WHAT IS OZONE?
In July 1996 Protocol. 24482, the Ministry of Health has recognized the ozone as a “Method of sterilization for natural environments.” The industry has grown very rapidly especially in the recent years, in particular in healthcare(hospitals, nursing homes, shopping centre well-being), livestock, food processing, military and Civil (sanitizing of homes, offices, and gyms). So the ozone breaks down completely viruses, bacteria, moulds, and spores, causing the mass of protein bacterial a process of catalytic oxidation, very different from that of chlorine, that is very harmful to the human body. Contrary to chlorine and various chlorine derivatives, ozone acts not only on bacteria but also on viruses and spores. The germicidal action of ozone is based on its high capacity to direct oxidation; thanks to this quality all macromolecular structures of microbial cell and not (mould, mushrooms, yeasts, algae, etc..) are deeply altered and inactivated. There are no microbial species that can resists even if it produces spore or cysts. In each case, the germicidal action is rapid, complete and without secondary appreciable residues. With the gas, use can be obtained, in the prevention of water contamination by Legionella and by many other species of bacteria resistant to chlorine, excellent results. The germicidal action of ozone is not influenced by pH changes as well as it is not influenced, except in small measure, by the simultaneous presence of organic and inorganic substances. About the virucidal action it is interesting to note that, with a small percentage of ozone (0.3 ppm) and with a contact time of 4 minutes, the rate of virus inactivation reaches the 99%.
OZONE HISTORY
Evaluation of the anti-bacterial and epithelization olive oil ozonated
In the ’50s it was considered the possibility of using the ozonated olive oil in the medical field on a large scale; the ozonated olive oil was used in the US and was on the market in the form of fluid oil with disinfectant and regenerative effects on the wounds; however, it was later taken off the market because of easy decomposability. They have then produced substances with greater consistency, which maintain their effect over the years. This has reignited the interest from pharmacology and therefore the use of ozonated olive oil could regain considerable space. Gaseous ozone is going to link to the double bonds of the unsaturated fatty chains in olive oil. Through an electrophilic addition reaction allows incorporation of 3 Ozone oxygen atoms in the double bond; the higher the level of unsaturation, the higher the amount of oxygen that can be “stored”.