Ultra-pure ozone generators vs air purifiers: What’s the difference?

Google “ozone generators,” and you’ll find mostly home ozone air purifiers. So, these can be confusing, but unless you’re looking to clean and deodorize the air, you most likely need a pure ozone generator. These are not one and the same. 

This article is for those looking for high-grade ozone generators that produce ultra-pure ozone for general purpose, research, or wellness. We will clear up the confusion by explaining how ultra-pure ozone generators and ozone air purifiers serve different purposes and are not interchangeable. 

At a glance: Ultra-pure ozone generators vs air purifier comparisons

Purposes and how they work

Ozone air purifiers produce small doses of ozone to purify or clean the air in a closed space. They likely work by converting oxygen in the air into ozone with an ionizer, UV light, or electrostatic precipitator. The gas it emits will be a mix of ozone and everything else that normal air has, perhaps oxidized by ozone. Industrial-grade ozone air purifiers that use oxygen gas exist, but are uncommon. 

Ozone gas destroys many things on contact, including some virus, bacteria, mold, air particulate, and substances that smell. Therefore, ozone air purifiers are beneficial for disinfecting, cleaning, or deodorizing the air, as long as no humans, pets, or plants are present in the space with ozone in the air [1]. 

Whereas, high-grade ultra-pure ozone generators produce ultra-pure ozone-oxygen mix for other use, such as for research, engineering, chemistry, water treatment, or disinfection. These machines convert 99.9% oxygen from an oxygen tank into an ozone-oxygen mix. Then, the resulting gas is routed into bags, syringes, water, oil or other medium as needed. Since the ozone gas produced from these machines are contained, it’s typically safe for humans, pets, or plants to be present in the same room. This pure ozone-oxygen mix produced from these generators may be desirable for someone who wants to enhance their wellness, perform research, or improve their pet’s health.

It’s possible to use ozone from high-grade ozone generators to purify the air, but it’s never a good idea to use ozone from an ozone air purifier for purposes that require ultra-pure and concentrated ozone. 

Price

Ozone air and water purifiers come at various sizes, depending on the volume of air it can purify in a span of time. The prices of these new machines could range from $20 - $300 for purifying the air in homes, to around $800 - $200,000 for large commercial spaces like casinos or laundromat. 

Whereas, high-grade ozone generators cost anywhere from $900 - $6000 for small-scale home use, and $2000 - $40,000 for professional ozone production. The cost depends on the volume of pure ozone needed–A home user can expect to spend around $1,500 - $2,500 to have a set up for ultra pure ozone for their home and family.  Whereas, a professional can generally expect to spend around $3,500 to $5,000 to get started with ozone for their clientele. There is also the cost of oxygen gas, ozone-resistant tubings, and other peripherals needed to run ozone generators. This is why most of our new home user customers get the starter kit.

High-grade ozone generators costs more and are necessary if you need ultra-pure ozone because the cost difference reflects:

1. Ozone-resistant materials in the reactor and parts exposed to ozone. 
2. Precise reactor that can control the amounts of ozone produced by the machine
3. Safety mechanisms to prevent ozone leakage into the surrounding air

Most ozone air purifiers or even cheap ozone generators are not made with ultra-purity in mind, so they use materials that are less expensive and work well for the average water and air purification. Our generators, on the other hand, are made for ultra-pure ozone-oxygen mix.  

The cost difference reflects ozone-resistant materials, precision engineering, and safety mechanisms. In contrast, ozone air purifiers cost less and are meant for air cleaning, away from people and pets.

This means it’s rather unsafe to repurpose ozone air purifiers to produce ozone for ultra-pure use. They don’t have the same safety or precision mechanisms. Ozone air purifiers produce impure ozone and lack these critical safety features, posing significant health risks due to potential lung exposure, contamination, or incorrect dosage.

Ozone amount and concentration produced

High-grade ozone generators are capable of producing significantly higher concentrations of ozone (10-75 ug/ml, depending on the machine) into a small container. Also, our ultra-pure ozone generators use a reactor that precisely modifies the quantity of ozone coming from the machine. This capability is crucial for applications where specific ozone levels are necessary. 

Whereas, ozone air purifiers, which emits up to 0.05 ug/mL into a room or enclosed space [2]. 

Ozone purity and accuracy

Ozone purity is another critical factor difference. High-grade devices are designed to produce ultra pure ozone-oxygen gas mix with minimal to no contaminants. These devices are also made from ozone-resistant materials, eliminating the risk of machine components off-gassing into the resulting gas. High-quality devices will have various settings that accurately calibrate ozone concentrations, which are essential for many applications. 

In contrast, the ozone generated by air purifiers may not adhere to the same purity standards, as their primary function is not to produce ultra-pure ozone but rather to clean the air. Air contains about 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, along with other gasses, humidity, and pollutants. By oxidizing air, to produce ozone, rather than pure oxygen, you’ll get a mix of ozone, various oxidized nitrogen products, humidity, and pollutants. Some of these oxidation byproducts can be toxic or corrosive, making them harmful for any purposes that need ultra-pure oxygen-ozone. They may also form precipitates that clog or destroy tubings or other devices that you place the resulting gas in. 

This distinction underscores the importance of choosing the right type of device based on the intended use and the need for ozone purity.

Equipment and peripherals 

High-grade ozone generators produce ozone from oxygen gas, and then route the resulting gas into a container or medium of choice. This is why most new customers get our starter kit for high-grade home ozone kit that includes all the needed parts, i.e.:

• Ozone-resistant valves
• Ozone-resistant tubings
• Oxygen regulators
• Ozone resistant containers, such as bags, syringes, or cups

Oxygen tanks need to be purchased separately from your local vendor.

If you want to get started with ozone at home, just buy this starter 3.0 kit, which will include all the necessary materials and instructions.

Whereas, ozone air purifiers typically just need to be plugged in. There are no other peripherals required. 

Are ozone generators safe?: Ozone machine benefits and dangers

Ozone gas in the air you breathe is dangerous to the lungs and eyes. It’s considered an air pollutant. The Environmental Protection Agency has limits for how much appliances can emit ozone and how high ozone can be in spaces occupied by people [3]. 

However, environmental-grade ozone machines, including air purifiers, can be used to:

1. Clean, deodorize, and disinfect the air, water, surfaces, or enclosed spaces without people around. 
2. Effectively break down airborne pathogens, mold spores, and odorous substances. 
3. Repel insects like mosquitoes. A study tested the effects of ozone on 4 species of mosquitoes. An ozone-producing air purifier could repel Culex quinquefasciatus, with an 83.23% repellency rate, whereas Aedes aegypti showed the lowest repellency rate at 68.56% [4]. 

However, the gas may be less effective at removing some air particulates, allergens, and certain other types of air pollutants.

Whereas, high-grade ozone generators are designed for other applications, such as:

• Home personal wellness 
• Industrial use such as surface disinfections
• Research applications

Since ozone is harmful to the lungs due to the lack of antioxidant defenses found in the lungs, we employ techniques for ultra-pure ozone that always stay in a contained system.  This way, the ozone does not go into the room air to be breathed in.  

Are high-grade ozone generators worth it?

The value of high-grade ozone generators lies in their ability to produce high concentrations of ozone-oxygen gas and their safety mechanisms. 

Whereas, ozone air purifiers and other environmental-grade ozone machines are made to emit small amounts of impure ozone into the environment. 

Because air purifiers cost a lot less than high-grade ozone purifiers, many will be tempted to convert cheap ozone air purifiers into an ozone generator for purposes that require pure ozone-oxygen. This is a terrible idea because:

• Inadequate Ozone Concentration and Purity: Air contains about 78% nitrogen, 20% oxygen, along with other gasses, humidity, and pollutants. By oxidizing air, rather than pure oxygen, to produce ozone, you’ll get a mix of ozone with various oxidized nitrogen products, humidity, and pollutants. 
• Safety Concerns: Ozone air purifiers don’t have the same safety mechanisms as high-grade ozone generators. High-grade ozone generators are engineered with safety features and fail-safes to protect users and operators. These include precise ozone output controls and mechanisms to ensure ozone is safely handled. In contrast, repurposed devices lack these critical safety features, posing significant risks to health due to potential overexposure or incorrect dosage.
• Long-Term Costs and Risks: Ozone air purifiers may produce an impure gas mix that contains nitric acid, salt precipitates, humidity, and more. Some of these oxidation byproducts can be toxic or corrosive, making them harmful for purposes that need pure oxygen-ozone. They may also form precipitates that break down equipment. The air purifiers may also not be made with ozone-resistant materials, so they can break down faster over time, especially with higher ozone concentrations.

If you’re looking for simple air purification for your home, you can find very inexpensive ozone machines on Amazon. However, if you want to safely produce and use ultra-pure ozone at home, then our home starter kit provides the best value.

References

1 Elvis, A. M. and Ekta, J. S. (2011) Ozone therapy: A clinical review. J. Nat. Sci. Biol. Med. 2, 66–70

2 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2014) Ozone Generators that are Sold as Air Cleaners

3 Santos, E. M. and Azevedo, D. A. (2020) Impact on ground-level ozone formation by emission characterization of volatile organic compounds from a flex-fuel light-duty vehicle fleet in a traffic tunnel in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Air Qual. Atmos. Health 14, 259–270

4 Wan-Norafikah, O., Lee, H. L., Norazizah, A. and Mohamad-Hafiz, A. (2016) Repellency effects of an ozone-producing air purifier against medically important insect vectors. Trop. Biomed. 33, 396–402

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