Disinfection
How Ozone Effects Bacteria, Fungus, Molds and Viruses
Due to the way ozone is produced (with a loose bond), it is a very strong oxidant and an ideal chemical-free purification and a disinfecting agent. It is frequently misdiagnosed and equated to low-altitude pollution. Nothing could be farther from the truth. In fact, Ozone breaks down pollutants and should be welcomed when found in the air.
Disinfection by tri-atomic oxygen (Ozone) occurs through the rupture of the cell wall. When the effectiveness of ozone as a disinfectant was measured, there was little or no disinfection up to a certain dosage. At higher levels the sanitizing effect increased greatly. For complete disinfection a surplus or residual ozone has to be maintained in the solution to assure that every living microorganism has been contacted.
Ozone Kills Superbugs
Ozone will kill 99.999% of the superbugs: C.diff, Asperigillus Niger, MRSA, HIV and Hepatitis.
The Effects of Ozone on Pathogens
The antipathogenic effects of ozone have been approved for several decades. Its killing action upon bacteria, viruses, fungi, and in many species of protozoa, serve as the basis for its increasing use in disinfecting water supplies in cities worldwide.
Bacteria
Bacteria are microscopically small single-cell creatures having a primitive structure. They take up foodstuffs and release metabolic products, and multiply by division. The bacteria body is sealed by a relatively solid cell membrane. Their vital processes are controlled by a complex enzymatic system. Ozone interferes with the metabolism of bacterium cells, most likely through inhibiting and blocking the operation of the enzymatic control system. A sufficient amount of ozone breaks through the cell membrane, and this leads to the destruction of the bacteria.
Viruses
Viruses are small, independent particles, built of crystals and macromolecules. Unlike bacteria, they multiply only within the host cell. Ozone destroys viruses by diffusing through the protein coat into the nucleic acid core, resulting in damage of the viral RNA. At higher concentrations, ozone destroys the capsid or exterior protein shell by oxidation.