Questions & answers about how to test for ozone in air, ozone exposure in humans, and ozone in air or water.
Ozone detection & testing methods: this article discusses ozone testing in indoor air. Ozone is widely promoted by ozone generating equipment companies and cleaning services for use in indoor
building environments to deodorize, disinfect, "kill" mold, and for "general health".
Ozone generators are also promoted for use to reduce the level of airborne particles, pollen, animal dander, and allergens,
ostensibly to improve indoor air quality for asthmatics and people with allergies.
InspectAPedia offers impartial, unbiased advice without conflicts of interest.
We will block advertisements which we discover or readers inform us are associated with bad business practices,
false-advertising, or junk science. Our contact info is at
InspectAPedia.com/Contact.htm.
TESTING FOR OZONE Contamination, Ozone Damage and Testing for Related Ozone-Related Outgassing Hazards
"Ozone is a highly toxic gas but even highly toxic substances can be encountered safely. The main concern with this material is that concentrations to which people are exposed do not average more than
0.1 ppm over an 8-hr day, and do not exceed that value by more than a factor of 2 or 3 during the exposure." [1]
Because ozone is highly volatile and is not likely to remain present in a building
unless an ozone generating device is operating, we do not normally include
ozone testing in building IAQ screening measurements for gases.
In exceptional circumstances
we may test an indoor environment for ozone levels. Normally I do not, as this
gas is so volatile and reactive that it would not be expected to remain in an
environment.
However, the byproducts of using ozone gas at high concentrations
and durations indoors (for example during a "mold remediation using ozone" may oxidize and cause outgassing from other building
products.
Testing for Ozone in Indoor Air using gas pumps and colorimetric gas detection tubes
When circumstances warrant, I would screen for a variety of common
outgassing products such as formaldehyde, benzene, formic acid and other acid gases, toluene and related gases. Our tests for these gases are described in our clients' sampling plan. I also may apply one or more of the three sets of
multiple-gas hazard screen systems provided by Drager for the fire investigator
profession.
At high or low levels (various test sensitivities are available) produced by
popular indoor air "purifiers" and by commercial treatments for odors is a
highly-reactive oxidizing gas which is dangerous to lung tissue itself.
Ozone
gas may react with other building materials (as an oxidant) to produce
secondary outgassing products which are also irritants or potentially unsafe.
Ozone is highly reactive and volatile and may not be present in a building long
after it was applied. Choice of use or omit this screen depends on the
circumstances of the particular investigation.
As a regular practice I include
this screen for ozone where such equipment is in use (to detect dangerous current levels)
or where commercial equipment has been very recently in use. Sensidyne™ #182SB
2.5-100 ppm / #182U 0.025 - 3.0 ppm.
Benzene 0.5/a: If there is a particular concern for Benzene I perform a test for this
substance. I select a sampling tube which is not Benzene specific in order to
also screen for other aromatic hydrocarbons including toluene, xylene (more
likely to be in carpet out gassing than benzene) and ethel benzene. Our test
sensitivity is 0.4 to 10 ppm (40 to 2 strokes). +/30%.
Formaldehyde 0.2/a:
because this gas is produced at virtually all house fires and because it is a
well-known respiratory and eye irritant produced by many building materials
even without combustion effects, if there are owner/occupant complaints, this
test may be performed using the Gastec pump and tubes produced by Sensidyne or
by the Draeger accuro pump and their tubes. Sensitivity 0.2 to 2.5 / 0.5 to 5
ppm at 10 / 20 strokes. Alternative:
Sensidyne ™ Gastec™ 91/L 0.1-40.0 ppm
Formic acid 1/a: because
this gas screen addresses acid gases which can be expected to be produced by
fire, heat, or oxidation (such as from ozone treatment) in commercial and
residential properties it is an important screen for this topic. Our test
sensitivity 1 to 15 ppm, 20 strokes.
Toluene 5/b: because this is one of the
most sensitive gas screens available to address gases which can be expected to
be produced by fire, heat, or oxidation (such as from ozone treatment) in
commercial and residential properties it is an important screen for this
application. Toluol is a common contaminant produced by oxidized or burning
carpets. Our test sensitivity 5-300 ppm
Testing or monitoring for ozone exposure using badges
Several companies provide low-cost badge systems for monitoring the exposure of workers (or others) to ozone gas.
In our OPINION badges for ozone monitoring, while entirely suitable for an industrial environment, are unlikely to be useful for consumers or building owners who are concerned with the effects of short-term use of ozone in buildings or other enclosed spaces, such as services marketed for building deodorizing or mold "remediation".
OPINION: It might be possible to use an ozone detection badge to examine the actual ozone level in an enclosed space where an ozone generator or ozone "air purifier" is in use, but we warn that drawing any conclusions about the actual ozone exposure of building occupants in such cases will be confounded by difficulties in constructing and maintaining a controlled environment.
Watch out: ozone detection badges may have a limited shelf life and may require storage in a refrigerator prior to use.
Ozone exposure monitoring badges range in price from about $10. U.S. to $130. U.S.
[15] Ozone Solutions, Inc., 451 Black Forest Rd., Hull, IA 51239 USA, Tel: 888 892-0303
Testing or monitoring for ozone exposure using ozone monitoring or ozone detection equipment
Several companies offer electronic instruments used for monitoring ozone gases in air or water as well as equipment that may be used to monitor for related gases or contaminants. Typically these machines measure the level of ozone in parts per billion in air (ppb of ozone in air). Handheld ozone gas level monitors range in price from around $300. U.S. to $3000. and of course vary in intended use.
[13] 2B Technologies, 2100 Central Avenue Suite 105, Boulder, Colorado 80301 Tel: (303) 273-0559, produces Ozone detection equipment, [question on ozone detection in human urine, pending 12/19/11 - ed.]
[14] Cerex Monitoring Solutions, LLC., 1816 Briarwood Industrial Ct., Suite D, Atlanta, Georgia 30329
Tel: 678-570-6662 Email: sales@cerexms.com. Cerex has offices in many countries worldwide.
Critique, contributions wanted: Contact Us to suggest corrections or additions to articles at this website, and if you wish, to receive online listing and credit as a contributor. Particular thanks are due to the many experts and also consumers who read and critique technical articles at InspectAPedia.com.
Additional technical contributors & reference sources for this article are listed below.
Use links just below or at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.
[13] 2B Technologies, 2100 Central Avenue Suite 105, Boulder, Colorado 80301 Tel: (303) 273-0559, produces Ozone detection equipment
Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair
Our recommended books about building & mechanical systems design, inspection, problem diagnosis, and repair, and about indoor environment and IAQ testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore. Also see our Book Reviews - InspectAPedia.
Kansas State University, department of plant pathology, extension plant pathology web page on wheat rust fungus: see http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/path-ext/factSheets/Wheat/Wheat%20Leaf%20Rust.asp
"A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture, and Your Home",
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency US EPA - includes basic advice for building owners, occupants, and mold cleanup operations. See http://www.epa.gov/mold/moldguide.htm
Allergen Tests in Buildings advice about how to test, what to look for, in evaluating the level of dog, cat, or other animal allergens in a building
"IgG Food Allergy Testing by ELISA/EIA, What do they really tell us?" Sheryl B. Miller, MT (ASCP), PhD, Clinical Laboratory Director, Bastyr University Natural Health Clinic - ELISA testing accuracy: Here is an example of Miller's critique of ELISA
http://www.betterhealthusa.com/public/282.cfm - Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients
The critique included in that article raises compelling questions about IgG testing assays, which prompts our interest in actually screening for the presence of high levels of particles that could carry allergens - dog dander or cat dander in the case at hand.
http://www.tldp.com/issue/174/IgG%20Food%20Allergy.html contains similar criticism in another venue but interestingly by the same author, Sheryl Miller. Sheryl Miller, MT (ASCP), PhD, is an Immunologist and Associate Professor of Basic and Medical Sciences at Bastyr University in Bothell, Washington. She is also the Laboratory Director of the Bastyr Natural Health Clinic Laboratory.
Allergens: Testing for the level of exposure to animal allergens is discussed at http://www.animalhealthchannel.com/animalallergy/diagnosis.shtml (lab animal exposure study is interesting because it involves a higher exposure level in some cases
Allergens: WebMD discusses allergy tests for humans at webmd.com/allergies/allergy-tests
Animal Allergens: Dog, Cat, and Other Animal Dander - Cleanup & Prevention Information for Asthmatics and regarding Indoor Air Quality.
Recognizing Allergens: What various indoor allergens look like - identification photos to help identify pollen, dust mites, animal dander, toxic or allergenic mold - Common Mold and other Allergens, Irritants, Remedies & Advice
Rodent control issues, including dander, fecal, and urine contamination of Buildings and Building insulation are discussed at our
Associations: Sick House, Sick Building, SBS - Air Quality, Government, Private Associations and Information Resources
Atlas of Clinical Fungi, 2nd Ed., GS deHoog, J Guarro, J Gene, & MJ Figueras, Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures, Universitat Rovira I Virgili, 2000, ISBN 90-70351-43-9 (you can buy this book at Amazon)
Atlas of Indoor Mold, Online Clinical Mold Atlas, Toxins, Pathogens, Allergens and Other Indoor Particles - Medical Health Effects of Mold (separate online document)
Black Mold that is Harmless Photos of recognizable, usually harmless black mold on wood, bluestain, ceratocystis, ophistoma
Building Floods: quick steps after a building flood or plumbing leak can prevent costly mold contamination
Classes of Mold: what types of cosmetic, allergenic, or toxic mold are a problem? Can mold be cleaned-up successfully?
"A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture, and Your Home", U.S. Environmental Protection Agency US EPA - includes basic advice for building owners, occupants, and mold cleanup operations. See http://www.epa.gov/mold/moldguide.htm
"Disease Prevention Program for Certain Vegetable Crops," David B. Langston, Jr., Extension Plant Pathologist - Vegetables, University of Georgia (PDF document) original source: www.reeis.usda.gov/web/crisprojectpages/209797.html
"Disease Prevention in Home Vegetable Gardens,"
Patricia Donald,
Department of Plant Microbiology and Pathology,
Lewis Jett
Department of Horticulture, University of Missouri Extension - extension.missouri.edu/publications/DisplayPub.aspx?P=G6202
Fifth Kingdom, Bryce Kendrick, ISBN13: 9781585100224, is available from the InspectAPedia online bookstore - we recommend the CD-ROM version of this book. This 3rd/edition is a compact but comprehensive encyclopedia of all things mycological. Every aspect of the fungi, from aflatoxin to zppspores, with an accessible blend of verve and wit. The 24 chapters are filled with up-to-date information of classification, yeast, lichens, spore dispersal, allergies, ecology, genetics, plant pathology, predatory fungi, biological control, mutualistic symbioses with animals and plants, fungi as food, food spoilage and mycotoxins.
OTHER IAQ ISSUES: How To Find and Address Other Indoor Air or Indoor Environment Contaminants Besides Mold
Mold or allergens may not be the only or even the main indoor environmental contaminant. Don't let media attention to mold
cause so much enviro-scare fear that other, possibly more urgent hazards go un-addressed.
Ozone Warnings - Use of Ozone as a "mold"
remedy is ineffective and may be dangerous.
Pet control - if you can't say goodbye to your bird, cat, dog, guinea pig, hamster, tropical fish, then limit the
areas they occupy and limit the airflow from that area to sleeping or other areas of the building, use allergenic
bedding, eliminate wall-to-wall carpeting, improve housecleaning including use of a HEPA-rated vacuum cleaner. For more details
see our article Dog, Cat, and Other Animal Dander - Information for Asthmatics and Indoor Air Quality
Rodents, Mice, Squirrel Control - I find high levels of mouse and rodent dander, fecal dust, and urine-contaminated dust in some buildings,
and high levels of these materials in building insulation in those locations. If you have a mouse problem, particularly if mice and their waste (fecals or urine) are contaminating
the building HVAC or building insulation, may need both steps to clean up or remove infected materials and steps to stop an ongoing
rodent problem. If squirrels are a problem, the cleanup needs to include closing off entry openings into the building. Get some
help from a licensed pest control expert.
Mobile View
The Mold Information Center: