Effect of an ozone-generating air-purifying device on reducing concentrations of formaldehyde in air

Esswein, E J; Boeniger, M F

doi:10.1080/1047322X.1994.10388285

Title: Effect of an ozone-generating air-purifying device on reducing concentrations of formaldehyde in air

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Abstract

Formaldehyde, an air contaminant found in many indoor air investigations, poses distinct occupational exposure hazards in certain job categories (e.g., mortuary science) but is also of concern when found or suspected in office buildings and homes. A variety of air-purifying devices (APDs) are currently available or marketed for application to reduce or remove concentrations of a variety of indoor air pollutants through the use of ozone as a chemical oxidant. An investigation was conducted to determine if concentrations of formaldehyde similar to those found in industrial hygiene evaluations of funeral homes could be reduced with the use of an ozone-generating APD. An ozone-generating APD was placed in an exposure chamber and formaldehyde-containing embalming solution was allowed to evaporate naturally, creating peak and mean chamber concentrations of 2.5 and 1.3 ppm, respectively. Continuous-reading instruments were used to sample for formaldehyde and ozone. Active sampling methods were also used to sample simultaneously for formaldehyde and a possible reactant product, formic acid. Triplicate measurements were made in each of three evaluations: formaldehyde alone, ozone alone, and formaldehyde and ozone combined. Concentrations of formaldehyde were virtually identical with and without 0.5 ppm ozone. No reduction in formaldehyde concentration was found during a 90-minute evaluationmore »« less

Authors:

Esswein, E J ^[1]; Boeniger, M F ^[2]

Univ. of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT (United States)
National Institute for Occupational Safety, Cincinnati, OH (United States)

Publication Date:: Tue Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 1994

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE

OSTI Identifier:: 443381

Resource Type:: Journal Article

Journal Name:: Applied Occupational and Environmental Hygiene

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 9; Journal Issue: 2; Other Information: PBD: Feb 1994

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 55 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE, BASIC STUDIES; FORMALDEHYDE; OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE; INDOOR AIR CONTAMINATION; OZONIZATION; AIR QUALITY; HEALTH HAZARDS; EXPOSURE CHAMBERS; FORMIC ACID

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                    Esswein, E J, and Boeniger, M F. Effect of an ozone-generating air-purifying device on reducing concentrations of formaldehyde in air.  United States: N. p., 1994. 
        Web.  doi:10.1080/1047322X.1994.10388285.

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                    Esswein, E J, & Boeniger, M F. Effect of an ozone-generating air-purifying device on reducing concentrations of formaldehyde in air.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1080/1047322X.1994.10388285

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                    Esswein, E J, and Boeniger, M F. 1994.  
        "Effect of an ozone-generating air-purifying device on reducing concentrations of formaldehyde in air".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1080/1047322X.1994.10388285.

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@article{osti_443381,

  title        = {Effect of an ozone-generating air-purifying device on reducing concentrations of formaldehyde in air},

  author       = {Esswein, E J and Boeniger, M F},

  abstractNote = {Formaldehyde, an air contaminant found in many indoor air investigations, poses distinct occupational exposure hazards in certain job categories (e.g., mortuary science) but is also of concern when found or suspected in office buildings and homes. A variety of air-purifying devices (APDs) are currently available or marketed for application to reduce or remove concentrations of a variety of indoor air pollutants through the use of ozone as a chemical oxidant. An investigation was conducted to determine if concentrations of formaldehyde similar to those found in industrial hygiene evaluations of funeral homes could be reduced with the use of an ozone-generating APD. An ozone-generating APD was placed in an exposure chamber and formaldehyde-containing embalming solution was allowed to evaporate naturally, creating peak and mean chamber concentrations of 2.5 and 1.3 ppm, respectively. Continuous-reading instruments were used to sample for formaldehyde and ozone. Active sampling methods were also used to sample simultaneously for formaldehyde and a possible reactant product, formic acid. Triplicate measurements were made in each of three evaluations: formaldehyde alone, ozone alone, and formaldehyde and ozone combined. Concentrations of formaldehyde were virtually identical with and without 0.5 ppm ozone. No reduction in formaldehyde concentration was found during a 90-minute evaluation using ozone at this concentration with peak and average concentrations of approximately 2.5 and 1.3 ppm formaldehyde, respectively. The results of this investigation suggest that the use of ozone is ineffective in reducing concentrations of formaldehyde. Because ozone has demonstrated health hazards, and is a regulated air contaminant in both the occupational and ambient environment, the use of ozone as an air purification agent in indoor air does not seem warranted. 25 refs., 5 figs., 4 tabs.},

  doi          = {10.1080/1047322X.1994.10388285},

  url          = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/443381},
  journal      = {Applied Occupational and Environmental Hygiene},
number       = 2,

  volume       = 9,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Tue Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 1994},

  month        = {Tue Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 1994}

}

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