.
Great idea Ricky, I'll look into it more and post my results here. Fantastic thinking, looks like you had a Madame Currie moment!
Weed Science: ebook download
.
How Does Ozonation Work to Kill Mold?
By
Tyler Lacoma, eHow Contributor
updated: October 24, 2009
Ozone
A number of different ozonator manufacturers have marketed the use of ozone to destroy mold infestations. There is argument as to how effective ozone is at this, but there is no doubt ozone gas is capable of destroying many air-borne pathogens and offensive odors in houses. Ozonators are even used to purify water at water treatment plants and clean some swimming pools.
The principle behind ozone gas is very similar to the oxidation process that normal oxygen performs when it comes in contact with substances. The oxygen atoms interact with the atoms of the substances, changing their chemical composition by trading out other atoms. This is how metal rusts and copper turns green when exposed to air. These unique properties of oxygen are greatly enhanced when the gas is ionized, or changed with UV light to contain three oxygen atoms per grouping instead of two. This makes the ionized oxygen particles even more eager to trade atoms with other substances. If those other substances are pathogens or odor-causing particles, they are destroyed in the process. Scientists prefer this method because the only byproduct of the forced oxidation process is more oxygen, not at all harmful to humans.
Ozone Problems
The question is whether this process can be applied successfully to cleaning up mold problems. Scientists generally disagree with the theory that it can. While manufacturers market high-dose ozonators with the promise that they will kill all the mold in a room, there are several problems with this. For one, ozone can really only be depended on to kill particles in the air---so mold spores may be cleaned out by the gas, but the mold itself is much hardier. Also, ozone cannot be expected to fill every part of a room, especially the dank corners where mold tends to lurk.
Mold Problems
If the ozone does come in contact with the mold itself, there is no guarantee it will kill it. The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists has agreed that while ozone may be able to kill some of the surface mold, it does not have the ability to get the mold further down in walls and carpet, which can be protected by the layer of dying mold growths. Also, moisture and temperature can affect ozone adversely, negating its ability to reach the mold in the first place. For these reasons, many suggest using more traditional processes for removing heavy mold infestations.
Read more:
How Does Ozonation Work to Kill Mold? | eHow.com:
http://www.ehow.com/how-does_5566225_ozonation-work-kill-mold.html#ixzz117eKydPu
.
