Ozone Effects on Pathogens

By Admin • April 24, 2020

Ozone Effects on Specific Bacteria, Viruses and Molds

Bacteria are microscopically small, single-cell creatures having a primitive structure. The bacteria body is sealed by a relatively solid cell membrane. Ozone interferes with the metabolism of bacterium-cells, most likely through inhibiting and blocking the operation of the enzymatic control system. A sufficient amount of ozone breaks through the cell membrane and this leads to the destruction of the bacteria.

Viruses are small, independent particles, built of crystals and macromolecules. Unlike bacteria, they multiply only within the host cell. They transform the protein of the host cell into proteins of their own. Ozone destroys most viruses by diffusing through the protein coat into the nucleic acid core, resulting in damage of the viral RNA. At higher concentrations, ozone destroys the capsid, or exterior protein shell, by oxidation, so the DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) or RNA (ribonucleic acid) structures of the microorganism are affected.

PATHOGEN DOSAGE
Aspergillus Niger (Black Mount) Destroyed by 1.5 to 2 mg/I
Bacillus Bacteria Destroyed by 0.2 m/I within 30 seconds
Bacillus Anthracis (causes anthrax in sheep, cattle and pigs. Also a human pathogen) Ozone susceptible
Bacillus cereus 99% destruction after 5-min at 0.12 mg/l in water
B. cereus (spores) 99% destruction after 5-min at 2.3 mg/l in water
Bacillus subtilis 90% reduction at 0.10-ppm for 33 minutes
Bacteriophage f2 99.99% destruction at 0.41 mg/l for 10-seconds in water
Botrytis cinerea 3.8 mg/l for 2 minutes
Candida Bacteria Ozone susceptible
Clavibacter michiganense 99.99% destruction at 1.1 mg/l for 5 minutes
Cladosporium 90% reduction at 0.10-ppm for 12.1 minutes
Clostridium Bacteria Ozone susceptible
Clostridium Botulinum Spores. Its toxin paralyzes the central nerve system, being a poison multiplying in food and meals. 0.4 to 0.5 mg/l threshold value
Coxsackie Virus A9 95% destruction at 0.035 mg/l for 10-seconds in water
Coxsackie Virus B5 99.99% destruction at 0.4 mg/l for 2.5-minutes in sludge effluent
Diphtheria Pathogen Destroyed by 1.5 to 2 mg/l
Eberth Bacillus (Typhus abdomanalis). Spreads typically by aqueous infection and causes typhoid. Destroyed by 1.5 to 2 mg/l
Echo Virus 29: The virus most sensitive to ozone. After a contact time of 1 minute at 1 mg/l of ozone, 99.999% killed.
Enteric virus 95% destruction at 4.1 mg/l for 29 minutes in raw wastewater
Escherichia Coli Bacteria (from feces) Destroyed by 0.2 mg/l within 30 seconds in air
E-coli (in clean water) 99.99% destruction at 0.25 mg/l for 1.6 minutes
E-coli (in wastewater) 99.9% destruction at 2.2 mg/l for 19 minutes
Encephalomyocarditis Virus Destroyed to zero level in less than 30 seconds with 0.1 to 0.8 mg/l.
Endamoebic Cysts Bacteria Ozone susceptible
Enterovirus Virus Destroyed to zero level in less than 30 seconds with 0.1 to 0.8 mg/l.
Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. lycopersici 1.1 mg/l for 10 minutes
Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. melonogea 99.99 % destruction at 1.1 mg/l for 20 minutes
GDVII Virus Destroyed to zero level in less than 30 seconds with 0.1 to 0.8 mg/l.
Hepatitis A virus 99.5% reduction at 0.25 mg/l for 2-seconds in a phosphate buffer
Herpes Virus Destroyed to zero level in less than 30 seconds wit 0.1 to 0.8 mg/l.
Influenza Virus 0.4 to 0.5 mg/l threshold value
Klebs-Loffler Bacillus Destroyed by 1.5 to 2 mg/l
Legionella pneumophila 99.99% destruction at 0.32 mg/l for 20 minutes in distilled water
Luminescent Basidiomycetes (species having no melanin pigment). Destroyed in 10 minutes at 100-ppm
Mucor piriformis 3.8 mg/l for 2 minutes
Mycobacterium avium 99.9% with a CT value of 0.17 in water
Mycobacterium foruitum 90% destruction at 0.25 mg/l for 1.6 minutes in water
Penicillium Bacteria Ozone susceptible
Phytophthora parasitica 3.8 mg/l for 2 minutes
Poliomyelitis Virus 99.99% kill with 0.3 to 0.4 mg/l in 3-4 minutes
Poliovirus type 1 99.5% destruction at 0.25 mg/l for 1.6 minutes in water
Proteus Bacteria Very susceptible
Pseudomonas Bacteria Very susceptible
Rhabdovirus virus Destroyed to zero level in less than 30 seconds with 0.1 to 0.8 mg/l
Salmonella Bacteria Very susceptible
Salmonella typhimurium 99.99% destruction at 0.25 mg/l for 1.67 minutes in water
Schistosoma Bacteria Very susceptible
Staph epidermidis 90% reduction at 0.1-ppm for 1.7 min
Staphylococci Destroyed by 1.5 to 2.0 mg/l
Stomatitis Virus Destroyed to zero level in less than 30 seconds with 0.1 to 0.8 mg/l
Streptococcus Bacteria Destroyed by 0.2 mg/l within 30 seconds
Verticillium dahliae 99.99 % destruction at 1.1 mg/l for 20 minutes
Vesicular Virus Destroyed to zero level in less than 30 seconds with 0.1 to 0.8 mg/l
Virbrio Cholera Bacteria Very susceptible
Vicia Faba progeny Ozone causes chromosome aberration and its effect is twice that observed by the action of X-rays

The effect of ozone below a certain critical concentration value is small or zero. Above this level all pathogens are eventually destroyed. This effect is called an “all-or-none response” and the critical level is called the “threshold value.”

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