OxyFile #84

[Oxygen concentrators are not ozone concentrators] 

Author:  Mitlehner W 

Address: I. Innere Abt., Urban Krankenhaus Berlin. 

Source:  Pneumologie, 1993 Aug, 47:8, 488-90 

Abstract: 

Ozone is a constituent of the natural ambient atmosphere and 
occurs dependent on weather and environment in concentrations that 
can trigger airway inflammation. Oxygen concentrators are employed 
in oxygen long-term therapy and produce in the room air a mixture 
of concentrated oxygen and residual gases of unknown ozone 
concentration. Hence, we studied the ozone concentration of the 
air supplied by the oxygen concentrator, both under normal 
conditions in the room air and with increased ozone concentration 
of the air in the room. Both under room air conditions and under 
increased ozone concentrations of up to 12 ppm in the surrounding 
air the residual gas mixture of the air produced by the oxygen 
concentrator did not contain any ozone concentration beyond 0.005 
ppm. This prompts us to suggest that the oxygen concentrators 
examined by use are ozone eliminators rather than ozone 
concentrators.