The Oh Zone

There is nothing more frustrating than having allergies act up while spending time inside the house, but unfortunately because of the polluted world we live in, it is an inescapable reality for a lot of us asthma victims. Let’s face it; No matter how dust free your house is, there is always going to be annoying little pollutants floating in the air, waiting to irritate someone. Be it pet odors, cooking odors, cigarette smoke or any other air contaminating odors you commonly find in occupied homes. Because of this problem, they invented all kinds of fancy technology to eliminate all the, should I say – stinky, contaminated bacteria.

Though often questioned and many times criticized, you start seeing all kinds of these air purifiers hit the market. Many manufacturers have started to produce them and it’s amazing how quickly they have started to become a more common household product. For a long time price was a major issue with a lot of folks, but because of the competition within the market place, you can get a reasonable air purifier for next to nothing. Perhaps the best place to look for one would be online. eBay is loaded with them and they are cheap too. The only downside is the shipping costs but hey, you never had to leave the comfort of your home to get it. Convenience comes at a price and in this case, it might even be cheaper than buying one at your local electronic outlet.

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There is often a reference in the media to the depletion of the ozone layer surrounding the earth and the serious effects this can have on our health. It is reported that a reduction in the ozone layer will lead to higher levels of Ultraviolet radiation (UV) reaching the earth and into our daily lives. How concerned should you be?

What is the Ozone Layer?
According to NASA, “ozone is an irritating, corrosive colorless gas with a smell something like burning electrical wiring”.[1] Up to 99% of the sun’s high frequency UV light, which is potentially damaging to life on earth, is absorbed by the ozone layer. The ozone layer was first measured in 1956 at Halley Bay, Antarctica. Measurements by satellite began about 1975 by the Nimbus-7 satellite and this activity today is managed by several different satellites which measure concentrations of ozone and other atmospheric gases. Weather balloons and some airplanes are also used to measure ozone. It is reported that “every 1% decrease in the ozone shield is projected to increase the amount of UV light exposure to the lower atmosphere by 2%”.[1]

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