The 'Good' Negative (Ions) & The 'Bad' Ozone

This article is designed to provide information about air filtration units for homes & offices. Many produce negative ions, which is a great benefit, as you'll learn about below. The majority of these air filtration units that produce negative ions also produce ozone, which is NOT a benefit & can be harmful. Read on....

News about ozone can be confusing. Basically, the ozone layer found high in the upper atmosphere called the stratosphere. This is beneficial because it shields us from much of the sun’s ultraviolet radiation. Ozone air pollution at ground level where we can breathe it--the troposphere--is harmful. It can causes serious health problems. Ozone is capable of causing inflammation in the lung, shortness of breath,
chest pain, wheezing, coughing, asthma attacks & increased susceptibility to respiratory infections. People who inhale ozone during repeated exposure may permanently damage their lungs or suffer from respiratory infections.

Negative ions are good for you. They are found in abundance in places like waterfalls, seashores and rainstorms. Negative ions are water molecules that break apart and take on a negative electrical charge. Most particles in the air have a positive charge, while negative ions have a negative charge. Negative ions are drawn to these positively charged particles by a magnetic attraction. When negative ion concentration in the air is high enough, they will attract floating particles (positive ions) in large numbers. This causes the particle to become too heavy to remain airborne. As a result, the particle will drop out of the air, dramatically reducing their ability to be breathed in.

The more negative ions in the blood, the more efficient the cell can function. The more positive ions (free radicals) there are in the blood, the slower and less efficient the cell's metabolism, which causes the body's cells to become weak resulting in a greater increase in sickness and aging.

The Journal of Applied Microbiology found that the use of negative ions was even found by scientists to reduce the presence of airborne viruses by about 40%. A study featured in the 1987 issue also showed the negative ions are free from any adverse side effects.

Many scientific studies have been conducted over the years (mostly in Europe and Russia) showing how exposure to high levels of negative ions drastically or significantly reduce asthma and allergy symptoms, as well as respiratory-related illness. Studies have also shown a link between negative ion treatment and benefits for migraine headaches, depression, fatigue, sleep, mental performance & concentration, physical performance among athletes & improved burn healing.

Lo-o-o-ong story/article/blog short: Good air filtration units in our homes and offices are definitely powerful ways to build prevention and wellness into our busy lives. Now you're equipped in what to look for: solid air filtration (including a HEPA filter for best filtration), negative ion generation WITHOUT the production of ozone. You will need to check the fine print to make sure your unit doesn't produce ozone, as the majority still do.

Blessings on your health---and on the air you breathe!
Sana