ozone (O3)

Occurrence

Ozone may be formed either electrically or photochemically.

Ozone that is produced photochemically is found in two distinctly different parts of the atmosphere.

In the upper stratosphere ozone is created when UV light from the sun converts divalent (normal) oxygen to ozone. This ozone layer protects us from harmful radiation from the sun.

Ozone is also created in the troposphere when exhaust from internal combustion engines is photochemically degraded.

Characteristics

Typically odorless & colorless

Electrically created ozone is a blue gas with a pungent odor in high concentrations

If trapped near the ground by thermal inversions, low lying ozone begins a process of oxidation which eventually converts the components of smog to cleaner air

Uses

Ozone has been in commercial use for over 100 years

• Water treatment
• sewage treatment
• fire deodorizing
• spas & pools
• food storage
• other uses.

Antiseptic properties of ozone:

• reduces airborne & surface bacteria by 71%
• reduces molds & fungus by 83%
• 3,000 times more germicidal than chlorine
• 160 times more bactericidal than sulfur dioxide
• 37 times more bactericidal than formaldehyde

Function

• excited or reactive oxygen species & a powerful oxidizing agent

Structure

• ozone is a form of oxygen in which three atoms combine to form a molecule
• oxygen is normally divalent

Pathology

may be harmful if inhaled (smog)

Upper limit for tolerable environmental ozone is 0.1 ppm.

Ozone may be generated in the brain during inflammation.

• the ozone in turn reacts with biomolecules, including cholesterol in a reaction called ozonolysis.

Pharmacokinetics

• 1/2life in air is 10-20 minutes at ambient temperatures

More general terms

• radical
• small molecule

Additional terms

• ozonolysis

Patient information

ozone patient information

Database

• PubChem: http://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/summary/summary.cgi?cid=24823