What is Ozone? What is an Oxidizer?
Ozone is a highly reactive molecule made of three oxygen atoms. It is an oxidizer, and is commonly used via ozone generator machines to purify air, despite recommendations by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) against it. An oxidizer, also referred to as an oxidizing agent, oxidant, or electron recipient, is a reactant that gains electrons from another reactant during a redox reaction. In this chemical process, the oxidizer accepts the electron from the reducing agent, leaving electronegative atoms, often in the form of oxygen, to the substrate. Some common oxidizing agents include potassium nitrate, nitric acid, ozone, and halogens. Oxidizers are used to purify water, store energy, and bleach textiles, to name a few applications.
Reason #1: Bleaching
Ozone, despite its relatively common use as an oxidizer, can produce dangerous byproducts and damage materials commonly found in automobiles, such as steel and leather. Ozone can have a negative impact on textiles and other materials relevant for the car rental industry. “Materials such as rubber, electrical wire coatings and fabrics” can be susceptible to bleaching or other damage from ozone use, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA, 1996).
Reason #2: Potential Harmful Health Effects
The Environmental Protection Agency most vehemently warns against ozone generator machines for air purification purposes, but they also warn against ozone air purification in unoccupied spaces due to potential harmful health effects. The agency warns that little is known about the chemical by-products left behind by ozone, and that the health effects from ozone generator machines could potentially transfer over to ozone gas treatments. These negative health effects from ozone machines include respiratory issues, such as increased sensitivity to infection, irritated lung tissue, and declined lung function.
What is a Safer Oxidizing Solution than Ozone?
Chlorine dioxide gas is a scalable solution that works to protect and sanitize vehicles in a way that ozone does not. Chlorine dioxide gas works by expanding to fit the container that it’s in, meaning that wherever the odors in a car can reach, the gas can equally expand and eliminate the odor at its source. The gas works quickly and effectively–in as little as four hours for some smaller vehicles–while not damaging the textiles within the car. Chlorine dioxide gas, at the proper concentrations, has far greater material compatibility than ozone, as it does not have a bleaching effect on rubber, electrical wire coatings, or fabrics. PureLine’s PV is a water-activated chlorine dioxide gas generation system. Simply add water, close the vehicle doors and vents, and let the 4 hour treatment commence. Cigarette, marijuana, and cigar smoke odors will be eliminated at a molecular level due to the oxidation properties of PureLine’s chlorine dioxide gas. You can view the video below to learn more about PureLine’s PV chlorine dioxide, and you can purchase PV online below.
