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Activated Oxygen and Ozone1 Oxygen,
the Eighth Element: An Overview
Oxygen is the eighth element of the periodic
table, and has an atomic weight of 15.9994. Oxygen was the
atomic weight standard of comparison for all other elements
until 1961 when the International Union of Pure and Applied
Chemistry adopted carbon 12 as the new basis.
Oxygen comprises
about 49% of the mass of Earth's crust, and 28%
of the mass of Earth as a whole. It is the 3rd most
common element in the known universe.
It's not surprising, then, that oxygen is the
most important element to all higher forms of biological life.
While
it may
be true
that
we are "carbon
based"
life forms, without a sustained source of oxygen, we are only
able to stay alive for a few moments. Perhaps it would
be more accurate to state that we are oxygen-based
life forms existing in carbon-based containers.
Today, oxygen comprises between 19% and 20.95%
of the air we breath. Carbon Dioxide levels are currently rising at a rate of about 1.2 PPM per year. In 1945 and 1946, Swiss scientists measured atmospheric
oxygen levels at 22%. This is a drastic change in air quality. If this frightening
trend continues, the consequences may be disastrous.
Scientists, using
soil sample analysis to study oxygen levels during the Permian
Period,
have discovered
that the oxygen
content
during this very "life friendly" period was 30%.
Furthermore, these scientists also discovered that oxygen levels
during
the "Great
Dying" period,
where massive extinction events occured, had dropped to 16%,
eventually "bottoming out" at 12%. During this time
when oxygen was at its lowest levels, 90% of all marine life
died, as
well
as
nearly
75%
of all land-based
plants
and
animals.
"Oxygen dropped from its highest
level to its lowest level ever in only 20 million years.."
" ...Animals
that once were able to cross mountain passes quite easily
suddenly had their movements severely restricted."
- Raymond Huey of the University of Washington2
The shock of an 18% drop in oxygen content
over a 20 million year period can hardly compare with the
reality humanity is faced with in modern times: A 2-3% drop
in
oxygen
levels in less than 100 years. Activated oxygen-based
technologies may one day become a critical component to
the healthy survival of mankind, if they aren't already.
- - -
The
oxygen we breathe is called molecular dioxygen ( O2 ),
a very stable homonuclear diatomic molecule. "Atomic" refers
to a single atom of an element, and "di" refers
to "two" atoms of
the same element bound together. "Homonuclear" refers
to the elements being bound together in their elemental
state, without a chemical bond with any other element. Our
Earth's atmosphere is made up of over 99% diatomic molecules
( O2 and
N2 ).
Beyond O2: Activated
Oxygen and Ozone 
[ A single Oxygen atom ]
 Ozone Creation in the Chapman Cycle:3
O2 + hv ---> 2O ( O + O ) -
Energy-- in this case, hard ultraviolet light ( 185 nm
- 220 nm )-- breaks the molecular oxygen bond, producing
two, independent atoms of oxygen. Any excess energy
left after the reaction is transferred to oxygen as kinetic
energy.
M + O + O2 ---> M + O3 -
An oxygen atom reacts with an oxygen molecule to form ozone.
A third body (denoted as M) is required to conserve momentum
and allow this reaction to occur. The third body is also
required to carry away the kinetic energy released by the
spontaneous
reaction between the oxygen atom and oxygen molecule.
The resulting molecule of ozone is extremely
unstable. It will rapidly degrade while decomposing matter,
or, in cases where little or no reactive matter is present,
it will degrade by loss of energy, reverting back to O2.
 Every
atom of oxygen has six electrons in
the outer orbital valence shell. However ( in its solid state
form ), it
takes
eight electrons
to completely fill the outer orbital shell. One can see why
O2 is so predominant in nature. Each atom of
oxygen
shares
two electrons ( with a total of 4 electrons being shared
), and thus both atoms of oxygen have filled their outer
orbital shells, thus reaching a chemically stable state.
Looking at the diagram, one can see that with
ozone ( O3 ), there is one stable bond between two molecules
of oxygen. Then, there is a third atom of oxygen, which
has the standard six electrons in the outer shell. This third
atom, however, is "borrowing" exactly one electron from the
O2 molecule.
It is this 3rd, negatively charged atom
of oxygen that is the key component in activated
oxygen. It is what makes ozone the 2nd most powerful
oxidizer in nature ( second only to flourine ).
When ozone reacts with any substance, ( as
an example, 2O3 ---> 3O2 ),
this third atom of oxygen is liberated and is responsible
for all
oxidation
"work" done.
What Does Activated Oxygen, by way of Ozonation,
Do?
The Disinfecting power of Ozone: Ozone
kills germs that cause decay.
Bacteria
When a high enough concentration of residual
ozone ( ozone that is not instantly reacting with substances
in the environment ) comes in contact with bacteria, the ozone
reacts. Kinetic energy is released, and the single "activated"
atom of oxygen is liberated, destroying the cell wall of
the bacteria. Once the cell wall is ruptured, the cytoplasm
is dispersed, and thus it is impossible for the bacteria to
reactivate. This is a process known as cell lysing.
Due to the fact that the ozone does not need
to penetrate the cell wall, activated oxygen kills pathogens
3,125
times
faster than chlorine, and without any chemical toxic residue
left behind by the ozone.
How much ozone is needed for disinfection? Ozone's
kill rate is proportional to its residual concentration. In
one study, at 500 to 600 micrograms of ozone per m3 for one
hour, 99% reduction in all
bacterial species was observed 5
The above studies were done by testing ozone
against air-borne bacteria. In fact, ozone kills bacteria 6,000
times faster than chlorine, when used in water.
Virii
Ozone eliminates viruses in a similiar manner
as bacteria. Ozone breaks apart lipid molecules at sites
of multiple bond configurations. Once the lipid envelope
of the
virus is fragmented, its DNA or RNA core cannot survive.
With non-enveloped viruses, also called "naked
viruses", ozone reacts with the amino acids and capsid proteins,
forming protein hydroxides and protein
hydroperoxides.
Viruses have no defense against oxidative stress.
Fungi
While fungus is more resistant to ozone than
bacteria and viruses, ozone still gets the job done. Fungus
inhibited and destroyed by ozone include: Candida,
Aspergilus,
Histoplasma, Actinomycoses, and Cryptococcus.
The
presence of many disulfide bonds had been noted in these types
of virii, making this a possible site for oxidative inactivation
by ozone.
The Cleansing Power of Ozone: Activated
Oxygen Oxidizes and Decomposes Matter
Ozone oxidizes and/or ionizes many forms of matter.
The great benefit of this process, considering practical applications,
is ozone's ability to alter, decompose and/or neutralize materials
that are toxic, without creating additional toxic compounds
from
the use of ozone ( as is the case when using chemical compounds
).
Ozone will oxidize metals (except gold, platinum,
and iridium) to oxides of the metals in their highest oxidation
state:
2 Cu2+ +
2 H+ + O3 ---> 2 Cu3+ + H2O + O2
In many cases, these oxidized metals are far
easier to remove from any environment than when in their
elemental form... Especially when methods of sorption are
used in the removal process!6
Ozone transforms oxides into peroxides:
SO2 + O3 ---> SO3 + O2
Ozone will convert cyanides into cyanates ( which
are one thousand times less toxic ):
CN- + O3 ---> CNO- + O2
Activated Oxygen Removes Pesticides and
Antibiotics from foods7
Safe concentrations of ozone, when used by bubbling
ozone gas through water, can actually decontaminate fruits
and vegetables. Not only has research shown that many of the
most dangerous pesticides can be removed via ozonation, but
this process can extend the shelf life of foods by greatly
reducing bacterial counts in the produce.
Furthermore, the same research has demonstrated
that antibiotics in meats can also be removed via ozonation.
Utilizing ozonation with food prior to consumption results
in a great reduction of the toxic chemical load that is present
in modern produce and meats.
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