This University of Texas study confirms ozone/terpene reactions create small particles in residences.
In a recent study published in Indoor Air (2005; 15: 432-444) researchers from the University of Texas Center for Energy and Environmental Engineering found that ozone-generating air purifiers increased particle counts in the presence of terpenes in residential dwellings. (This study is consistent with the experiments we conducted with ozone-generating ionizers.) The experiments were conducted in one apartment and two detached single family dwellings.
Results indicated significant increases in number and mass concentrations for particles less the 0.7 microns in diameter, particularly when an ozone-generating air purifier was used in the presence of a terpene source such as a pine-oil based cleaner. These results add evidence to the potentially harmful effects of ozone generation in residential environments.
