A Brief Discussion on the Hazards of Ozone to Humans

It is known that ozone plays a role in protecting humans and the environment. That is the ozone in the stratosphere, 10 - 50 km above the ground. It can effectively block the ultraviolet radiation of sunlight. Ozone is highly irritating. However, if the concentration of O₃ is relatively high near the ground, it can stimulate and damage the deep respiratory tract, harm the central nervous system, and have a mild irritating effect on the eyes. In addition, ozone may also pose health risks such as tissue hypoxia, impaired thyroid function, and bone calcification in humans.

 

How is near - ground O₃ formed?

Ozone (O₃) in the near - ground (tropospheric) atmosphere is mainly produced through photochemical reaction processes. That is, O₃ belongs to "secondary pollutants". Precursors such as nitrogen oxides (NOₓ) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by industrial enterprises, under the irradiation of sunlight (ultraviolet rays), go through a series of complex photochemical reactions to produce O₃ pollutants. The sources of NOₓ are relatively wide, but basically from human emissions, mainly from vehicle exhaust, fossil fuel combustion, and industrial production processes. The sources of VOCs are even more extensive, including waste gas emissions from industries such as petrochemical, pharmaceutical, chemical, furniture, auto repair, and printing, as well as oil and gas volatilization from motor vehicles and gas stations, and the volatilization of organic substances from catering fumes, dry cleaners, and hair salons. Therefore, O₃ pollution also shows characteristics such as a wide coverage area and a large influence range.

 

How can we remove ozone?

Ozone catalysts remove ozone through catalytic decomposition. An ozone decomposition catalyst is a substance that can accelerate the decomposition of ozone into oxygen. It usually contains components such as copper - manganese composite metal oxides and can rapidly catalyze the decomposition of ozone at room temperature.

 

There are various types of ozone catalysts, including activated carbon, thermal decomposition method, electromagnetic wave radiation decomposition, liquid absorption method, and catalytic decomposition method. Among them, the catalytic decomposition method is an ideal approach because it can meet the requirements of high decomposition rate, long - term stability, safety, and economy.

 

The ozone decomposition catalyst produced by MINSTRONG has high activity and a large specific surface area. It can quickly participate in the reaction and accelerate the decomposition of ozone. Wherever there is ozone, the ozone destruction catalyst can be used to eliminate excess ozone, preventing ozone from being released into the environment, polluting the atmospheric environment, and affecting human health.