Ozone Air

It's a product that has frustrated the Lung Association of America, the Environmental Protection Agency and lung health experts for years: A so-called "air purifier" that pumps out ozone -- the same pollutant that government and industry have spent billions to prevent outdoors. These "purifiers" are advertised as cleaners of the indoor air.

But ozone is a lung irritant that can trigger asthma attacks and scar sensitive lung tissue. It is a major component of smog, and a slew of regulations are designed to limit the ozone-forming pollutants that come from tailpipes and smokestacks. Yet, there is no certification or regulation of indoor air purifiers that advertise ozone as a beneficial part of the air.

California is changing that by writing first-in-the-nation rules requiring certification of air purifiers, and any that emit substantial amounts of ozone will be pulled from the market. For more information about "air purifiers" that use ozone, visit this EPA Web site.

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