Frequently we are asked how quickly ozone kills or inactivates bacteria within processes. This is an important factor to understand when using ozone for food processing, wastewater disinfection, and other antimicrobial intervention applications.
We performed research and wrote a paper on the effect of various levels of ozone on generic E.coli. This research indicated water containing ozone at levels of 2.0 ppm or higher could kill bacteria at sufficient levels within 1 second of contact time. This research also showed that higher levels of ozone dissolved into water did not achieve any better bacteria reduction, or faster bacteria reduction. See image below:
Click on image for a larger version
This chart shows logs of generic E.coli on the left (Y axis). This shows the pork product started with 6-7 logs of bacteria. This was reduced to a level of about 2-3 log of bacteria. An average reduction of 4 logs of bacteria using ozone.
On the bottom of this chart the exposure of aqueous ozone on the pork product is shown. This shows that at ozone levels of 2.0 ppm or greater only 1 second of contact time will achieve the 4 log reduction of bacteria, with no real advantage of longer contact times.
The great results of this research provide money saving information for many applications. This shows that lower ozone levels (2.0 ppm) can be used with very short contact times. This may reduce overall water use in applications, and lower energy costs required for ozone production.
Ozone Solutions now rents the C-16 Ozone Detector by the week or month. The C-16 Ozone Detector Rental is available in 2 separate ranges. Either 0-2 ppm or 0-20 ppm ozone ranges are available for the C-16 rental. The C-16 Ozone Detector is a great ozone sensor for leak detection and basic portable ozone detection.
The handheld C-16 Ozone Detector uses a sample pump with a probe to allow for real time monitoring of ozone in any area. This sensor ensures that fresh air is pulled over the sensor at all times for accurate up to date ozone readings. The C-16 also has an on board data logger and can record ozone levels over time.
The C-16 Ozone Detector is great for finding ozone leaks or pinpointing ozone emissions. The sample pump and probe makes a very simple and easy to use sensor.
The C-16 is battery operated and rechargeable. Shipped with a rugged carry case this is the perfect ozone detector for rugged ozone detection use.
Ozone gas was recently tested by the EPA in conjunction with the Department of Homeland Security to evaluate the effectiveness of ozone inactivating specific anthrax spores. This is potentially very exciting research for the ozone industry. Read excerpt from the EPA website:
Decontamination of Materials with Ozone Gas in the Presence of Vaporous Organic Compounds
Purpose/Objective:
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) National Homeland Security Research Center (NHSRC) helps to protect human health and the environment from adverse impacts of terrorist acts by carrying out performance tests on homeland security technologies. In previous testing for NHSRC, ozone gas (O3) was used for inactivation of spores of Bacillus anthracis and other organisms. Unsaturated organic compounds are known to react rapidly with O3 to produce highly reactive species (e.g., hydroxyl radicals, OH•) and reaction products (e.g., formaldehyde), both of which may be effective sporicides. Consequently, mixtures of O3 and reactive organic compounds may be more effective sporicides than O3 by itself. This study investigated the effectiveness of O3 combined with a reactive gas phase organic compound for inactivating spores of B. anthracis (Ames) and the surrogate organism Bacillus subtilis on three representative test materials.
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