Disinfection Mechanism

Ozone Effect on Pathogens

Ozone for Disinfection and inactivation of pathogens

As a biocide, ozone works similarly to chlorine (another oxidant) and is used in a similar manner. Ozone disinfects by directly oxidizing and destroying the microorganism’s cell wall, causing cellular components to leak outside the cell. This causes protoplasmic destruction of the cell, damaging constituents of the nucleic acids, and breaks the carbon–nitrogen bonds, which leads to depolymerization. During the process, ozone splits into oxygen and an ozone atom, which is lost during the reaction with the microorganism’s cell fluids, O3 -> O2 + (O).

This list is not meant to be a comprehensive list of every pathogen ozone can destroy, but a helpful guide to understand the power of ozone. Due to the nature of the direct oxidation power of ozone there is no mechanism for pathogens to create an immunity to ozone as with other chemical disinfectants and biocides.

Find info on ozone reaction with chemical compounds here.

Viruses

Ozone destroys viruses by diffusing through the protein coat into the nucleic acid core, where it damages viral RNA. At higher concentrations, ozone destroys the virus’ exterior protein shell so that DNA or RNA structures are affected.

VIRUSES SUSCEPTIBLE TO OZONE

Adenovirus (type 7a)
Coxsackie’s viruses A9, B3 & B5
Cryptosporidium
Echovirus 1, 5, 12 & 29
Encephalomyocarditis
Hepatitis A
GD V11 Virus
Infectious hepatitis
Influenza
Norovirus
Rotavirus
Tobacco mosaic
Vesicular Stomatitis
Legionella pneumophila
Poliomyelitis virus 1, 2 & 3

Bacteria

Ozone interferes with bacterial cell metabolism, probably by inhibiting the enzymatic control system. A sufficient amount of ozone breaks through the cell membrane, destroying the bacteria.

BACTERIA SUSCEPTIBLE TO OZONE

Aeromonas harveyi NC-2,
Aeromonas salmonicida NC-1102
Bacillus anthracis,
Bacillus cereus,
Bacillus coagulans,
Bacillus globigii,
Bacillus licheniformis,
Bacillus megatherium sp.,
Bacillus paratyphosus,
Bacillus prodigiosus,
Bacillus subtilis,
Bacillus
stearothermophilus
Clostridium botulinum,
Clostridium sporogenes,
Clostridium tetoni
Cryptosporidium
Coliphage
Corynebacterium
diphthriae
Eberthella typhosa
Endamoeba histolica
Escherichia coli
Flavorbacterium SP A-3
Leptospira canicola
Listeria
Micrococcus candidus,
Micrococcus caseolyticus KM-15,
Micrococcus spharaeroides
Mycobacterium leprae,
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Neisseria catarrhalis
Phytomonas tumefaciens
Proteus vulgaris
Pseudomonas aeruginosa,
Pseudomonas fluorscens,
Pseudomonas putida
Salmonella choleraesuis,
Salmonella enteritidis,
Salmonella typhimurium,
Salmonella typhosa,
Salmonella paratyphi
Sarcina lutea
Seratia marcescens
Shigella dysenteriae,
Shigella flexnaria,
Shigella paradysenteriae
Spirllum rubrum
Staphylococcus albus,
Staphylococcus aureus
Streptococcus C,
Streptococcus faecalis,
Streptococcus hemolyticus,
Streptococcus lactis,
Streptococcus salivarius,
Streptococcus viridans
Torula rubra
Vibrio alginolyticus & angwillarum,
Vibrio clolarae,
Vibrio comma
Virrio ichthyodermis NC-407,
Virrio parahaemolyticus

Fungus and Mold

It is believed that ozone destroys fungi and mold by diffusing through the fungalwall and into the cytoplasm, disrupting the organelles that direct cell function.

FUNGUS AND MOLD SPORES SUSCEPTIBLE TO OZONE

Aspergillus candidus,
Aspergillus flavus,
Aspergillus glaucus,
Aspergillus niger,
Aspergillusterreus,
saitoi and oryzac
Botrytis allii
Colletotrichum lagenariu
Fusarium oxysporum
Grotrichum
Mucor recomosus A & B, Mucor piriformis
Oospora lactis
Penicillium cyclopium, P. chrysogenum and citrinum,
Penicillium digitatum,
Penicilliumglaucum,
Penicillium expansum,
Penicillium egyptiacum,
Penicillium roqueforti
Rhizopus nigricans,
Rhizopus stolonifer

Fungal Pathogens

As described above, the mechanism by which ozone kills various fungi is through the destruction of organelles in the cell’s cytoplasm.

FUNGAL PATHOGENS SUSCEPTIBLE TO OZONE

Alternaria solani
Botrytis cinerea
Fusarium oxysporum
Monilinia fruiticola,
Monilinia laxa
Pythium ultimum
Phytophthora erythroseptica,
Phytophthora
parasitica
Rhizoctonia
solani
Rhizopus
stolonifera
Sclerotium rolfsii
Sclerotinia
sclerotiorum

Protozoa

The exact mechanism by which ozone kills protozoa has yet to be determined. The following table lists protozoan species susceptible to ozone.

PROTOZOA SUSCEPTIBLE TO OZONE

Paramecium
Nematode eggs
All pathogenic and nonpathogenic forms of Protozoa
Chlorella vulgaris (algae)

Cysts

Parasitic cysts are of special concern in drinking water derived from surface water sources because they are unaffected by chlorine. Ozone at proper doses will destroy
cysts listed in the table below.

CYSTS SUSCEPTIBLE TO OZONE

Cryptosporidium parvum
Giardia lamblia, Giardia muris

Algae

Algae in drinking water supplies release organic chemicals during normal metabolic processes and after they die. These chemicals typically do not cause human illness, but do create problems of taste and odor and the potential for increased formation of trihalomethanes

ALGAE SUSCEPTIBLE TO OZONE

Chlorella vulgaris
Thamnidium
Trichoderma viride
Verticillium albo-atrum,
Verticillium dahlia

Yeasts

Similarly to related molds and fungi, various types of yeasts may be destroyed with ozone through the same mechanism.

YEASTS SUSCEPTIBLE TO OZONE

Baker’s yeast
Candida albicans
Common yeast cake
Saccharomyces cerevisiae,
Saccharomyces ellipsoideus,
Saccharomyces sp.