New treatment uses ozone and oxygen in hand-held device to treat herniated discs
By Pamela Fayerman, Vancouver Sun May 6, 2013
Patients and radiologists at Vancouver General Hospital are the first in North America to test an ozone/oxygen injection treatment to alleviate the pain from herniated discs in the lower back, a condition affecting at least five per cent of adults.
The treatment uses a combination of oxygen and ozone gas because its oxidating effect has been shown to shrink bulging discs, reducing compression by pulling the herniated part away from nerve roots.
The main objective of the clinical trial, now recruiting 25 participants, is to assess the safety of a new Canadian-engineered injection delivery system for the ozone-oxygen therapy. Discs are like the shock absorbers between the vertebrae; the experimental treatment requires radiologists to use CT imaging so they can guide the needle precisely into the centre of the herniated disc.
A Matter of Taste: UF/RO System Features Ozone Pretreatment
In Emmons County, ND, a new water treatment system successfully combines ozone pretreatment, ultrafltration and reverse osmosis with no compatibility issues.
BY ANGELA YEUNG
Ultrafiltration equipment at the Emmons Country Water Treatment Plant
Poor tasting artesian well water that caused rust and corrosion to plumbing fxtures and home appliances was normal in Emmons County, ND, a rural farming community southeast of Bismarck. The South Central Regional Water District utility knew that water from these wells contained high levels of dissolved solids, hardness, and sulfates, as well as arsenic content beyond the safety standards established by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Those problems are over now, thanks to funding from the American Reinvestment & Recovery Act for an innovative system that combines ozone pretreatment, ultrafltration (UF) and reverse osmosis (RO) to treat nearby Missouri River water – reducing tap water hardness from 40 grains to as low as six grains. In operation since May 2012, the new Emmons County Water Treatment Plant demonstrates the successful use of ozone as a primary disinfection and pretreatment for the downstream UF and RO membrane technologies with no compatibility issues.
Communities are treating surface water with ozone because it is economical and effective, and the only byproducts are oxygen and water. The challenge – ozone is harsher than other water treatment chemicals, creating a harsh inlet stream for further treatments, such as UF and RO. The tasty water provided by the new Emmons County water treatment plant validates the unique technology of ozone pretreatment for UF and RO membranes with stable operating performance of the membrane fltration plant and the excellent chemical compatibility of the UF and RO systems.
Ok, so not quite – but recent work by scientists at Newcastle University has shown that ozone may be one tool available for keeping standard weights and measures consistent across the globe.
The study by Professor Peter Cumpson and Dr Naoko Sano concerns the coating of hydrocarbons slowly collecting on the surface of Kilogram Standards worldwide. These coatings create tiny differences (micrograms) in weight between kilograms from country to country – differences which could eventually cause problems for the scientific community or complicate international trade involving highly restricted items (such as radioactive material).
The International Prototype Kilogram, a platinum cylinder originally constructed as THE standard for the kilogram, may itself be tens of micrograms heavier than when it was new. This alone is not the problem, however. “It doesn’t really matter what it weighs as long as we are all working to the same exact standard – the problem is there are slight differences. Around the world, the IPK and its 40 replicas are all growing at different rates, diverging from the original,” explains Cumpson.
The solution to these differing weights, as described by Cumpson and Sano, is to “scrub” the cylinders with a combination of UV light and ozone – breaking down the hydrocarbon coatings that they have accumulated and bringing them near to their original weight.
Cumpson, describing the process, states that “What we have done at Newcastle is effectively give these surfaces a suntan. By exposing the surface to a mixture of UV and ozone we can remove the carbonaceous contamination and potentially bring prototype kilograms back to their ideal weight.”
Ultimately, the solution to the kilogram standard may lie in redefining the kilogram altogether. Methods have been proposed that would allow scientists to calculate the standard kilogram from other measured forces, eliminating the need to rely on multiple cylinders stored around the globe.
In the meantime, perhaps, ozone may help ensure that a kilogram remains a kilogram.
References: “Stability of reference masses V: UV/ozone treatment of gold and platinum surfaces.” Peter Cumpson and Naoko Sano. Metrologia. January 2013. 0026-1394/13/010001 (Newcastle University press release)
Ozone Solutions would like to thank our customers for their business during the past 12 months! We had a successful 2012, and hope that you all had a successful year also.
The ozone industry has continued to grow, with its use expanding into more applications worldwide. We look forward to 2013 and the opportunities it holds!
Thank you again and we wish you a happy and successful 2013!
The Ozone Solutions Team
(Please note that our facilities will be closed on January 1 to observe the holiday, but we will be back on Wednesday the 2nd)
Ozone Solutions has put up a new page detailing their ozone exposure testing service. This page gives some further information regarding our processes and capabilities. Whether you are working with SAE, ASTM, MIL or your own custom testing standards, Ozone Solutions can help.
The primary benefit of this service is cost. Considering the expense of buying (or renting) the equipment for ozone exposure testing (ozone analyzer, ozone generator, and necessary controls), many companies are now finding it cost-effective to outsource these tests to a third party such as Ozone Solutions. The result is quality test results at a fraction of the cost.
See our Ozone Exposure Testing page for further information and contact us to see how we can meet your needs!
Our newsletter will only be sent out once per month. Our goal is to inform the readers of ozone industry news, new ozone products, and helpful tips on the use of ozone in the industry.
The Ozone Science & Engineering Journal is a publication of the International Ozone Association that consists of peer reviewed white papers based on ozone research and data. This is the best source of information for ozone related research and information.
Ozone Solutions now has an easy to search database on our website that is free to use. This is a great way for you to find the ozone research you are looking for! Papers can be searched fro using the search bar, or the keyword search that will narrow results based on keyword.
This search will provide the abstracts of each paper published by the IOA. The full paper can be purchased directly from the Taylor & Francis Website where these papers are hosted. However, members of the IOA get free access to each of these papers. To learn more, or become a member of the IOA click the image below.
Ozone Solutions would like to take the opportunity to wish a Happy Thanksgiving to all of our customers! We are truly thankful for your business and the opportunity to serve your needs throughout the year!
Please note that Ozone Solutions will be closed both today and tomorrow (the 22nd and 23rd) in observance of the US holiday. We will be open for operation again on Monday the 26th. Thank you!
Be the First to Comment 
Ozone Solutions would like to thank our customers for their business during the past 12 months! We had a successful 2012, and hope that you all had a successful year also.
