Health Considerations
Ozone is natures best odor eliminator of organic material and will react to any organic material it comes in contact with… including YOU! If ozone in concentrations higher than 0.05 parts per million is breathed it will immediately begin to break down the cells in the lining of your lungs causing the following:
- painful breathing, chest discomfort, shortness of breath, and throat irritation;
- symptoms are worse for people with chronic respiratory diseases, such as asthma
People’s susceptibility to ozone varies widely. An ozone generator should never be operated in occupied spaces, and the area should be adequately vented before people or animals are allowed to re-enter.
The professionals at BioShock Odor Removal use sensitive gas metering equipment to accurately measure the amount of Ozone in the air ensuring the levels reach zero before allowing you to re-enter your property.
EPA Guideline
The EPA set forth guidelines that state maximum Ozone levels safe for human exposure is just 0.05 parts per million. Ozone is a naturally occurring gas that is always present in small quantities less than 0.05 ppm. Anytime you turn a light switch on, or light your gas cook stove, or run your vacuum cleaner, you produce a small amount of Ozone. Basically anytime there is an electrical spark, Ozone is produced. Larger quantities of Ozone are produced during lightning storms which is nature’s way of purifying the air we breath. However, you don’t want to be exposed to large amounts of Ozone.
It is not uncommon for Ozone concentrations during a BioShock odor removal treatment to be 500 times the EPA maximum exposure level. BioShock team members are aware of this risk and wear appropriate gas filtering masks while working to air-out your property following an Ozone Shock treatment.
Plants
Concentrated Ozone exposure causes significant damage to plants. High levels of ozone indoors replaces oxygen which plants need to breathe using microscopic pores on their foliage. The result is the following:
- Chlorosis, a condition in which the plant cannot produce sufficient chlorophyll to manufacture the green color in its leaves
- necrosis, or the premature death of living cells, which may lead to the death of the plant as a whole
Damage to Building Materials
Since Ozone is an odor eliminator it is important to understand what materials in a home can be oxidized. Damage to some rubber materials can occur with Ozone exposure lasting more than 48 hours. This is why at BioShock we have perfected a method of successfully treating properties in as little as 12 hours. It is a very important part of our pre-treatment process to inspect the property for items that we feel should be protected. Since Ozone will not penetrate plastic, simply placing items in a plastic garbage bag or, Ziploc bag, or putting them in an untreated space (garage) will prevent any damage from occurring.
- blue dyes in NEW carpet, especially low grade carpet (it’s best to treat for odor before installing new carpet)
- very soft silicone rubber can develop a greasy coating (which can be washed away with soap/water)
- some charger cords or headphone cords may become sticky (place in a Ziploc bag to protect)
- Unframed artwork containing pigmented dyes (remove and place in a non-treated area)
- Hand dyed clothing especially blue dye (place in a sealed plastic bag)