Ozone Generators

Ozone generator ads can be misleading

Air purifiers that only produce ozone do not remove allergens from the air. Ozone in large amounts can neutralize strong odors (such as the smoke odor from fire damage), but according to the EPA, it is dangerous for human health. These units get around the FDA limits for ozone production by not claiming to be medical devices. Many of these units, however, walk a fine line by suggesting that ozone has some kind of health benefit. The California Air Resources Board has placed a ban on all air purifiers that produce ozone levels greater than 50 ppb. Manufacturers have until October 2010 to test and label their air purifiers as emitting safe levels of ozone or else pull them from the shelves.

Watch out for manufacturers who disguise ozone by other titles, such as "pure air," "energized oxygen," "saturated oxygen" or "trivalent oxygen." See the EPA's online document "Ozone Generators that are sold as Air Cleaners: An Assessment of Effectiveness and Health Consequences." (Find a link in our Useful Links section.) If you already own an ionizer and are curious about whether it's producing ozone, the not-for-profit International Association of Air Cleaner Manufacturers (IAACM) offers free ozone test kits to consumers so they can test their own air purifiers for ozone production. To get a free test kit, visit IAACM.com.