Category: Ozone Shock Treatment Info

Here you can find our blog posts on ozone shock treatment-related issues.

10g Quartz Tube Ozone Ballast/Tube ‘Bare Bones’ Ozone Generator Now Available.

10g Quartz Tube Ozone Ballast/Tube ‘Bare Bones’ Ozone Generator Now Available.

We know times are tough for many. (And getting tougher.) We also know we have the best ozone generator elements in the world. The same technology Nikola Tesla invented 100 plus years ago. Stainless steel mesh around a quartz tube and dielectric high voltage. This method of producing ozone is superior to the Chinese invented ceramic plate technology due to heat and humidity considerations. You see at 90% humidity. Ozone plate technology is reduced by 90%! It’s not reduced with our technology. (Or the more expensive UV technology that only produces low amounts of ozone).

Heat and humidity destroy ozone. Since ozone is most often used in areas with heat and humidity, choosing this type of ozone producing element is a no brainer.

Chinese made ozone generators featuring ozone plates are designed to fail fairly quickly. When it does. Rather than throw it away. Consider replacing your old transformer and ozone plate with this set-up. All it needs is a fan to feed this ozone element air to produce ozone. Some clever permaculture enthusiasts have found a way to cap both ends of the quartz tube and pressurize the inside part with air to create ozone they can bubble into water. But even if you do that. You’ll need a fan to cool both the tube and the transformer.

This 10g bare bones ozone generator sells for $60 delivered. We also offer volume discounts as follow:

2 for $110

3 for $160

4 for $210.

If you call in your order, we will ship USPS 2 day Priority mail. Otherwise. We ship USPS Parcel Post which takes around 4-6 days to deliver. If you have any questions. Just call us troll free 9-5 Central time at 888-989-8764. Thanks for your continued and have a Blessed Day!

Ozone Shock Treatments a “Must Do” this Time of Year.

Ozone Shock Treatments a “Must Do” this Time of Year.

There are several reasons why performing ozone shock treatments in unoccupied spaces during this time of year is a ‘must do.’

  1. We spend more time indoors during the fall/winter. At the same time, we close our structures shut, quit keeping screened windows open to let in fresh air. This means the air inside is up to 10 times more polluted than outdoor air. A weekly ozone shock treatment can, however, can sanitize your indoor air and rid it of molds, bacteria, viruses, odors, chemicals, and VOCs.
  2. We tend to have family and friends over to visit more this time of year. Everyone sheds dead skin and whatever ‘funk’ they bring with them. It’s a good idea to shock your air after any visitation. If they cough or sneeze, you can get rid of whatever micro-pathogens they introduced to your living space.

Those are the two main reasons why I believe everyone should perform weekly ozone shock treatments during the winter months. The reason they call this the cold and flu season isn’t because cold temperatures make us sick. On the contrary. Our immune system benefits from having us suffer a little cold weather. The reason people get sick is that indoor air is ten times more polluted than outdoor air. I also recommend you run your HVAC system in the ‘on’ position 24/7 during the winter and change your HVAC filter every 3 weeks (it will turn black) to ensure your lungs aren’t breathing in that somewhat toxic dust floating around. (Better the filter turn black than our lungs, right?) You can pick up MERV 11 filters on ebay for about $6 a filter (vs $25 at Walmart or Lowes) Just buy a carton of 12 and save!

Benefits of Ozone Shock Treatments in Classrooms at Night

Benefits of Ozone Shock Treatments in Classrooms at Night

We’ve consulted with educators in several Southern States where mold issues, in mostly older schools, threaten both teacher and student and our ozone machines have blessed everyone with better health, and test scores. Sadly, this has to be done on the down low and paid for by the teachers themselves. They set our 10g ozone generators to go off for two hours in the middle of the night when nobody is around. We recommend 1 AM to 3 AM. The next morning, both teachers and students are welcomed by fresh, clean, bacteria, mold, and virus free air. And oh what a blessing that is to their wellbeing and ability to learn/teach!

The people in charge don’t care about our health. They live in gated communities with private security guards. Their homes feature the top of the line in duct HVAC cleaning and sanitizing systems. The food they eat, which of course they don’t have to prepare, is organic and top of the line. Only the best for our elected officials! But you and I? They couldn’t care less. (unless there is a kickback or something in it for them, lol) We have to fend for ourselves. And that’s why smart teachers are turning to nightly ozone shock treatments to sanitize their work area and provide a healthier environment for them and their kids. The only study I can find on this subject was from 100 years ago in St Louis MO. It found that not only did sick days go down, test scores went up by simply performing nightly ozone shock treatments in the school via their HVAC system.

Mold is a serious issue in many parts of our county. You’d think that more would be done to protect our children and teachers. If your child goes to school in an older school in a humid area, you might want to share this article with their teacher, or better yet, gift them one of our ozone generators to turn on in the middle of the night to sanitize and purify the air when nobody is present.

Ozone Generators Compared

Ozone Generators Compared

I spoke with a nice gentleman today, the owner of an ozone business in St Thomas Virgin Islands. He was telling me of his frustration with his Chinese transformer ozone generator bought from a guy he called “Charles.” He said his ozone ‘cannon’ arrived with 2 out of 5 defective transformers. He immediately called Charles, expecting him to make things right. Instead, he was told that his machine was tested to work before it left the ‘factory’ so he was shit out of luck. It was the carriers’ fault, call and bother them. He bought one of my 50K machines and I offered to throw in two free Chinese transformers at cost ($16), the kind in his unit. The kind with the ‘hot’ high voltage red wires that are glued to the ozone plate, making them effectively disposable. I have 20 of those I bought to test. All of the tested samples caught on fire if the fan quit blowing. All failed within a month if used over 12 hours a day. (Terrible invention – a knock off of my transformer my invention)

Those ‘hot’ high voltage red wires on the Chinese ‘double stacked” transformers, if those wires come undone (with high heat) can touch the side of the box. That poses a shock and fire hazard. Most of the cheap ozone generators sold on Amazon feature these disposable transformers. (buyers, beware). Out transformer has a lifetime warranty and was designed to last 10 or more years, even with daily use. (If connected to a fan and run in the manner we recommend, on 30 off 30 for as long as you want.) A 15-30 minute shock treatment is all you need to kill mold, viruses, bacteria, mites, etc at the concentrations our ozone generators create.

Forever Ozone has been in business for over 10 years, and we’re not in this to make money. Real Estate, other investments are how I make money. I got into this business for health and safety reasons. I knew that we live in ‘end times’ and wars, (burning plastic) civil unrest, pandemics (manmade or otherwise) were coming. I knew that owing ozone would represent the blood above the doorway to ward off the angel of death. I know our gov is part of a world order that has a depopulation agenda. I’m not happy about this. (Wrote a book about it in case you’re interested in this type of thing. If you want a signed copy, just let me know. I sell the hard copies for $10 to my customers and friends.) But I created our ozone generators to last, and to be highly effective. If your ozone transformer ever craps out, we’ll replace it for free, gladly! We want you to have ozone! Ozone kills the ‘bad guys” that can kill us. If you choose Forever Ozone, you are supporting a USA company that cares about your health. If you buy products with poorly designed cheap Chinese transformers? Good luck.

Chinese ozone transformer 10,000 mgh

A Cheap Air Purifier Solution.

I got out of the air purifier business (sold air purifiers online as well as mold test kits, UVC in duct units, even nano tio2 liquid) because I realized that for dust, a MERV 11 filter is all you needed to take care of dust issues in a home. Most dust is in the 3-10 micron size, and a MERV 11 filter easily captures those particles thanks to an air handler’s high CFM air moving capability.

Besides learning that your HVAC system was your best air purifier option, I also found out that the most effective way to sanitize indoor air and all surfaces is with an ozone shock treatment. Sanitizing all surfaces and your indoor air with ozone also kills mites (and breaks down their feces – number one indoor air allergen). Well, that was it, I could no longer make money selling air purifiers. I need to feel good about what I sell – make people happy. 

Many customers have asked me about air purifiers over the years, some wonder if this machine or that machine is a good buy. I always say the same thing. ALL low CADR (clean air delivery rate) tabletop type air purifiers are a waste of money. I’ve blogged about it many times. However, what if you don’t have an HVAC system? Hmmmm. Well, I recently moved into a beach condo without an HVAC system myself, and that lead me to dig back into my bag of previously learned air cleaning tricks to create what I feel is the best cheap air purifier solution that we now offer on Foreverozone.com.

Being able to move a large amount of air is what is takes to effectively remove dust and mold from the air. We constantly kick up dust when we move around so being able to filter all of the air in a room 5-10 times an hour is what it takes to remove the allergens that constantly get kicked up as we move around. For the price, nothing moves more air than a 20″ box fan. (Good ones with a metal frame $22-$28) I like the Lasko brand myself. Metal frame, made in the USA, moves over 2400 cubic feet of air per minute. That takes care of the fan, what about the filter?

HEPA filters work, but the machines they’re in don’t move enough air. The exception is the Airpura brand. That 360-degree design brings in air from all angles and their 3″ HEPA filter works great. It moves enough air to get the job done. Tabletop air purifiers and small air purifiers? Total waste of money. Back to my choice of filter. If you don’t have an HVAC system that moves thousands of feet of air per minute, then the best solution is a 20″ box can and a MERV 11 furnace filter, our “cheap air purifier” solution. We add ozone, carbon, UVC, and Tio2 Mesh options, but the air moving and dust collection takes place with the box fan and MERV 11 filter. This combo will remove more dust (by volume) MUCH FASTER than any mid-range air purifier on the market. Having a high CADR (clean air delivery rate) is essential for removing dust, and while a box fan with a MERV 11 filter combo hasn’t been tested for CADR, this video does show that it has a very high clean air delivery rate. CADR is measured by CFM airflow rate x % efficiency at removing particles. While a HEPA filter can remove more particles than a MERV 11 filter, their low CFM airflow rate vs a 2400 CFM box fan still gives the dust removal title to our cheap air purifier solution. 

So here’s the deal. If you have an HVAC system, you’re good. All you need to do is run the system in the “ON” position 24/7 and then replace your MERV 11 filters once every 3 weeks or so. (they’ll turn dark gray / better them than your lungs!) However, if you don’t have an HVAC system, then I think our Forever Ozone Air Purifier Solutions offer the best “bang for your buck” in addressing any indoor air quality issue you might have. Dust. Mold. VOC’s, second-hand smoke, or all of the above. How? By attaching the carbon or MERV 11 filters to the 20″ box can and utilizing ozone shock treatments or UV – UVC oxidizers to the air, you can address any indoor air quality issue cheaply and probably more effectively than most expensive air purifiers on the market. TIP: I take the box fan/filter outside weekly and use a high-pressure blower (you can buy it in can form) to remove all of the dust the filter has collected during the week. During the week, when I vacuum, I suck dust right off the filter while the unit is still running. I think I can get this filter to last many months if I continue to do this. 

Clean air and clean water should be easy to obtain, but it isn’t. We need both to live healthy disease-free lives. The powers that be want to push ineffective, expensive solutions upon the masses while suppressing the amazing air sanitizing abilities of ozone. I think these air purifier solutions will out-perform the competition because it’s just a matter of CFM physics. You need to move a lot of air to filter out particles, and you need to utilize oxidizers to sanitize the air. The Bible says that the truth shall set you free. I agree. In this case, free of dirty air and free of wasting money on ineffective solutions in place of cheap, effective ones. 

Love Dogs but Not Dirty Dog Odors? We Have a Solution.

I had a nice lady in Newport Beach call today to see what I recommend for making her house smell like a fresh mountain meadow despite the fact it now smells like a barn because her kids aren’t properly cleaning their dogs. She has company coming this weekend and wants to find a quick solution. Here is a solution I shared with her and I know works because I’m using it myself now that I find myself living in a home with 2 dogs. 

First, I put a blanket that gets washed often on the couches so that they don’t absorb the plethora of bacteria their backsides harbor. Secondly, the floors now get swept and mopped every day. Thirdly, while the dogs are getting walked (for at least one hour a day) the house gets a 15-minute ozone shock treatment. (the ozone lingers for another 30-40 minutes) Lastly, I am using the ozone air purifier I recently added to our offering myself to keep the air smelling mountain fresh despite our dogs. I program it conservatively to turn on for 5 seconds every 3 minutes which is just enough ozone to make it smell like a fresh mountain meadow but not enough ozone to get above .002 ppm, well below the .01 ppm EPA guideline. If I cook fish, which I often do, I bump it up to 30 seconds every 3 minutes for an hour or so, then go back to the 5-second program. 

I know that there is a lot of controversy about breathing ozone, but the fact is that studies have found that breathing low levels of ozone is good for you. In Europe, doctors often tell their patients to take their kids with asthma to the mountains for the holidays to allow their lungs to heal with the elevated ozone levels (and smog-free air.) Breathing city air, smog, the stuff ozone breaks down (why there is a lot of ozone in the air when there is a lot of smog in the air) is harmful to the lungs. Breathing fresh clean pollution-free air with a little ozone, on the other hand, is great for the lungs. Our lungs can handle oxygen, and the simple fact is that we now breath 1/2 of the oxygen content we used to breathe thousands of years ago before we replaced everything green with concrete, buildings, and asphalt and even worse, allowed the Amazon rain forests to be burnt down. Now our air only has about 21% oxygen. Bumping up our oxygen uptake with a small amount of ozone isn’t bad for you, I believe it promotes good health, and the science I’ve read on the subject confirms my beliefs. Yes, for asthmatics and people with COPD or other lung issues, breathing elevated ozone levels is not advisable, and I don’t advise that. The simple fact, however, is that ozone is ‘self-regulating’ in the sense it tells you it you’re breathing too much by making you cough. If you cough around ozone, turn off the ozone machine or get out of the area! Simple as that. However, if you don’t cough with a small amount of ozone in the air, and it makes you feel good? Know what? It’s promoting good health. 

Another solution I also use it to clean my pets backside with ozone water after they do a #2. I do this several times a day. They don’t seem to mind it, I think they like it and appreciate my Mike’s Magic Butt Cleaning Service. (Franchise opportunities available, lol) How is this done? I just bubble ozone into a 16 oz of water for five minutes with our 1g ozone generator, I then pour the highly ozonated water into the ozone proof sprayer we sell and spray away with a fine mist right where the sun don’t shine on my kid’s dogs. I do this at least one time a day before they get in bed with my kids. (disgusting, I know, but they insist) I like to do have it done to the dogs after they go #2, but then again, I’m a little OCD about bacteria. Call me weird, I don’t care. I think ozone is why I haven’t aged much or been sick in 10 years. 

Airborne viruses, molds, fungus, bacteria, chemtrails, pollution, etc don’t like it when you introduce a small amount of ozone into the air. So if you love your dogs, but want your home smelling clean, fresh, with not even a hint of dirty dog, consider our fresh clean air solution. (or the tush cleaning solution, lol)  

Killing Mold with Ozone.

If your home smells musty, you have mold. The first thing you should do is invest in a de-humidifier.  I like the ones that can attach to a hose (that is connected to a drain) so that you don’t have to constantly change a bucket.  The second thing you should do is utilize ozone shock treatments to kill surface molds as well as airborne mold spores. 

SURFACE MOLD?  OZONE SHOCK TREATMENT NEEDED

If you have surface mold, the first thing you should probably do is test to make sure it’s not the toxic variety.  If it is, then you need to contact your insurance company and if you’re a renter, an attorney. Toxic mold is nothing to blow-off. The implications can be deadly. 

If you have regular mold, and your place smells musty, then you should go on the offensive.  Your battle plan should look like this:  1) Get a de-humidifier and get the humidity level to 30% or lower. 2) Perform several ozone shock treatments to kill the airborne mold spores and kill any surface molds. This will also kill the dust mites and neutralize their feces (major indoor air allergen).  3) Moving forward, perform daily ozone shock treatments of one hour when nobody is home. 4) Consider getting an in-duct UVC system for your HVAC system.  

WHY FOREVER OZONE GENERATORS?

Our “cost per milligram of ozone” is the lowest yet we have the best warranty (lifetime) and service (we answer the phone).  This is important because you need a lot of ozone power, at least 30,000 mg/h to treat a 1500 or so square foot home with 50% humidity levels, and you need to be able to move a lot of air.  Why? Ozone production is reduced by 50% at 50% humidity.  Professionals that get paid thousands of dollars to do ozone shock treatments come in with 2 times that, or 60,000 mg/h, but that’s because they want to make sure the job is done right the first time, and time is of the essence.

Traditional ozone generators only have a 100 CFM fan. That’s not enough to “churn” the air and create untra high concentrations of ozone.  Ozone generators convert oxygen in the air into ozone, and without a high CFM fan, they just create an ozone cloud near the unit.   Our 30,000 ($219),  50,000 ($329) or 80,000 mg/h ($579) commercial ozone generator kits feature 3000-4000 CFM commercial metal blade fans that can blast high concentrations of ozone towards the roof. Since ozone is heavier than air, the air near the roof will be forced down to ground level where it will quickly be ozonated by our 3 to 8 ozone generator fan kits.  Using traditional ozone generators will freshen the air, but if you want to kill mold like a pro, you need professional ozone shock treatment equipment, and Forever Ozone has proprietary equipment that is at the top of the class at creating high ozone concentrations fast.

Best Way to Use Ozone Generators to Remove Second Hand Smoke Odors.

Like with anything, there is always a “best way” to do something, and in this case, there is a “best way” to perform an ozone shock treatment to get rid of second-hand smoke odors. I’ll explain how.

First, you need two times the amount of ozone you normally use to get rid of odors like food odors, musty smells, old people smell, etc. That means 2000 milligrams per 100 square feet, and that’s if you use our Cool-Tec units that stay cool. Ozone generators that have air pass over both sides of the plate at the same time don’t get properly cooled and the ozone plates run hot, over 100 degrees. At those temperatures, ozone production is reduced around 50%. Secondly, you need to make sure the humidity level is under 30%. If not, use a dehumidifier. Thirdly, you need to make sure the temperature is under 78 degrees, if not, turn on the AC. Why? At 50% humidity, ozone production is reduced by 50%. At 90 degrees, ozone production is reduced by 30%. If you don’t mind the temperature and humidity issue and you use a poorly designed ozone generator, you’ll need more like 5000 mg/h per 100 feet.

Next, the actual protocol to get the job of removing second-hand smoke damage done right, per years of experience in the remediation industry. First, don’t even think of painting over smoke damage. It will still seep through. What about the carpets? Carpets are nasty, especially if someone smoked or had pets. Tile is easier to clean, or hardwood floors, so get rid of the carpets, especially in a rental.
The first step is to run the initial ozone shock treatment. This should be a 6 to 8-hour shock treatment with one hour on, one hour off. Ozone lingers for 40 minutes so no need to run your generator constantly. Giving it time to cool down between run times prolongs the life of the transformers and gives you a better shock treatment because heat destroys ozone. After that initial shock treatment, wipe down all surfaces and walls with a degreaser to get rid of the tar and nicotine from the smoke damage. You know, that dull yellow haze that films the walls and cabinets? Ozone will get rid of the odor but not that funky stuff. That needs to be removed with a towel dipped in dishwashing soap, tied to the end of a mop stick, and continuously being changed or cleaned. That’s the hardest part of the job by the way.

The next step is to do ozone shock treatments for three or four more days, at least 12 hours in duration, at cold temperatures followed by a heating period. The heating up period allows for smoke damage that has penetrated deep into substrates to “off-gas” i.e. come to the surface so that ozone can break the hydrogen bonds and break those chemicals down. There are over 1000 chemicals in second-hand smoke. Most cause cancer and respiratory issues. If you live in a house that was smoked in, my guess is you’re getting yearly respiratory illnesses like bronchitis and your kids may develop asthma, even if nobody is currently smoking in your home. The damage that was done will continue to cause illness for many, many years until someone remediates the smoke damage.

The last step is to draw all of the air out of the house after an ozone shock treatment to remediate smoke damage. This part is a bit of a pain, but how a professional with IAQ training will do the job. Why? When you use ozone to get rid of second-hand smoke damage, you create tiny particulate that is harmful to your lungs and immune system. Not as bad as second-hand smoke, but still harmful. You need to AIR OUT THE HOUSE after each ozone shock treatment! This is best done by opening up all of the windows in the house, preferably early in the morning, and using a 20″ box fan placed facing outward in one of the windows to blow the remnants of your ozone shock treatment out (lowest window in the house). Place a piece of cardboard above the box fan so that it creates a negative pressure environment that will suck air in from outside via the open windows, bringing in the fresh air and draw out the fine particulate.
Now, if after you do that, you want to paint it? Knock yourself out. At least now that new paint won’t wreak of second-hand smoke when temperatures start to warm up!
This is, I guarantee, the only way to reverse second-hand smoke damage from a structure. You can try to paint over smoke damage, but the smoke damage will leach into the paint, even Killz paint, and all of those cancer-causing chemicals will still make you or your future tenants sick! They will leach through and harm the future occupants, guaranteed, and you (the owner) may find yourself legally liable if they suffer permanent lung damage, and guess what? They will. That’s what second-hand smoke damage does, harm people. By now, everyone should know that.
If your lungs were harmed by moving into a place that previously suffered second-hand smoke damage or has/had mold damage, you may want to consult with a lawyer and your insurance company to make yourself whole and to fix the problem right. Why do you think Insurance companies are happy to pay ServePro (they have a contract with insurance companies) thousands of dollars to run ozone generators in structures with second-hand smoke damage? Because they know the financial liability that looms if they don’t. They’re in the business of risk management, and liability mitigation. They know that harming a kid’s lungs for life can cost them hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars, and they know that there are case precedents to support that type of action. Negligence is no excuse. Second-hand smoke is known, and medically established that it causes serious harm to the lungs, especially the lungs of little ones or older folks, and it can create life long asthma and even lung cancer. How much is that worth? I don’t know. Millions perhaps if that were my kid.

Sadly, the HVAC industry spends a lot of time poo-pooing ozone shock treatments instead of ineffective HEPA filters or carbon filters that do NOTHING to remove chemicals from walls, cabinets, floors and the roof. Yes, ozone gas is not for breathing. Yes, you need to flush the area with fresh air afterward. And yes, ozone is the only way to permanently remediate second-hand smoke damage from a home. Period.
P.S. Lawyers also love to sue ozone generator companies as well because ozone gas, when inhaled, can cause lung damage. For this reason, you must place a sign on the front door that says “Warning, Ozone Shock Treatment in Progress. Stay Out” so that if a burglar breaks in and harms their lungs with ozone, they can’t sue you. Most often, it will be a Real Estate agent and his clients, from past cases where a warning sign was not placed. We don’t get sued because our machines are not air purifiers, they are only to be used in unoccupied spaces and used by contractors or homeowners acting as contractors to do it themselves. That means they use common sense precautions and use our equipment as directed, that includes using them with fans, not placing them near curtains, on the carpet, etc. (per our instructions.) We live in a litigious society, so one has to be careful to protect themselves.

Ozone for Food Preservation. (And Removing Toxic Pesticides)

This is one of the hundreds of research papers made touting the virtues of ozone in reducing food spoilage and sanitizing produce by breaking down pesticides and killing bacteria and viruses among other things. The narrative pushed by the Search Engines and Air Purifier hucksters is that ozone is toxic, ozone is smog, ozone is dangerous, but the truth is the opposite! You know, the Bible said that in the last days, good would be called bad and bad would be called good. Ozone is not toxic! Ozone is God’s gift to mankind to DESTROY the dangerous pathogens that rob us of health! The only way to counter misinformation is with the truth. I will continue to shout the virtues of ozone from the rooftop (my blog) to help counter the ever so ubiquitous disinformation campaign against ozone. It’s a worthy cause! Here is the article FOOD PROCESSING AND PRESERVATION WITH OZONATION

Ozone, first discovered in 1840 (Schonbein), began being utilized as a disinfection agent in the production of potable water in France in the early 1900.s. The majority of early development was limited to Europe where it became more widely used in drinking water treatment. The potential utility of ozone to the food industry lies in the fact that ozone is 52% stronger than chlorine and has been shown to be effective over a much wider spectrum of microorganisms than chlorine and other disinfectants. Complementing the effectiveness is the fact that ozone, unlike other disinfectants, leaves no chemical residual and degrades to molecular oxygen upon reaction or natural degradation. The fact that ozone has a relatively short half‐life is both an asset and a liability to practitioners. This is particularly true in the treatment of drinking water where ozonation is employed to enhance filtration and provide primary disinfection but requires the addition of chlorine as the terminal disinfectant to maintain the residual in the distribution system. Ozone is effective in killing microorganisms through oxidation of their cell membranes and most of the pathogenic, foodborne microbes are susceptible to this oxidizing effect. During food processing operations, surface disinfection of the product (raw or partially processed) is very important. This is supported by the following statistics:   (ozone removes pesticides

An estimated 30% of fresh produce is lost by microbial spoilage from the time of harvest, through handling, storage, processing, transportation, shelving and delivery to the consumer (Beuchat 1991). 

The USDA estimates the costs associated with foodborne illness to be in the range of $ 5.5 billion to $ 22 billion per year. In recent years, increasing attention has been focused on the safety of fruits and vegetables, and in particular on the intervention methods to reduce and eliminate human pathogens from fresh produce. Traditional technology utilizes water with or without a sanitizing agent to wash fresh fruits and vegetables. Chlorine is the most widely used sanitizing agent available for fresh produce, but it has a limited effect in killing bacteria on fruit and vegetable surfaces. The most that can be expected at permitted concentrations is a 1‐ to 2‐log population reduction (Sapers, 1998). Furthermore, the environmental and health communities have expressed concerns about the residual by‐products of chlorine. An alternative treatment is being sought to improve food safety. Research and commercial applications have verified that ozone can replace traditional sanitizing agents and provide other benefits (Bott, 1991; Cena, 1998; Graham, 1997). Many research and industrial trials are underway to validate the use of ozone in the produce industry. Several meetings on this topic have been sponsored by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), including a “Conference on Ozone for Processing Fresh‐Cut Fruit and Vegetables” in April 1998 and an “Ozone Workshop” in May 1998. The produce industry is very interested in this technology. However, many questions still have not been resolved, since experience in commercial application in the United States is lacking (Graham, 1997)

2.2 FRUIT AND VEGETABLE WASHING

 One way to maintain or even improve the safety of fresh produce is to wash vegetables and fruits using ozonated water (Hampson and Fiori, 1997). Two types of washing systems, spray and flume, can be used to reduce microbial counts on the surface of produce. Kim et al. (1999) used ozonated water to wash shredded lettuce. They injected 1.3 mM of ozone at a flow rate of 0.5 L/min into a water/ lettuce mixture (1:20, w/w) with highspeed stirring or before stomaching for 3 min and obtained about 2 log cfu/g reductions in total plate counts. Kondo et al. (1989) obtained >90% reduction of total bacterial counts for Chinese cabbage by this method. Ozone is particularly effective against E. coli, the food pathogen of most concern to the produce industry.

2.3 FRUIT AND VEGETABLE STORAGE

Ozone can be employed in cold storage of produce to guard against mold and bacteria at a very low concentration. It can not only destroy mold and bacteria in the air and on the surface of produce but also deodorize (Rice et al., 1982). Many early studies used gaseous ozone to prevent microbial activity on food surfaces and extend the shelf life of fruits and vegetables. Since 1933, numerous experiments have been done on a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, including apples, potatoes, tomatoes, strawberry, broccoli, pears, cranberries, oranges, peaches, grapes, corn, and soybeans (Perkins, 1997; EPRI, 1997). Barth et al. (1995) assessed ozone exposure on storage of thornless blackberries. Blackberries were harvested and stored at 2oC in air with 0.3 ppm ozone. Fungal development was suppressed, while 20% of control fruits showed decay. Ozone treatment did not cause observable injury defects, and surface color was retained for 12 days. Gaseous ozone treatment could be a good choice for extending the shelf life of strawberries because they are easily damaged by water. Ewell (1940) indicated that the shelf life of strawberries, raspberries, currents, and grapes could be doubled if 2–3 ppm of gaseous ozone is applied continuously for a few hours per day. However, Norton et al. (1968) concluded that 0.6 ppm of ozone at 60oC caused damage on Early Black and Howes varieties of cranberries. Further studies are needed using low temperature to confirm whether ozone can control fungus with a less detrimental effect. Kuprianoff (1953) found that the shelf life of apples could be increased by several weeks by applying 2–3 cm3 of ozone/m3 of air a few hours a day. However, ozone concentrations of 10 cm3/m3 resulted in apple damage. Baranovskaya et al. (1979) pointed out that the shelf life of potatoes could be extended to as long as 6 mo at 6–14oC and 93–97% relative humidity with 3 ppm of ozone, without affecting the potato quality. One of the important effects of ozone in cold storage is to slow down the fruit and vegetable ripening process. During ripening, many fruits, such as bananas and apples, release ethylene gas, which speeds up the ripening process. Ozone is very effective in removing ethylene through chemical reaction to extend the storage life of many fruits and vegetables (Rice et al., 1982): H2C=CH2 + O3 CO2 + H2O

2.4 PROCESS WATER RECYCLING

It is estimated that more than 50 billion gallons of fresh water are used by the produce industry annually (Carawan, 1999). A need exists to decrease the quantity of water used, because of dramatically rising water and wastewater treatment costs, difficulties in obtaining large water volumes, highly variable water supplies, and problems of wastewater treatment and disposal. Ozone is a perfect candidate for treatment of water for recycling, since it is a powerful oxidizing agent that has been used to disinfect, to remove color, odor, and turbidity, and to reduce the organic loads of wastewater (Geering, 1999; Langlais et al., 1991; Rice, 1999). Williams et al. (1995) reported that a 3‐log reduction of bacteria was achieved when the wash water from carrots was treated by ozone. Piper (1998) showed that tomato washing using ozonated water dramatically improved the bacterial quality. The wash water was recycled at a Very high quality (light transmission >95%, scale formation <0.01 in/year, and corrosion rates less than 5 m/year for mild steel). There are many studies and applications using ozone to recycle processing water in other industries, particularly the poultry industry. Several commercial technologies are currently available, such as the Praxair and Zentox Water‐Treatment Alliance.

Further research is needed on wastewater from the produce industry. The equipment used in ozone applications in the produce industry is relatively simple. Complete ozone systems with water recycling include generators (size depending on the applications), contact tanks, de‐gas system, ozone‐de‐ struct units, filters, ozone monitors, and exhaust system. The system can be designed to fit a small area and can be very easily installed without any major modifications of the processing lines.

3.1 FISH AND SHELLFISH PRESERVATION

Washing of fish with ozonated water extended shelf life for 5 days: Experiments performed by Violle in 1929 found that ozonated seawater spiked with various strains of bacteria (B. typhus, B. coli, etc.) resulted in sterilization that was comparable to what was obtained in fresh water. Further experiments showed that exposure of shellfish to ozonated water did not adversely affect the taste or appearance of the shellfish. Thus, Violle concluded that preozonation of water was suitable treatment for depuration of shellfish. Later work by Salmon and Le Gall (1936) built upon the work of Violle and reported that fresh fish, stored under ozonated ice, were edible for between 12 and 16 days. Fish treated with sterilized ice (presumably hypochlorous acid treated) were inedible after the 12th day and, possibly after the 8th day. The original work in this area was carried further by others and reportedly resulted in the installation of an ozone system designed to sterilize 2000 kg per day in Le Havre and another facility in Boulogne‐sur‐Mer for treating a daily output of 6000 kg.

3.2 OZONE USED IN COLD STORAGE FOR MEATS

Gaseous ozone was used as a preservation agent in meat and egg storage: Kuprianoff (1953) reported that the first known use of ozone as a food preservation agent was in Cologne, Germany dating back to 1909. Later industrial applications using gas phase ozone for food preservation were reported in 1924 where Hartman stated that .in cold storage ozone is successfully used to prevent the growth of fungi and eggs have been carried at a relative humidity of 88 and 90 percent and mold developments inhibited with the use of ozone.. Hartman summarized by noting that ozone has manifold applications in cold storage and splendid results are being obtained in practice with this reagent every day..

3.3 DISINFECTION AND PRESERVATION OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

One of the earliest reported experiments dealing with preservation of fruits was related to ozonation of bananas (Gane ‐ 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936). Since then, numerous studies have been conducted on a wide variety of fruits and vegetables including carrots, broccoli, pears, peaches and apples. The vast majority of these studies have reported some degree of shelf life extension and reduction of pathogenic contamination.

  1.  RECENT STUDIES OF OZONATION IN FOOD PROCESSING

In spite of past regulatory restriction limiting usage of ozone in the U.S. food processing industry, numerous studies were undertaken to determine the efficacy and economics of ozonation. The examples below serve to illustrate some of these studies and conclusions.

4.1 FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

Several controlled studies have been reported in the food science literature relating to the evaluation of the treatment of fruits and vegetables with ozonated water. Kondo et al (1989) observed greater than 90% reduction of total bacterial counts upon treatment of Chinese cabbages with ozonated water (2.3 mg/L) for 60 minutes. Treatment of wash water used in the processing of carrots has been reported to provide 3 log reductions of bacteria (Williams et al 1995). Barth et al (1995) evaluated ozone exposure for the prevention of fungal decay on thornless blackberries. The fruit was harvested and stored for 12 days at 2 deg. C in 0.0, 0.1 and 0.3 ppm ozone, then evaluated for fungal decay (Botrytis cinerea), anthocyanines, color and peroxidase activity. Ozone storage uppressed fungal development for 12 days, while 20% of control fruits showed decay. The treated fruit did not show observable injury or defects. Sarig et al (1996) showed that ozone at low dosages (0.1 mg/g fruit) for 20 minutes, reduced the levels of fungi yeasts and bacteria on grapes, but that higher doses caused some fruit damage.

4.2 POULTRY 

The poultry processing industry is a large volume consumer of water. The potential for reuse of poultry processing water represents an attractive economic benefit to the industry. In 1996 the USDA approved the use of ozonation for washing of poultry carcasses (provided that the ozone did not come into direct contact with the product). Studies by Chang and Sheldon (1989) reported that a combination of screening, diatomaceous earth filtration, and ozonation yielded the highest quality of water with total microbial loads (total coliforms, E. coli and salmonella reduced by 99%). A subsequent study, Chang and Sheldon (1989) found no significant differences in measures of carcass quality including skin color, taste or shelf life using recycled, ozone-treated water as opposed to fresh makeup water. The investigators further reported that a 2.7 log reduction in total plate count was observed in the recycled water stream. The results of this study showed that for a typical broiler processing plant (240,000 broilers/day) the savings resulting from chiller water reuse would equate to 50% reduction in discharges and savings of more than $ 45,000 per year.

4.3 EXTENSION OF FOOD PRODUCT STORAGE LIFE

The following are a sampling of studies directed at the application of gaseous ozone in food Storage facilities.

A 1980 study (Gabriel.yants.) showed that cheese stored with periodic ozonation prevented mold growth for 4 months while controls showed mold growth as soon as 1 month.

Japanese researchers indicated good results in the treatment of grains, flour and raw noodles with ozone with significant reductions in microbial growth.

Dondo et al (1992) reported that ozone treatment during refrigerated storage stabilized the surface bacteria count on beef and reduced that on fish.

Naitoh (1989) showed that ozone treatment inside a confectionery factory reduced airborne microorganisms over a 1 ‐ 1.5 year period, remarkably. Inhibited bacterial growth and extended the storage life of the product by 7 days.

4.5 AN ALTERNATIVE TO TRADITIONAL SANITIZERS

In the past two decades, the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables in the U.S. has dramatically increased. In the meantime, the incidence of foodborne illness due to food pathogens, chemicals, and wastewater has greatly increased. This has been drawing significant public and government attention. The number of produce‐associated foodborne disease outbreaks and the number of cases of illness due to food pathogens have significantly increased in recent years (Tauxe et al., 1997). Moreover, losses in the fresh produce industry that are attributable to microbial spoilage between the time of harvest and consumption are estimated to be as high as 30% (Beuchat, 1991). Chlorine is commonly used in the fresh fruit and vegetable industry to improve microbiological quality and control pathogens. However, many research studies have indicated that it is limited in its ability to kill bacteria on fruit and vegetable surfaces (Bott, 1991; Cena, 1998; Graham, 1997; Rice et al., 1982; Sapers, 1998). Environmental and health organizations have expressed concerns with traditional sanitizing agents with respect to the formation of by‐products, such as trihalomethanes (THMs) and other chemical residues formed in the wastewater returned to the environment (Anonymous, 1998; Cena, 1998; EPRI, 1997; Graham, 1997). The produce industry is concerned about the possibility of future regulatory constraints on the use of chlorine as a sanitation agent. Large amounts of pesticides have been used annually to control insects on fruits and vegetables (Ong et al., 1995). Current technologies cannot totally destroy the chemical residues on the surface of fruits and vegetables. These chemical residues may react with pesticides to form chemical by‐products. These residues ultimately will be consumed by customers and may, directly and indirectly, affect public health. An accumulation of toxic chemicals in the environment has increased the national focus on the safe use of disinfectants, sanitizers, bleaching agents, and other chemicals in the food processing industry. The produce industry is one of the largest and most important contributors to the world economy. It also generates billions of gallons of wastewater annually, with very high concentrations of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical residues each year in the U.S. These wastewaters have been linked to many serious problems such as cancer, fish death, water pollution, psychological and physiological diseases, and ecosystem damage. Moreover, the produce industry is paying heavy charges and surcharges for discharging wastewater into public water and wastewater treatment systems (Carawan, 1999). In response to the public concerns about food safety, the President of the United States and Congress issued a new federal initiative in 1997—the President’s Food Safety Initiative—to improve the nation’s food safety system and our environment. One of the approaches to improve food safety is to identify an alternative sanitizer to replace traditional sanitizing agents which can also be used to treat or recycle food processing wastewater. Research and commercial applications have indicated that ozone can replace chlorine with more benefits. In 1997, ozone was self‐affirmed as Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) as a disinfectant for foods by an independent panel of experts sponsored by EPRI (Graham, 1997). This self‐affirmation was timely for the produce industry in light of the President’s Fruit and Vegetable Safety Initiative. The produce industry is very interested in the use of ozone and would like to know how, when, and where to apply it.

  1.  POTENTIAL OF OZONE

The potential utility of ozone in the produce industry depends on the fact that as an oxidizing agent, it is 1.5 times stronger than chlorine and is effective over a much wider spectrum of microorganisms than chlorine and other disinfectants. Ozone kills bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Listeria, and other food pathogens much faster than traditionally used disinfectants, such as chlorine, and is free of chemical residues (Langlais et al., 1991; Sapers, 1998). Ozone is a high‐energy molecule. Its half-life in the water at room temperature is only 20 min, and it decomposes into simple oxygen with no safety concerns about the consumption of residual ozone in the treated food product (Graham, 1997). It can also be used for recycling water (Anonymous, 1998; Perkins, 1997). Fresh fruits and vegetables are washed first by ozonated water, and the wash water can be recaptured and treated by a combination of ozonation and filtration. The treated wash water is free of bacteria, color, and suspended solids and can be recycled to reduce water usage. Unlike conventional chlorine‐based washing systems, wastewater discharged by an ozonation process is free of chemical residues, a growing concern related to the environment and groundwater pollution (Anonymous, 1998). Ozone can also destroy pesticides and chemical residues, such as chlorinated by‐products (Langlais et al., 1991). Gaseous ozone is a strong sanitation and fumigation agent and can be used to sanitize foods in the storage room and during shipping to prevent bacteria, mold, and yeast on the food surface and to control insects. It can eliminate undesirable flavor produced by bacteria and chemically remove ethylene gas to slow down the ripening process, thus allowing extended distribution (Rice et al., 1982). For decades, it has been known that ozone is an effective disinfectant and sanitizer for the treatment of food products. It is commonly used in Europe for treatment of public water systems and food processing. It is being used in the U.S. for bottled water and has the potential for use in many food processing applications. Numerous documents and studies confirm the benefits of ozone applications in the food industry (Graham, 1997; Rice et al., 1982). Thus, ozone can successfully replace traditional sanitizing agents to control food pathogens. Ozone is triatomic oxygen, a naturally occurring form of oxygen that was first identified in 1840: 3O2 2O3 + heat & light It is partially soluble in water and, like most gases, increases in solubility as the temperature decreases. It is effective in killing microorganisms through oxidation of their cell membranes (Langlais et al., 1991). Ozone has a unique property of autodecomposition and will leave no toxic residues (Neff, 1998). It has an oxidation potential 1.5 times stronger than that of chlorine and has been shown to be effective over a much wider spectrum of microorganisms than chlorine and other disinfectants. Ozone is generated naturally by ultraviolet irradiation from the sun and from lightning. It can be generated commercially by UV lights (at 185 nm) or corona discharge. If a high concentration of ozone is desired, corona discharge is commonly used. There are two types of feed gas—air, generally at a concentration of 1–3% (w/w), and oxygen, generally at 2–12% (w/w) (Pryor, 1998).

Study found Ozone improved health and test scores in schools.

Ever since I learned that a school teacher in Lousiana was having miraculous results using ozone shock treatments late at night (when nobody present) to destroy the harmful molds, viruses, and bacteria in her classroom, I’ve been searching the Internet to see if anyone else has had great results using ozone shock treatments in schools. I know that this has to be kept on the “down-low” today given the different variables at play …… but I felt inspired to search anyway and boy am I glad I did! I found a case where St Louis schools used ozone shock treatments to improve health and grade scores using 2 control groups, schools with ozone and schools without! I was floored! This type of study would never be allowed today, given the fact Intl drug and chemical corps own our politicians and control our media. The results, of course, proved that using ozone increases test scores, attendance, and health. (on page 348 of this NCBI gov archive) I quote:

Ozone in the St. Louis Schools.- After preliminary studies and tests made on a number of persons with ozone concentration many times that for ventilation, ozone machines have been installed in the air ducts of a number of the school buildings of St. Louis. The first machine was installed in the O’Fallon School in 1919. The effects on the comfort and health of teachers and pupils were so marked that in the summer of 1920 ozone machines were installed in thirteen old schools and put in the specifications of three new ones. In most instances, the principals and teachers were not apprised of the change in the ventilation, in order that psychology might not figure in the results. The most beneficial results were noticeable in a few weeks. Teachers volunteered the information that pale and anemic children had gained in weight and that the new ventilation relieved the fatigue of the day’s work. Hundreds of visitors have visited the schools where this ventilation has been installed. To those who are not fully convinced of the merits of ozone in ventilation, an invitation is extended to visit the schools of St. Louis and make such tests as may seem desirable where the facilities for such are so large.- Jour. Am. Soc. of Heat.-Vent. Engineers, January 1922.

Click here to read the entire write-up in the Journal of American Society of Heating and Ventilation Engineers. Remarkable results! The schools using low levels of ozone in the HVAC system reduced sick days by 75% and increased test scores! And guess what? Those great results were simply attained by injecting low levels of ozone (1 ppm) into the air, not performing an “ozone shock treatment” in unoccupied rooms which is much safer and effective at killing mold, viruses, and bacteria. I’ve always known that low levels of ozone similar to those in the mountains (1 ppm) are healthy. People living in the mountains study after study finds are healthier and leaner (easier to lose weight) than people who spend all of their time indoors breathing oxygen-depleted air. I myself use the 10g Cool-Tec machine set at 11 seconds on, 11 minutes off in my home to inject just a little ozone to keep any airborne viruses, bacteria, or nanoparticles of metal from chemtrails in check. (ozone quickly rusts nanometals in the air) It’s been many years since I or anyone in my house have been sick, and I attribute it to the ozone shock treatments and the use of low levels of ozone to keep the air oxygen-rich (and bad guy free). 

The sad truth is that we live in a litigious society. One cannot advocate injecting any ozone into the air. People with asthma can trigger an asthma attack if they breathe ozone (or go to the mountains) and the fact is that asthma is on the rise (an auto-immune disorder caused by toxic overload from vaccines with the insane new vaccine schedule IMO) so no, I am not advocating this for anyone. I am just stating that I do this myself and I am stating that when they did this in St Louis schools 100 years ago, they achieved miraculous results. FWIW. And I am advocating what that teacher is doing in LA, ozone “shock” treatments late at night when nobody is present to create 6-10 ppm to kill surface viruses, bacteria, and molds! The ozone reverts back to oxygen 40 minutes after the shock treatment is over, leaving the air oxygen-rich, clean, sanitized, and “bad guy” free! Of course, health and wellness will improve vs having to breath toxic oxygen-depleted air! Common sense. (not so common today)