Of the thousands ozone generators on the market, only a very small fraction of them are suitable for ozone therapy. You need some help in choosing the proper type of ozone generator, and it is likely best if that information originates from an unbiased source.
You are in luck.
Two independent professional Ozone organizations have come forward to help you find a suitable ozone generator that you can safely use for “Ozone Therapy”. Those two organizations are the AAO – American Academy of Ozonotherapy, and an international panel of Ozone Therapy Experts called the International Scientific Committee of Ozonotherapy (ISCO3.org).
These two organizations saw the need to protect you and have created Ozone Generator Guidelines to help you find the right ozone generator. You may not think you need their protection but read the next three paragraphs and let’s see if you still believe that.
Buyer’s beware: just because the company selling it to you calls it a medical ozone generator, it does not mean the ozone generator can actually be used for medical use. This may sound confusing, but read on and you’ll see why this is true.
Did you know that in most countries around the world there is no such thing as a “medical ozone generator”? You may think all you need to do is to buy an ozone generator called a ‘medical ozone generator’ and you therefore have the right one. Unfortunately that is not true. Since there is no such thing as a ‘medical ozone generator’ (in most countries outside of Europe) companies will call their ozone generators “medical” in order to trick you into buying them for medical use.
Why?
Ozone Therapy has become so popular that many companies hoping to cash in on this market are selling ozone generators for medical use that should never be used for that purpose; most were originally designed for air purification or water purification. The problem is, how are you supposed to know which ones are which if you can’t trust that a “Medical Ozone Generator” is actually suitable for medical use? Now do you see the reason why you might need some help?
Two organizations have stepped in to help you: The AAO – American Academy of Ozonotherapy, and the ISCO3.org which is the “International Scientific Committee of Ozonotherapy”.
Who are they? And why are they offering this help?
The AAO – American Academy of Ozonotherapy is an American organization (Academy) of practitioners who use ozone. The mandate of the organization is to protect those using ozone and to protect and support the science of ozone. One of the ways they do this is to provide guidance to those seeking an ozone generator to purchase. They have no interest whatsoever in the manufacture or sale of ozone generators.
The ISCO3.org (International Scientific Committee of Ozonotherapy) is a similar organization, except that the ISCO3.org is not a centralized organization of one country, but a panel of 21 experts on Ozone Therapy. This is the elite of the elite Ozone Therapy Doctors from around the world (from 21 different countries). They too have an interest in ensuring the safety of the world public and also the safety of practitioners, so they produced their own set of ozone generator guidelines to help anyone in the world who wishes to purchase an ozone generator.
Here are their recommendations to guide you on your purchase of an ozone generator:
Guideline 1: Watch Out for Improper Materials in Contact with the Ozone:
This is a number 1 concern for these organizations because if the wrong materials areallowed to come into contact with the ozone while it is in the ozone generator, the ozone will destroy these materials and the byproducts of that process will add toxic chemicals to the ozone. In other words, making pure ozone is impossible if the components are made of the wrong materials.
This is a bigger problem than it first seems because Ozone destroys almost all materials that are normally used to make consumer electronics such as metals, plastics, rubber, glues and resins. It “Oxidizes” them. Metal rusts, plastics and rubber are destroyed and turned into dust, and so are most other materials.
When ozone destroys these materials toxic byproducts are created and are added to the ozone. These toxins will go wherever the ozone goes. Think about that. Wherever you put that ozone these toxins will go too, right into you!
How an ozone generator makes ozone is that oxygen (O2) enters an ozone generator where it is exposed to an energy field and turned into ozone. While inside the ozone generator the oxygen and ozone have to be contained within a pipe or tubing, directed into an ‘electrode’ where energy contacts the oxygen, and that energy turns some of that oxygen from O2, into ozone, O3.
So the key is that when a company builds an ozone generator it has to contain the ozone in the electrode and tubing that is ‘ozone proof’ and can’t be destroyed by the ozone. As mentioned above, these tubes, electrodes, and pipes can’t be made of metal, plastic, rubber, and can’t have any glues or resins holding them together. The company should use only the few materials that are available that are ozone resistant and won’t be destroyed by the ozone. These materials tend to be a expensive but they are necessary if you want to make sure the ozone your ozone generator is producing is not full of toxins.
Read on to see what these experts say about what these materials should be…
AAO – American Academy of Ozonotherapy:
"No generator for human or animal use (in office or at home) must be constructed of any substances that come into contact with ozone other than quartz glass, kynar, Teflon, or silicone. This includes all other materials such as ceramic, other plastics, aluminum, and steel. "
So the AAO says the ozone can’t contact any other materials other than quartz glass, kynar, Teflon or Silicone; especially not ceramic, plastics, aluminum or steel.
What about the ISCO3.org; what does that committee say?:
The ISCO3.org states very clearly that Ozone Generators should use only glass in their electrodes:
"The material of which the electrodes are made must be of highest quality, so as to be able to withstand
long term and frequent exposure to the high electric energy as well as the oxidation which may be caused by ozone. The most recommended material for these electrodes is quartz glass."
What does this mean?
What this means is that for the purity of the ozone and your safety you need to look for an ozone generator that has been built so that the ozone only touches ozone resistant components such as silicone, kynar, Teflon, and glass (as noted by the AAO).
What is so good about glass?
Glass can be heated and then formed into any shape with corners, joints, and glass can be stuck to glass, with glass. That is, no glues, resins or any other materials are needed. Just glass. And the best part is that glass is 100% resistant to the oxidative effects of the ozone so it will last forever and not contribute a single contaminant to the ozone.
What’s wrong with Ceramic?
Ceramic can’t be bent molded or attached to itself. So a ‘ceramic’ electrode always has other materials in it too like metal, plastics and even glues and resins to hold it together. All of these materials will be slowly destroyed by the ozone and that destructive process contributes contaminants to the ozone. So obtaining pure ozone from a ceramic electrode is impossible.
To learn more about the differences between Quartz Glass and Ceramic electrodes please see the companion article here: Ozone Generator Electrodes.
Guideline 2: Make sure the Ozone Generator you are considering has a Quality and Safety Approval. What are these and why are they important?
Look on the back of your computer, TV, Stereo, iPad (or other tablet) and you will find a sticker that shows you either a CSA, UL, QAI, or ETL Safety and Quality Approval.
These approval stickers means the following:
(a) The product has been submitted to an independent laboratory for rigorous product testing.
(b) The product has passed the testing proving it is high Quality.
(c) The product has passed the safety testing proving it is Safe to use. That is, it won’t likely cause a fire or electrocute you. (It’s pretty important to know that you won’t get electrocuted or burn your house down if you use this equipment).
(d) The product is professionally manufactured in a professional factory and is not home made.
If the product does not have a Quality and Safety Approval on it, that means that either the product could not pass the Quality testing (meaning it is not reliable and could break down and quit working quickly), or it is not Safe to use (could cause a fire or electrocute you), or both.
With this in mind, it looks like ensuring any product you buy has a Safety and Quality Approval on it like CSA, UL, ETL, or QAI.
What does the AAO, American Academy of Ozonotherapy say about Quality/Safety Approvals?:
Regarding the Quality and Safety of the ozone generators on the market they provide some guidance to make sure the public does not purchase an ozone generator that is not safe, not good quality, not reliable, and they also want to make sure that no one purchases a 'home made' ozone generator masquerading as a professionally manufactured product.
They say:
"All ozone generators for human or animal (in office or at home) use must bear a safety approval sticker such as ETL, CSA, UL, or QAI for the assembled unit, not its components separately"
What does the ISCO3.org say about Quality/Safety Approvals?
With regard to the Quality of the ozone generator this expert organization says:
"In the United States quality and safety of the product can only be confirmed if the product carries a local Quality and Safety Approval, such as ETL, CSA, UL or QAI Approval. Products lacking a Quality and Safety Approval should be avoided. As far as we know, the generators in use in the now 15 American
states where some form of ozone therapy is permitted are mostly produced abroad, mainly in Canada and Europe."
Summary:
1. Pure Ozone: To make sure your ozone generator produces pure ozone you must ensure the ozone only touches quartz glass, Kynar, Teflon, and silicone and not ceramic, plastics, or rubber (AAO). The ISCO3.org says the best way to do this is to make sure the electode is made of 100% Quartz Glass.
2. Quality and Safe Ozone Generator (that is not home made): To make sure you are purchasing a quality ozone generator that will be reliable and safe for you to use, and one that you can be sure is not home made, you need to make sure it has a Quality and Safety Approval of CSA, UL, ETL, or QAI.
References:
1. The AAO - American Academy of Ozonotherapy www.aaot.us
2. International Scientific Committee of Ozonotherapy (www.ISCO3.org). The precise location of the Guidelines on Ozone Generators document is: isco3.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/generators-final-july-2014.pdf
