Breathing ozone is not a good thing. It irritates the lungs and is especially harmful to anyone with lung/breathing problems such as asthma. We routinely warn people with asthma to limit their time outside on high ozone days.

Yet, ozone is at the same time a decent disinfectant. A quick google on ozone air purifiers displays many misleading statements about the benefits of such purifiers. One website even claimed that atmospheric ozone is bad but different from the ozone made in its purifier. Hogwash! 03 is 03, no matter how you make it!

By law, ozone air purifiers cannot make more ozone than exceeds federal guidelines. These are the same guidelines/standards we use in our Healthy Living Forecast. Ozone air purifiers might eliminate a little odor and mold/mildew, but too much ozone in the home could be a serious health hazard.

Think of it this way - a little Lysol might help, but you would not want to breathe it. Read the disclaimers on some of the ozone air purifier websites; buyer beware.

Bottom line: there is no reason to spend money on an ozone air purifier. A little fresh air in the house will do just fine! In fact, it seems that many of the ozone purifiers make about the same amount of ozone for your house as exists naturally on a "good air" day.

For more information about ozone, the EPA has a great website: http://www.epa.gov/air/ozonepollution/standards.html