Ozone (scientifically known as trioxygen due to the fact that it is comprised of three oxygen atoms) is notably pungent and has a very sharp smell that is often described as similar to that of chlorine. Some people can smell ozone before the storm has even arrived.

Stratosphere

Up in the higher reaches of the atmosphere, ozone is constantly being created due to all that sunlight constantly slamming into oxygen molecules and breaking them apart. That’s why the ozone concentration is higher up there than it is back on Earth.

Whether in its pure form or mixed with other chemicals, ozone can be harmful to health. When inhaled, ozone can damage the lungs. Relatively low amounts of ozone can cause chest pain, coughing, shortness of breath and, throat irritation.

Ozone essentially reverts back to oxygen after it is used. This makes it a very environmentally friendly oxidant.

Ozone is extremely valuable since it absorbs a range of ultraviolet energy. When an ozone molecule absorbs even low-energy ultraviolet radiation, it splits into an ordinary oxygen molecule and a free oxygen atom.

The Environmental Protection Agency, which recommends against buying home air-filtering equipment that generates ozone, reviewed numerous scientific studies and concluded that ozone concentrations that do not exceed public health standards have little likelihood of removing odors.

Ozone works to remove odors by chemically changing the structure of the molecules in the smoke that are creating the smell. The extra oxygen atom attaches itself to the other molecules to create a new molecule that is non-offensive—and non-smelly—in a process called oxidation.

At high concentrations ozone can cause chest pain, coughing, shortness of breath, and throat irritation. Therefore, you should only run ozone machines on very low settings, in well ventilated spaces, if people and pets are present. So to use ozone safely, consider what problem, or problems you need to treat with ozone.

However, you can reclaim a space degraded by tobacco smoke by using ozone. Whether cigarette, cigar, pipe, or cannabis smoke, treatments using SanusAer high output ozone generators breakdown the chemical components of the embedded odor to permanently eliminate smoke smell.

To totally eliminate cigarette smoke odor, you need something that will follow the same path as the tobacco vapors and oxidize the odors away. The OdorFree ozone generator is a cigarette odor eliminator. The OdorFree is extremely effective on smoke because the ozone (O3) attacks odors at their source.

Ionizers will help remove the particles form the air, but this will not address the VOCs that primarily cause the smell from smoke. Ionizers will not remove these odors, although the ozone smell might mask them. However, in the small enclosed space of a car, ozone build-up would be a significant problem.

April 4, 2005 — Some popular ionizing air cleaners could be hazardous to your health, especially if you have asthma or allergies, says a product testing group. Ozone exposure can aggravate allergiesOzone exposure can aggravate allergies and decrease lung function. …

Some critics believe that air ionizers give off dangerous levels of ozone which is not only harmful to the environment, but can be equally as hazardous to your health. When inhaled in high enough doses, ozone can have harmful effects– including damage to your lungs, chest pain, coughing, or shortness of breath.