Air purifiers that use electrostatic ionizers and precipitators are other types of devices that emit ozone, but they do so as a by-product of their design and function. These devices are designed to electrically charge particles in the air and cause them to adhere to surfaces in the room, such as walls or floors. Ozone, a lung irritant, is produced indirectly by ion generators and some other electronic air purifiers and directly by ozone generators. While the indirect production of ozone is a cause for concern, there is even greater concern with the direct and intentional introduction of a lung irritant into indoor air.
There is no difference, despite the claims of some vendors, between the ozone present in outdoor smog and the ozone produced by these devices. Under certain conditions of use, ion generators and other ozone-generating air filters can produce levels of this lung irritant well above levels considered harmful to human health. A small percentage of air purifiers that claim to have health benefits may be regulated by the FDA as medical devices. The Food and Drug Administration has set a limit of 0.05 parts per million of ozone for medical devices.
While ozone can be used to reduce odors and pollutants in unoccupied spaces (such as eliminating smoke odors from homes affected by fires), the levels needed to achieve this are above what is generally considered safe for humans. The main difference is that ozone generators deliberately produce ozone, while ionizers can sometimes produce ozone as a by-product. An ionizer works on the principle that negatively charged ions adhere to allergens and dust, which are positively charged particles. Allergens and unwanted particles then fall to the floor or nearby surfaces, ready for you to clean.
Negative ions are believed to have a number of health benefits and can be found naturally in the environment in places like the beach and after a storm. Ionizers can be a cost-effective option, but they're generally not as effective as air purifiers that trap particles in a filter (or destroy them completely). Nor can they reduce levels of VOCs or chemicals in the air. There is a big difference between ionizers and ozone generators, not only in terms of technology, but also in terms of target pollutants.
An ionizer will deal with particles suspended in the air, while an ozone generator will only attack gases. Ions are electrically charged atoms or molecules, while ozone is a gas produced by ozone generators. Ionizers release negatively charged ions to neutralize contaminants, but they don't remove particles. Ozone generators release ozone to neutralize pollutants, but they can harm human health.
Some ozone air purifiers are made with an ion generator, sometimes called an ionizer, in the same unit. You can also purchase ionizers as separate units. Ionizers remove particles from the air. They do this by causing particles to adhere to nearby surfaces or to each other and settle in the air, but they can generate unwanted ozone.
This information is key to understanding the difference in operating time between an air ionizer and an ozone generator. Alternatively, you can get an air ionizer that doesn't produce ozone; this way, you won't have any limitations. The final difference between air ionizers and ozone generators is what pollutants they remove from the air. The main advantage of an air ionizer is that it doesn't use filters as an air purifier or plates as an ozone generator, so basically, you don't need to replace anything.
In short, air ionizers use negative ions to clean the air, can be turned on all the time, and have the ability to remove all contaminants. The first major difference between an air ionizer and an ozone generator is, of course, the way they clean the air. If you are looking for a solution to eliminate strong odors, then an ozone generator will suit you better than an air ionizer. There are air purifiers that use HEPA filters and activated carbon against dust, pollen and smoke, UV lamps that are intended to kill bacteria and germs, ionizers, which in many cases come as an additional function to classic air filters, and ozone generators.
When you first place an air ionizer in a room, it usually takes a couple of hours to completely clean the air. And there's always the fresh smell they leave behind that you can never get with an ionizer or air purifier. Ionizers produce ions by using a nuclear source (polonium), and this is called alpha ionization, or by using an electrical source to create bipolar air (corona ionization). In this sense, air ionizers are, in general, superior cleaning devices that use negative ions to remove all contaminants from the air, regardless of their size.
Now you know that the difference between the air ionizer and the ozone generator comes down to the method of cleaning the air, the operating time and the type of contaminants they remove. While they have some similarities, air ionizers are different from ozone generators in several ways.
