question ozone machines and balloons

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  • sonarloon
    Senior Member
    • Jun 2017
    • 121

    question ozone machines and balloons

    I've got one hell of a cold and somebody's offered to bring down an ozone machine. This thing can fill up a large house in the course of an hour, and it's being placed in my room.
    How safe is my uninflated stash? Most of it is in a zip locked bag, half a dozen balloons I took with me on a trip recently are unprotected in a travel bag.
    I wasn't sure if the generated ozone would cause the latex to weaken or not hence I'm asking.
    Thanks!
  • DIABOLOD
    Junior Member
    • Apr 2017
    • 19

    #2
    Re: question ozone machines and balloons

    If you're already having respiritory issues then why the hell would you want an ozone generator anywhere near you? They are not good for your health. Whomever has offered to bring you (a sick person) an ozone generator is either a) not your friens, or b) gravely uneducated in the production of ozone and the adverse effects that it can have on human health!

    Comment

    • sonarloon
      Senior Member
      • Jun 2017
      • 121

      #3
      Re: question ozone machines and balloons

      hi again.
      @DIABOLOD it's just a cold nothing really major.
      Ok and clearly, I need to do more research on ozone machines. I can't claim if they have helped or not, because for all I know, it could just be the placebo effect. For context, he is the father of a friend of mine, who was an EMT way back when.

      Comment

      • underpressure
        Member
        • Jan 2019
        • 34

        #4
        Re: question ozone machines and balloons

        Short term exposure to ozone causes lung irritation, which at minimum will make your cold worse. Longer term exposure can lead to permanent lung damage. Long story short, you in no way want to be in a place with an active ozone generator, no matter what anyone says. To be clear, we're not talking about something that would just have a placebo effect, but something that's actively harmful to you (and probably your balloons).

        Comment

        • underpressure
          Member
          • Jan 2019
          • 34

          #5
          Re: question ozone machines and balloons

          Also, nothing will cure a cold, but if you want to try some remedies that have scientific backing, you could gargle with salt water, try taking zinc lozenges, antihistamines, and decongestants, and maybe a humidifier to keep your sinuses from drying out.

          Comment

          • sonarloon
            Senior Member
            • Jun 2017
            • 121

            #6
            Re: question ozone machines and balloons

            holy sh...
            Wow, I didn't realize ozone machines were actually harmful. I just figured because the guy was an EMT and worked ambulances he was being honest and helpful.
            And now comes the hard part convincing him the effects of ozone generators... To make things worse the hole family feels they could back him.
            I fully realize nothing can really cure a cold it's just one of those things you have to live with and let it run it's course. Taking OTC medication usually prolongs it.
            Thanks all.

            Comment

            • sonarloon
              Senior Member
              • Jun 2017
              • 121

              #7
              Re: question ozone machines and balloons

              Some quick research has revealed a fuuuuck ton of conflicting reports on the effectiveness of ozone machines.
              Some say it helps with things like cancer, others say not to allow any living thing near it while it is active.

              Comment

              • underpressure
                Member
                • Jan 2019
                • 34

                #8
                Re: question ozone machines and balloons

                Here's a bunch of links from reputable agencies:
                -American lung association: https://www.lung.org/our-initiatives...ion/ozone.html
                -European environment agency: https://www.eea.europa.eu/publicatio...8/page010.html
                -US environmental protection agency: https://www.epa.gov/ozone-pollution-...ral-population

                The effects of ozone on human health have been pretty well studied for the last few decades, so I'd say the scientific consensus is conclusive on short term effects, and getting stronger on long term ones (I'm a health scientist, if you're curious).

                Also, to your original question, airtight stored balloons would probably not be damaged by ozone exposure, but obviously inflated or ones stored in non-airtight places would undergo much more rapid oxidation.

                Comment

                • underpressure
                  Member
                  • Jan 2019
                  • 34

                  #9
                  Re: question ozone machines and balloons

                  Controlled (and non-inhaled) applications of ozone seem to be effective for external wound care, sterilization, and a few other applications. So using ozone to disinfect your household while you're away? Maybe? But you really don't want it in your lungs.

                  Comment

                  • sonarloon
                    Senior Member
                    • Jun 2017
                    • 121

                    #10
                    Re: question ozone machines and balloons

                    @Underpressure and others.
                    Thanks for clearing this up and opening up my eyes to the potential damage done by ozone machines.
                    I have a feeling they believe it's the same ozone you get outdoors from the stratosphere, I've heard him say something like this when asked what it does. I think he has been latching onto this explanation for years.

                    Comment

                    • SweetBouncer
                      Senior Member
                      • Mar 2020
                      • 163

                      #11
                      Re: question ozone machines and balloons

                      Do not mix ozone with balloons, I had a beautiful lavender 36-inch balloon, and because in the place I stay they use ozone to disinfect the rooms, it developed cracks, rendering it unusable. The worst thing is that it was almost new.
                      It's called Ozone cracking search for it.

                      Comment

                      • b0f0s0f
                        Senior Member
                        • Nov 2016
                        • 296

                        #12
                        Re: question ozone machines and balloons

                        It is the same ozone from the stratosphere, which is very oxidizing. Ordinary diatomic oxygen (O2) is comparatively stable, but ozone (O3) is unstable and will break apart into a stable-ish O2 molecule and a very hungry single Oxygen atom which will steal the electrons of whatever it happens to run into, which isn't good for you if it happens to be stealing from your body's sensitive tissues.

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