What are negative ions

Negative ions (also known as anions) are atomic or molecular systems with an excess of negative charge. They are formed in attachment processes in which an additional electron is captured by an atom or molecule. This structure is called "weakly bound" because the extra electrons are willingly given away. Simply speaking, a negative ion is an atom or group of atoms with an excess of electrons.

Even a small amount of anions in a substance increase its electro-conductive properties. Negative ions now play a major role in a number of areas of physics and chemistry involving weakly ionized gases and plasmas. In nature, anions are created when air molecules are broken apart by sunlight, radiation, or rapid movement of air or water. Even a moderate action of an ocean surf can create negative ions ions. A thunderstorm and strong winds are capable of creating them also.

While concentrations vary significantly, anions are usually present in the outdoor air. Indoors the amounts are significantly lower, and an ionic generator, like OPTIMA-400, can be used to create a higher concentration.

Once in the air, negative ions have tremendous effects. Negative hydrogen ions, for example, are capable of absorbing radiation, serving as a layer of protection against harmful radiation. A recent study by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture found that ionizing a room led to 52% less dust in the air, and 95% less bacteria in the air (since many of the pollutants found in the air reside on floating dust particles).

The USDA also performed another study to test the effectiveness of negative ionization at removing airborne Salmonella Enteritidis. The negative ions drastically reduced the airborne salmonella particles, prompting the following statement from the USDA: "These results indicate that negative air ionization can have a significant impact on the airborne microbial load in a poultry house and at least a portion of this effect is through direct killing of the organisms."

Effects of negative ions on suspended particles

Most all particles suspended in the air are neutral or positively charged. Addition of negative ions to the air creates electrostatic forces that force suspended particles to cling to each other, becoming heavier, and either fall to the floor or statically cling to walls.

Because negative ions are inherently electroconductive, they may also influence movement of particles or make it possible to filter air using especially-designed air conditioning filters or ionic air purifiers with electrostatic HEPA filtering systems.

Because opposites attract, negative ions are particularly effective on positively-charged suspended particles like bacteria, allergens, odor-causing pet dander, and most types of dust.

In March of 1999, Good Housekeeping Magazine had its engineers test an ionizer by using a smoke test, and found that it cleared out the smoke in a tank.

NOTE: Ions do not eliminate air-suspended dust and other particles. Anions simply make it possible to remove such particles from the air by precipitating them. See ions and ozone differences to read more information about this.

Effects of negative ions on airborne allergens

Negative ions help remove allergy-causing particles from the air in your room or office. Unfortunately, modern buildings do a great job at keeping abundance of negative ions in the outdoor air from your house. Worse yet, the air conditioners destroy whatever negative ions are available in the air indoors.

By using ionic an air purifier, like OPTIMA-400, you can re-enrich the indoor air with negative ions to remove allergens. Allergens such as pollen, mold spores, dust, and pet dander floating in the air have either a neutral or a positive charge. After exposure to negative ions, they become attracted to and stick to each other, forming 'clumps'.

These clumps of allergy-causing particulates then become heavy enough so that gravity can simply pull them down to the floor, where they can be vacuumed up, rather than staying in suspension where they can be breathed in and cause allergic reactions.

The Agriculture Research Service of the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture tested the effectiveness of ionizers for removing dust in a poultry hatchery. The dust level is very high in such an environment. In this study, the use of an ionizer resulted in dust removal efficiencies that averaged between 81.1 and 92.2%. The airborne transmission of salmonella (to the eggs) was also significantly reduced as a result.

NOTE: Anions do not cure allergies or sinus problems. They help rid the air from the causes that aggravate these conditions.

Health and well-being impact of negative ions

Every home has a built-in natural ionizer - the shower...

Negative ions are odorless, tasteless, and invisible molecules that we inhale in abundance in certain environments. Think mountains, waterfalls, and beaches. Once they reach our bloodstream, negative ions are believed to produce biochemical reactions that increase levels of the mood chemical serotonin, helping to alleviate depression, relieve stress, and boost our daytime energy.

You may have experienced the power of negative ions when you last set foot on the beach or walked beneath a waterfall. While part of the euphoria is simply being around these wondrous settings and away from the normal pressures of home and work, the air circulating in the mountains and the beach is said to contain tens of thousands of negative ions -- Much more than the average home or office building, which contain dozens or hundreds, and many register a flat zero.

"The action of the pounding surf creates negative air ions and we also see it immediately after spring thunderstorms when people report lightened moods," says ion researcher Michael Terman, PhD, of Columbia University in New York. In fact, Columbia University studies of people with winter and chronic depression show that negative ion generators relieve depression as much as antidepressants. "The best part is that there are relatively no side effects," he says.

"Generally speaking, negative ions increase the flow of oxygen to the brain; resulting in higher alertness, decreased drowsiness, and more mental energy," says Pierce J. Howard, PhD, author of The Owners Manual for the Brain: Everyday Applications from Mind Brain Research and director of research at the Center for Applied Cognitive Sciences in Charlotte, N.C. "They also may protect against germs in the air, resulting in decreased irritation due to inhaling various particles that make you sneeze, cough, or have a throat irritation."

And for a whopping one in three of us who are sensitive to their effects, negative ions can make us feel like we are walking on air. You are one of them if you feel instantly refreshed the moment you open a window and breathe in fresh, humid air. "You may be one of them if you feel sleepy when you are around an air-conditioner, but feel immediately refreshed and invigorated when you step outside or roll down the car window," Howard says. "Air conditioning depletes the atmosphere of negative ions, but an ion generator re-releases the ions that air conditioners remove."

FACT: Today, our modern homes and offices seal out negative ions. Computer monitors, fluorescent lighting, forced air ventilation systems, and modern building materials generate an over abundance of positive ions. Positive ions make us feel tired, depressed and irritable.

Remarkable as it may seem, a room charged with negative ions was shown to stem bacteria growth and precipitate many airborne contaminants including pollen, dust and dust mites, viruses, second-hand cigarette smoke, animal dander, odors and toxic chemical fumes.

Studies at Columbia University and the New York State Psychiatric Institute have demonstrated that High Density Negative Ionizers appear to act as a specific antidepressant for patients with seasonal affective disorder (SAD), tapering necessary drug doze (sometimes to zero!).

Negative ions counteract the effects of smoking. High levels of negative ions can minimize the effect that tobacco smoke has on the cilia. Cilia are the microscopic hairs located in the trachea that move rapidly back and forth to prevent pollutants and toxins from traveling into the vulnerable areas of the respiratory tract. The faster the cilia move, the more effective they are. Tobacco smoke slows down the ciliary beat, diminishing the body’s ability to keep cancer-causing pollutants from entering the depths of the respiratory tract. Tests have shown that adding high levels of negative ions to the air accelerates the ciliary beat to normal levels (Soyka, 1991).

In 1969, French researcher found that the overproduction of the neurohormone serotonin caused sleeplessness and nightmares. In using a negative ion electronic air cleaner to treat a group of people experiencing sleeping problems as a result of serotonin overproduction, he found that most of them were able to sleep better (Soyka, 1991).

Scientists showed that ionization reduced bacterial levels in burns and plastic surgery units by over 96% after a two week period, which results in much better and more rapid healing of patients.

A study by Toyota Central R & D Labs, Inc. found that negative ions can improve fatigue and cognition of drivers.

British researchers at the Centre for Sport and Exercise Sciences in Liverpool exposed male subjects to negative ions and measured physiological responses, including body temperature, heart rate and respiration, while at rest and during exercise. Negative ions were found to significantly improve all physiological states, particularly during rest. Most important was the finding that negative ions are "biologically active and that they do affect the body's circadian rhythmicity."

Negative ions and ozone

Ozone is a tri-atomic molecule of Oxygen. Because it is unstable, it quickly breaksdown to a stable O₂ molecule and an O₁ atom. While O₁ has one spare electron and technically can be called an ion, its reaction with other chemicals is very different than that of negative ions produced by ionic purifiers. In combination with other particles it does not give away this free electron, it "attaches" to other particles thus enriching them with oxygen in a process called "oxygenation". The common appearance of oxygenation is burning.

By making the resulting particles significantly heavier, ozone's O₁ atom has a similar effect of precipitating suspended impurities to the ground. What is important to note is that these impurities change their chemical composition in the process. Unlike negative ions, ozone actually kills bacteria that can cause disease or odors. Ozone actually attcks layers of nicotine build up on walls and windows of smokers' homes, and it is a superior sanitizer, which is why every bottle of drinking water in US is ozonated before it is sealed.

Ozone, too, has proven positive effects on well-being and health when properly used and in appropriate dozes. However, while anions carry no known sideeffects, ozone can have toxic effects on people and pets in excessive quantities, and some people experience significant throat irritation when smelling ozone.

To benefit from ozone, it is usually recommended that an area is over-saturated with ozone (shock treatment) and then the ozone levels are reduced to minimal before people re-enter the area. Negative ions are most effective when they are present in the air at all times. Ozone's most productive uses are actually in liquids, while negative ion generators are commonly used for airborne use and benefits.

To get the best of both worlds, and have the ability to ozonate liquids, shock treat an area with ozone, or to keep a constant flow of negative ions, we recommend our OPTIMA-400 which is capable of all of these functions.