OZONE INFUSION –
EFFECTS ON SPECIFIC BACTERIA, VIRUSES AND MOLDS, AND OZONE’S CONTRIBUTION TO
WATER PURIIFICATION
Ozone is a naturally occurring component of fresh air. It is produced principally by three methods – (1) by the ultra violet rays of the sun reacting with the Earth’s upper atmosphere which creates the protective ozone layer, (2) the electrical discharge of lightening, or (3) artificially with an ozone generator. The ozone molecule (O3) contains three oxygen atoms rather than the two oxygen molecules present in oxygen (O2). Ozone is a very reactive and unstable gas with a short half-life before losing one oxygen molecule and reverting back to oxygen.
Ozone is the most powerful and rapid acting oxidizer man can produce, and it will destroy (oxidize) all bacteria, mold and yeast spores, organic material and viruses with which it comes in contact. It also oxidizes and precipitates iron, sulfur, and manganese so they can be filtered out of solution. Ozone will oxidize and break down many organic chemicals as well. Ozonation is typically used as a point of entry water treatment for this reason
Bacteria are microscopically small single-cell organisms with primitive structures. The cell membrane that seals the body of the bacteria is relatively solid. Ozone interferes with the membrane by inhibiting and blocking the enzymatic control system. A sufficient amount of ozone breaks through the cell membrane leading to the destruction of the bacteria.
Viruses are small, independent particles of crystals and macromolecules. Unlike bacteria, viruses multiply only within the host cell. They transform proteins of the host call into proteins of their own. Ozone destroys viruses by diffusion through the protein coat into the nucleic acid core, resulting in damage to the viral RNA. At higher concentrations, ozone destroys the capsid, or exterior protein shell by oxidation so DNA or RNA structures of the microorganism are affected.
This is a list of pathogens destroyed by ozonation and minimum dosage required for kill. 1-mg/l = 1-PPM:
Pathogen |
Dosage |
Aspergillus |
Destroyed by 1.5 to 2
mg/I |
Bacillus
Bacteria |
Destroyed by 0.2 m/I
within 30 seconds |
Bacillus Anthracis (causes anthrax in sheep, cattle and
pigs. Also a human
pathogen) |
Ozone
susceptible |
Bacillus
cereus |
99% destruction after
5-min at 0.12 mg/l in water |
B. cereus
(spores) |
99% destruction after
5-min at 2.3 mg/l in water |
Bacillus subtilis |
90% reduction at
0.10-PPM for 33 minutes |
Bacteriophage f2 |
99.99% destruction at
0.41 mg/l for 10-seconds in water |
Botrytis cinerea |
3.8 mg/l for 2
minutes |
Candida
Bacteria |
Ozone
susceptible |
Clavibacter michiganense |
99.99% destruction at
1.1 mg/l for 5 minutes |
Cladosporium |
90% reduction at
0.10-PPM for 12.1 minutes |
Clostridium
Bacteria |
Ozone
susceptible |
Clostridium Botulinum Spores. Its toxin paralyses the central
nerve system, being a poison multiplying in food and meals. |
0.4 to 0.5 mg/l
threshold value |
Coxsackie Virus
A9 |
95% destruction at
0.035 mg/l for 10-seconds in water |
Coxsackie Virus
B5 |
99.99% destruction at
0.4 mg/l for 2.5-minutes in sludge effluent |
Diphtheria
Pathogen |
Destroyed by 1.5 to 2
mg/l |
Eberth Bacillus
(Typhus abdomanalis). Spreads typically by aqueous
infection and causes typhoid. |
Destroyed by 1.5 to 2
mg/l |
Echo Virus 29: The
virus most sensitive to ozone. |
After a contact time
of 1 minute at 1 mg/l of ozone, 99.999% killed. |
Enteric
virus |
95% destruction at
4.1 mg/l for 29 minutes in raw wastewater |
Escherichia
Coli Bacteria (from
feces) |
Destroyed by 0.2 mg/l
within 30 seconds in air |
E-coli (in clean
water) |
99.99% destruction at
0.25 mg/l for 1.6 minutes |
E-coli (in
wastewater) |
99.9% destruction at
2.2 mg/l for 19 minutes |
Encephalomyocarditis Virus |
Destroyed to zero
level in less than 30 seconds with 0.1 to 0.8 mg/l. |
Endamoebic Cysts
Bacteria |
Ozone
susceptible |
Enterovirus Virus |
Destroyed to zero
level in less than 30 seconds with 0.1 to 0.8 mg/l. |
Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. lycopersici |
1.1 mg/l for 10
minutes |
Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. melonogea |
99.99 % destruction
at 1.1 mg/l for 20 minutes |
GDVII
Virus |
Destroyed to zero
level in less than 30 seconds with 0.1 to 0.8 mg/l. |
Hepatitis A
virus |
99.5% reduction at
0.25 mg/l for 2-seconds in a phosphate buffer |
Herpes
Virus |
Destroyed to zero
level in less than 30 seconds wit 0.1 to 0.8 mg/l. |
Influenza
Virus |
0.4 to 0.5 mg/l
threshold value |
Klebs-Loffler
Bacillus |
Destroyed by 1.5 to 2
mg/l |
Legionella pneumophila |
99.99% destruction at
0.32 mg/l for 20 minutes in distilled water |
Luminescent Basidiomycetes (species having no melanin
pigment). |
Destroyed in 10
minutes at 100-PPM |
Mucor piriformis |
3.8 mg/l for 2
minutes |
Mycobacterium avium |
99.9% with a CT value
of 0.17 in water |
Mycobacterium foruitum |
90% destruction at
0.25 mg/l for 1.6 minutes in water |
Penicillium Bacteria |
Ozone
susceptible |
Phytophthora parasitica |
3.8 mg/l for 2
minutes |
Poliomyelitis
Virus |
99.99% kill with 0.3
to 0.4 mg/l in 3-4 minutes |
Poliovirus type
1 |
99.5% destruction at
0.25 mg/l for 1.6 minutes in water |
Proteus
Bacteria |
Very
susceptible |
Pseudomonas
Bacteria |
Very
susceptible |
Rhabdovirus virus |
Destroyed to zero
level in less than 30 seconds with 0.1 to 0.8 mg/l |
Salmonella
Bacteria |
Very
susceptible |
Salmonella typhimurium |
99.99% destruction at
0.25 mg/l for 1.67 minutes in water |
Schistosoma Bacteria |
Very
susceptible |
Staph epidermidis |
90% reduction at
0.1-ppm for 1.7 min |
Staphylococci |
Destroyed by 1.5 to
2.0 mg/l |
Stomatitis Virus |
Destroyed to zero
level in less than 30 seconds with 0.1 to 0.8 mg/l |
Streptococcus
Bacteria |
Destroyed by 0.2 mg/l
within 30 seconds |
Verticillium dahliae |
99.99 % destruction
at 1.1 mg/l for 20 minutes |
Vesicular
Virus |
Destroyed to zero
level in less than 30 seconds with 0.1 to 0.8 mg/l |
Virbrio Cholera
Bacteria |
Very
susceptible |
Vicia Faba progeny |
Ozone causes
chromosome aberration and its effect is twice that observed by the action
of X-rays |