The Purpose of Adding Ozone to Bottled Water

Ozonation is a common method of water disinfection in Europe and is gaining popularity in the United States. Diffusing ozone in water is an effective way to destroy waterborne pathogens (disease-carrying organisms) without adding chlorine or chloramines to the water. Adding ozone to bottled water is a way to ensure that the water in the bottle is free of pathogens, without leaving trace disinfectants.

What is Ozone?

• Oxygen (O2) is a stable molecule made up of two oxygen atoms. Ozone (O3) is an unstable molecule made up of three oxygen atoms. Ozone has a half-life of 22 minutes, meaning an enclosed volume containing 10 percent Ozone will in twenty-two minutes contain only 5 percent as the balance will have broken back down into O2.

  Most Ozone is generated by passing a high-oxygen air mix (90 percent plus) through a controlled electrical arc. Home ozone generators take air (~20% oxygen/~78% nitrogen) and generate up to 0.5 percent ozone into the air mix from ambient oxygen.

What does Ozone Do in Water?

• When diffused into water, ozone oxidizes organic material, including waterborne pathogens. It is more effective than chemical disinfectants like chlorine at destroying Giardia and Cryptosporidium (key pathogens).

  Ozone also oxidizes dissolved metals, making them easier to remove from raw water and gives a less mineralized (hard water) result than simple chlorine water disinfection.

Ozonated Water Treatments

• Diffusing ozone into drinking water (ozone/air mix bubbled through clean water) is considered to be a healthy water treatment. Diffused or dissolved ozone remaining in the water will be absorbed into the patient's system where it increases the amounts of oxygen the blood (and resultant cells) absorb. The oxygen also oxidizes free organics in the system, killing infections and helping the body's defenses.
  Due to the 22-minute half-life of ozone, these treatments must be delivered at the location where the ozone is generated.

Ozone Generators

• Diffusing ozone through clean water is practical for home use. An electrically powered ozone generator and air pump can diffuse a low-concentration ozone/air mixture through any (preferably cold) pitcher of water. Consumed within an hour of the diffusion, ozone will be absorbed into the body and the benefits of the ozone will be available.

  The treated water may be tap water or bottled water. In most cases, ozonated bottled water is tap water from the bottler's location. Sometimes the bottler filters the local tap water first.

Bottled Ozonated Water

• Because of ozone's short half-life, any bottled ozonated water will have little or no remaining ozone in solution.

  However, if the water was ozonated shortly before bottling, it will be much more pure. It will have received an effective disinfection prior to bottling which will leave no residual disinfectant.