California Cracking Down on Ozone

Last September the California Air Resources Board voted to prohibit indoor ozone generators from putting out more than 0.05 ppm.

Robert Baker, Chairman & CEO, RGB Group, Tampa, FL, writing in Indoor Environment Connections, believes this is one of the Worst AND Best Indoor Air Quality Event of 2007:

In my opinion, this represents one of the worst IAQ events of the year because it is an example of our private enterprise system and democratic processes failing to protect the health and welfare of American citizens and a regulatory authority being forced to step in.It ranks as one of the best of the year, however, because it appears that, after decades of debate and litigation involving manufacturers of such devices, one of the nation’s most influential bodies has initiated decisive action.

Mr. Baker continues:

Not only is ozone a respiratory irritant, but recent studies demonstrate that it can react with volatile organic compounds indoors and produce aldehydes and other harmful breakdown products.

And here are the comments of Jay Hoover, the president of Integrity Air Conditioning on the subject of ozone:


In general I agree. I am also happy that Florida still allows that air quality tool. ....So ozone can cause some volatile organic compounds to change into more harmful compounds. It however causes other known harmful organic compounds and other chemicals to be rendered harmless. For example carbon monoxide changes to carbon dioxide and O2 in the presence of O3. That can be great for people working in auto repair shops. We recommend a low level CO detector as a start for auto shops.