Ozone, kill or cure?

In generally, ozone becomes a dangerous pollutant at ground level. It is formed when sunlight combines with NOx and hydrocarbons. It retards crop a tree growth and limits visibility. Ozone levels at just half the current allowable standard can send asthmatics into coughing, wheezing or simple breathing frenzy. For complete information, please visit http://idpowerstation.blogspot.com/2010/09/ozone-and-fine-particle.html

In the coal fired power station which has Electrostatic Precipitator (ESP) for particulate control can generate some ozone which during normal operation is heavily diluted with the combustion gases, so it is not considered hazardous. However, if the precipitator is kept in operation with either very low air flow or under natural draft conditions, the resulting ozone concentration could be sufficient to irritate the eyes and the upper respiratory system, and cause headaches or nausea. So the ozone can we call “kill gas”. These effect will disappear after leaving the exposure area.


The presence of ozone can be detected, even at extremely low concentration, by its pungent, sulfur like odor. Before entering the precipitator, connecting flues or other equipment installed in close proximity to or downstream of the precipitator, make certain that the precipitator power supply system have been shutdown. If ozone odor is detected, delay entering until the equipment is completely purged.

But ozone as a pure form of oxygen found in the stratosphere ten to thirty miles above the earth’s surface, acts like a big umbrella to protect the earth from dangerous ultraviolet rays of the sun.

Algae are particularly sensitive to ultraviolet radiation, raising fears that damage to the ozone layer could upset marine ecology and lower fish population. For people, ultraviolet rays cause sunburn and have been linked ti skin cancer, cataracts and weakenend immune system. So in this case, ozone can we call “ cure gas.”



CFCs vaporize at low temperature, they have become the essential ingredients in refrigerator and air conditioner coolants (marketed by the Du Pont Company as Freon) and as the propellant gases for aerosol spray cans. When CFCs escape into the atmosphere, you can see as animated illustration above for ozone depletion.

And animation below explain how O3 created naturally.