The same chemical properties that allow high concentrations of ozone to react with organic material outside the body give it the ability to react with similar organic material that makes up the body, and potentially cause harmful health consequences.  Recovery from the harmful effects can occur following short-term exposure to low levels of ozone, but health effects may become more damaging and recovery less certain at higher levels or from longer exposures.

Important Government Standards

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires ozone output of indoor medical devices to be no more than 0.05 ppm.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration(OSHA) requires that workers not be exposed to an average concentration of more than 0.10 ppm for 8 hours.

The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommends an upper limit of 0.10 ppm, not to be exceeded at any time.

EPA‘s National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ozone is a maximum 8 hour average outdoor concentration of 0.08 ppm (see: the Clean Air Act)

Ozone Solutions

Ozone Solutions recommends that all ozone systems be designed with proper mechanisms to dispose of excess ozone and detect ozone leaks.  Additionally, residential and commercial ozone shock treatments for odor removal should be performed in the absence of humans or animals to avoid exposure to unhealthy levels of ozone.

An ozone treatment can be used to remove or reduce agents such as residual smoke or mold spores that aggravate breathing problems.  However, people with serious breathing issues, such as asthma, should not be around ozone gas and should avoid any area where an ozone shock treatment has been performed in the last 24 hours.

More Information

For more information about ozone and health click here.