it prevents cancer. Diets are good for you one day then the next they harm you. IMO it is all relative. Crap we all used to play with mercury when we were younger, now a thermometer breaks and they call in a hazmat team.:laugh:


So true!!!

I may use ozone on my 210 when it is setup. The main advantage in my opinion is the clearer water, which makes better use of the expensive lights.

My tank is in a fish room which can be vented outside, so I don't see the danger for me.

Chris

[Dirk Griffin]

Ozonizers have been used for decades with very good results. When you walk into the room where ozone is used, you will know if there is a leak. As long as normal precautions are taken and the equipment is properly set up, there are seldom any issues.
Most problems are people do not do enough or any homework on what they are dealing with, how to use it, cut corners on costs, and have an improper set up.
I have used ozone many times over the years. The last time I used it, it took 4-5 hours on the set up and 1-2 hours on reviewing the precautions, redundancy to dbl/triple check everything.
If an orp controller is not used, the proper type tubing/hoses and the water and air from a skimmer ran thru carbon after being ozonized, you are asking for trouble. A reactor has similar pre-cautions.
The same also applies to all of the tank inhabitants which are damaged/killed from excess ozone still in the water, just rips them apart.
How many still don't have carbon mononoxide or radon alarms in their homes

If things can not be set up right don't be doing it.

[PLNelson]

Pure oxygen is corrosive, but we need it to live. Ozone is some nasty stuff, in to high a quantity, in small amounts, I believe it can be beneficial. If you ever look at what it does, you'll see just how bad it can be, but also some very good benefits from it, in moderation.

[wkjames]

Bah, coffee will kill you one day, the next day it won't, Ozone will kill you today and the next week someone comes out with a study that it prevents cancer. Diets are good for you one day then the next they harm you. IMO it is all relative. Crap we all used to play with mercury when we were younger, now a thermometer breaks and they call in a hazmat team.:laugh:

tobacco, asbestos, lead... Believe me, I am not a health trend bandwagon kind of guy... I don't think this is in the same category as diet fads and healthcare by news media. This is a genuine, long and deeply studied, serious health hazard. Though media coverage has been poor, that is not a reason to ignore it. so, bah yourself.:wink:

[kjdeut]

Crap we all used to play with mercury when we were younger, now a thermometer breaks and they call in a hazmat team.:laugh:

How true. My daughter's school had that small mercury incident in Feb I think it was. It got so much attention you would of thought it was some major ecological disaster. They closed the school, brought in the EPA, local and state hazmat teams and generally scared the crap out of the parents. Then they have a meeting and tell everyone there is no danger. Go figure

[Frogbone]

That's called HYSTERIA !!

[kjdeut]

Hysteria and "cover your butt" in regards to lawsuits

[superman]

I gotta agree with Redwinger on this one. Having used (and inhaled) a lot of ozone I am convinced of its very non toxic levels in home size aquariums. The levels needed to clear up water and improve skimming in an average reef aquarium under 1000 gallons is SO small that it really isn't harmful at all in the air inside the home in my opinion. The levels I use in my job on the other hand could kill someone quite easily if used wrong, but the precautions taken are very easy to adhere to. In my mind this would be like freaking out because there are too many people in a room together..."The carbon dioxide build up could be harmful!"

[Frogbone]

In my mind this would be like freaking out because there are too many people in a room together..."The carbon dioxide build up could be harmful!"

True that ! Well put :biggthumpup:

[wkjames]

I gotta agree with Redwinger on this one. Having used (and inhaled) a lot of ozone I am convinced of its very non toxic levels in home size aquariums. The levels needed to clear up water and improve skimming in an average reef aquarium under 1000 gallons is SO small that it really isn't harmful at all in the air inside the home in my opinion. The levels I use in my job on the other hand could kill someone quite easily if used wrong, but the precautions taken are very easy to adhere to. In my mind this would be like freaking out because there are too many people in a room together..."The carbon dioxide build up could be harmful!"

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires ozone output of indoor medical devices to be no more than 0.05 ppm.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires that workers not be exposed to an average concentration of more than 0.10 ppm for 8 hours.

The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommends an upper limit of 0.10 ppm, not to be exceeded at any time.

EPA’s National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ozone is a maximum 8 hour average outdoor concentration of 0.08 ppm

The numbers above are pretty small. I have read a lot on this, and would never, ever, ever have one in my home. I have no worries about short term exposure, it is the long term I worry about. I see I am vastly outvoted here. I feel like a non-smoker must have felt in the 50's. BTW, I agree, the hysteria over mercury is absurd. So is the belief that freon and aerosol sprays have anything to do with global climate shifts.

[superman]

I guess if the PPM numbers you posted meant anything to me (like if I knew what air ozone levels get up to in the life support rooms I work in) then maybe I would be shocked. I can't speak for anyone else, but I don't have access to an air ozone meter.