Ozone (O3) is a powerful oxidizing gas that inactivates bacteria, viruses, fungi, and spores. Because it acts as a gas, it penetrates porous materials and enclosed cavities that liquid disinfectants and sprays cannot reach. Below is a summary of independent, peer-reviewed and government-funded research.
The Ozone Evidence File
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Spore Deactivation & Biodefense
Ozone gas effectively kills bacterial spores in high-humidity environments — established through U.S. Department of Energy–funded work and later cited in national biodefense decontamination literature.
Currier et al., Los Alamos National Laboratory (DOE-funded), 1999.
Gaseous ozone achieved a ≥6-log reduction of Bacillus anthracis and Bacillus subtilis spores on real building materials — including carpet, wood, and wallboard — at 9,000 ppm.
PLOS ONE, 2020. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0233291
Airborne Bacteria
High airborne ozone concentrations are bactericidal against E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus, with efficiency rising as relative humidity increases.
Kowalski W.J., Bahnfleth W.P., Whittam T.S., International Ozone Association, 1998 (Pennsylvania State University).
Viruses (Including SARS-CoV-2)
Gaseous ozone inactivates both enveloped and non-enveloped viruses. Published work reported up to ~90% inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 after 60 minutes at 1 ppm; reviews rank viruses as more susceptible to ozone than bacteria, yeast, or spores.
Yano et al., 2020. Reviewed in Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology, 2022.
Mold, Fungi & Food Safety
Gaseous ozone inactivates fungi and foodborne bacterial biofilms — including Listeria monocytogenes and Pseudomonas fluorescens — and is specifically recommended for treating confined spaces in the absence of personnel.
Frontiers in Microbiology / NCBI PMC6120990.
Ozone is a broad-spectrum antimicrobial active against bacteria, fungi, viruses, protozoa, and spores; its action is particularly effective in air at high relative humidity.
University of Florida review (citing Kim et al. 2000, Kowalski et al. 1998).
Why Airflow — Not Just Output — Determines Results
Because ozone works as a gas, its reach depends on how it is moved through a space. A high-CFM industrial blower creates positive pressurization — driving ozone-laden air under pressure into wall cavities, ductwork, under flooring, and deep into porous materials where odor, mold, and bacteria actually live. This is the operating principle behind the Vertical Horizontal Tornado‘s 1,850 CFM blower.