PHYSICAL BASES OF THE NEGATIVE IONIZATION OF THE AIR

REQUIREMENTS OF IMPLEMENTATION. “APPLICATIONS”


The atmosphere in which we live has inter alia two types of properties completely fundamental, responsible, finally recognised, inevitable problems for environment and health from which we suffer:

-electric properties: charges of the two signs (small and large ions + and -) present, electric field (force) due to these charges, nature and dimensions of the particles (aerosols) carrying these charges, influence on their movements and their relations with the aerosols, etc;

-physicochemical and biological properties: varied presence of micro pollutants and/or aero contaminants, in the form of organic and mineral dusts, downward radioactive of Radon, solid aerosols (water always present), bacteria, virus, spores, pollens, moulds.... of which nature, dimensions, and the electric charge almost always associated, will characterise the impact and the possible harmful effects on the alive medium.

The first work, concerning the strict characters imposed on these properties, goes up with LADENBURG, German Physician, and PAUTHENIER, French Physician, who published between 1930 and 1932 the first completely fundamental reports on these phenomena (Annalen der Physik, Berlin, and C.R. Academy of Science, Paris).

It is at the same time the first relevant statement of theoretical forecasts founded on the known laws of electrostatics, and the rigorous experimental checking of these forecasts. The result of these investigations translates a universal physical law, that all later work will check:

" any particle present within an atmosphere containing free electric charges will collect, under the effect of the electrostatic forces, one or more of the present charges, in quantity which depends only on the dimension of the particle and its possible initial charge, on the density of present atmospheric charge and the duration of interaction between charge and particle ".

These results confirm the forecasts of the kinetic theory of gases, essential basis of the behaviour of the gaseous mediums with our scale.

This is especially true for Oxygen molecule in air, carrying a supernumerary electron which makes of it a " negative Oxygen ion " always present in salubrious atmosphere.

Between 1950 and 1975 the French Physicist J BRICARD (University of Paris and C.E.A.) devoted themselves to the thorough study of these same problems, prolonged and confirmed fully the results of LADENBURG and PAUTHENIER, and led in particular to the statement of a new simple but constraining physical law, expressing the fundamental relation between the presence of aerosols (micro pollutants inter alias) in an atmosphere and the electric state of it:

" the product of the concentration in micro particles by the concentration in small ions is a Constant, characteristic of our atmosphere ".

Experiments and measurements completely confirm the inescapable character of this law.

  • - an atmosphere permanently containing a sufficient quantity of small ions, negative obliged (more than 1500/cm3 of air) is little or not micro polluted and remains clean

  • - a atmosphere deprived of small ions (less than 100/cm3) is practically always an atmosphere strongly or very strongly micro polluted, and remains it; moreover, it almost inevitably introduces to an often considerable positive overcharge, related to the micro pollutants present incompetents to be eliminated, thus worsening their own effects.

Almost always deprived of the essential presence of the small negative Oxygen ions ,our places of work or of rest are all the seat of an inevitable disordered state, sometimes severe, of physical and biological characters of their atmosphere.

Until a recent date, the insidious character, often ignored or denied of this disordered state, too seldom made it possible to allot the reality to him of the disorders of which it is the cause first if not single.

The process of choice for restoration of the characters of healthiness of the air in a place then consists in logically injecting into the air of this place a sufficiently intense flow of electrons (negative): immediately captured (in less than one billionth of second) by the present molecules of oxygen, these electrons transform them into negative oxygen ions, then in " small negative ions ", after capture of some water molecules.

These negative ions are perfectly identical to those which one usually meets in nature, and thus have the same properties.

on condition of using a qualified apparatus ("ioniseur"), the electric forces of repulsion ("Coulombian"), and the usual processes of diffusion in gaseous medium, then ensure the movement of the ions progressively with their production (without any need for a ventilator!!), their complete dissemination in the atmosphere, and thanks to the very great mobility of these small ions, an intense and regular capture by all present micro particles, whatever their nature.

The initially neutral particles then acquire a negative charge which depends only on their dimensions and the quantity of electrons injected; the particles initially charged positively are neutralised, then acquire in their turn a negative charge.

With the condition express that the flow of negative ions injected reaches a sufficient intensity - whose experiment revealed the value necessarily raised in all micro polluted places (> 5000 ions-/cm3 of air)

  • the present particles acquire a sufficient negative charge to ensure:

  • their mutual repulsion, and their spontaneous sedimentation (deposit towards the ground mainly, as well as the walls according to materials or the coatings) by action of the electrostatic forces;

  • an intense germ-destroying effect, allowing to reduce considerably, and even eliminate the germs responsible for various infections. The killed germs are settled in a way identical to that of the others micro pollutants present and, died or completely inactivated, are obviously henceforth completely inoffensive.

It is important however to notice - and never forget - that such a process can intervene only if the source of negative ions has a sufficient capacity to ensure the " saturation of charge" of the micro present pollutants and their energetic repulsion and sedimentation.

An insufficient power of ionic emission, involving the capture of a too weak charge, will make impossible the acquisition of the essential additional charge, because of the inevitable Coulomb repulsion then insurmountable: it is thus here about a complex process, leading however inevitably to poor or null results, too well-known if the conditions which we pointed out are not observed.

Such a process implemented according to the requirements above then presents the three fundamental properties which ensure an unquestionable and durable effectiveness to him, that all the experiments and measurements taken with rigour always checked:

  • under the influence of the distributed electric charge in a homogeneous way in volume, and of the regular capture which results from it, it permanently involves the precipitation of all the present particles, all dimensions and all natures, alive and inert, solid or liquid, with the resulting depollution that measurements check (Laser)

  • under the effect of this same electric charge deposited on the surface of all aero contaminants, the probable blocking of certain essential cellular electrokinetic mechanisms (membrane) involves very fast death or the total inactivation of the present germs, and ensures finally their precipitation and decontamination noted in experiments (bacteriological analyses: Finnish and North-American works inter alia)

  • under the effect of the negative charge constantly renewed, ensuring the maintenance of a sufficient density of negative oxygen ions , it guarantees the permanence and the maintenance of the electric characters of a salubrious air.

Let us recall however once again that with these three " active " characteristics must join a fourth essential characteristic, inseparable from the device proposed: the complete absence emission** of toxic per-oxidising (ozone, oxides of nitrogen), produced within " plasma " surrounding the emissive points, whose aggressiveness with regard to living tissue, in particular the most exposed mucous membranes (eyes, trachea, bronchi), is known and dreaded.

Such substances, precisely qualified the "cytotoxic ones ", are intolerable in our environment, and their possible sources must be imperatively excluded from it.

(** This means that the concentration of these peroxidizing must remain, on the level of the emissive points, in the values recorded on the most salubrious sites (lower than 4 parts per Billion, or p.p.B.), therefore much lower than too convenient " the international standards " (50 p.p. Billion), those indeed defining tolerable maximum values at the time of stays limited in the corresponding atmosphere (in general local industrialists); such values, " tolerable " on specific sites in a restricted number, do not authorise absolutely a stay prolonged in a confined room, and still less in the vicinity of the apparatus where the values become obviously considerably higher -without appearance of disorders or accidents (perfectly known but difficult to control.)

To ensure the results in conformity with the requirements of effectiveness and safety, the device will have imperatively to thus comply with the rules which follow, none can be neglected or turned:

  1. the device of cleansing will have to act at any moment on the whole of volume of air contained in the room to treat, in order to act on the totality of the present micro pollutants: this will thus require at the same time an " isotropic " emission (identical in all directions) of the flow of emitted ions, a sufficient intensity this flow and a suitable provision of the ions source;

  2. the device will have to act on whole of the granulometric spectrum (dimensions) of the present micro pollutants, and not on a fraction only (case of the filters);

  3. the device will be of a total harmlessness, since it must act permanently within a medium inhabited, without introducing the least harmful effect there; it will be in particular completely free of the major harmful effect: the emission of ozone or oxides of nitrogen. This one will be absolutely excluded, by the use of a new and completely original configuration of emission ("electronic optic" with "super confinement" of plasma) and by the systematic use of a source with High controlled Voltage, never exceeding a value close to 4500 Volts (the threshold of production of ozone, on the level of perceptible harmful effect, is close to 4650 Volts);

  4. the device will maintain in all circumstances in a whole treated room the density of negative ions necessary to ensure, after a few hours, permanent depollution and decontamination, and to thus restore characteristics comparable with that of the recognised places most salubrious (measurements indicating less than 1000 particles and less than 10 germs per litre of air);

  5. the device will be strictly adaptable to the structure and the conditions of use of the room concerned, whatever are dimensions, the destination and the contents; it will be of easy installation and use, reduced maintenance, and long lifespan, requiring only one simple maintenance " of cleanliness ".

  6. the device will require only a small quantity of electric power under permanent operation; this will allow its systematic use in all places justifying its presence, at a cost of moderate exploitation, even negligible;

  7. the device will completely exclude all " accessories " (ventilator, turbine, etc.) completely uselessness, but on the other hand causes needlessness expenditure of energy and maintenance, and source of turbulences maintaining in suspension and propagating permanently the micro pollutants that it must eliminate;

  8. the device will be thus completely quiet, allowing its use in all places of rest or work, like near sensitive or sick people;

  9. the device will be able to function with its nominal output in wet or aggressive atmospheres without risk for itself or the users;

  10. +the device will fulfil, inter alia, to all the standards of the European Community (the EEC) as regards qualification (components), of safety and absence of harmful effects.

Undertaken in 1975, the theoretical research tasks and the essential experiments were going to lead in 1986 to the deposit of the first Patent of device answering all the requirements stated higher.

This entirely new device constituted the first source of negative ions completion deprived of emission of toxic products: ozone and oxides of nitrogen.

This new and original result, finally opening very broad potential use in many critical or " significant " fields, resulted from the use of an " electronic optics " of ionic emission whose geometrical characteristics of the elements and the nature of the materials which constituted it made it possible to exclude the production from peroxidizing usually accompanying inevitably " the crown effect " (or "corona effect")during the emission of negative ions.

The ozone rate then measured (Laboratory of Eco-toxicology of the Canton of GENEVA) proved about less than 4 parts per Billion (0,004 ppM), close to the “background noise " of the measuring equipment and comparable even lower than the value recorded in the case of the most salubrious air which can be met, confirming thus undoubtedly possible and in a final way the cogency of the requirements constituting the " 10 points ", but also the validity of the solution adopted

During years which followed, the initial device was subjected to a considerable number of tests of effectiveness and reliability as well as the object of improvements justifying the deposit of several new international Patents.

Current equipment ("OR’IONS") which results from it is declined in three versions, one intended for the professional environments, the administrations, mediums clinical and hospital, etc. a second one being intended for " general public " for domestic use and the third for cars and trucks.

These various models have in common the effectiveness due to a strong power of ionic emission (about 600 Billion negative ions per point and a second, measured in Faraday chamber), a complete absence of pollutant gas emission, ozone and oxides of nitrogen ((0,004 ppM), a great facility of installation and employment, a complete safety because of their strict conformity to all the EEC standards, and an extreme moderateness of use due to their low fuel consumption of energy, less than 2 Watts (expenditure of approximately 0.03€ per day).

The increasingly many applications of this new device, extended to increasingly varied fields, regularly produce the awaited results, in conformity with those which all the fundamental scientific work published during fifty last years report.

These results relate to in particular the fields in which the procedures of experiments or essential expertise's were used, whose short summary follows.

  • in clinical medium, a first micro-biological approach made it possible to check the generalised germ-destroying effect of the apparatuses very significant on significant sites as well as the systematic depollution of certain particularly polluted places of work. A new series of tests (bacteriological expertise's) is currently about to be completed by the care of an accredited specialised organisation;

  • in the industry of micro mechanics, a first placement of the apparatuses involves a considerable fall of the incidents or problems due to the micro dust;

  • in manufactures of clock industry, one observes this same fall or disappearance of the incidents due in particular to the static charges ;

  • in micro-electronic industry, the placement of these apparatuses results in the quasi-disappearance of the static charges on the sites concerned and the protection of the sensitive components;

  • in the cribs of children: a series of experiments undertaken since 1991 pennies the control of the responsible doctors did not cease showing a strong reduction in winter rhinopharyngeal and trachea-bronchial pathologies, joined to a very clear reduction in the spring allergic accidents; to that was added a strong reduction in the absenteeism of the children and the personnel of the cribs, controlled by the responsible municipal services;

  • inside buildings where the residues of the nicotinism accumulate, the use of the apparatuses systematically involves the disappearance of smoke like that of the odours, thus allowing the use of the cigarette without harmful effect for the non-smokers:

  • in the oenological activities, the experimental installation of the apparatuses in a certain number of wine storehouses must make it possible to reduce the difficult problems posed by the local micro flora (moulds, mushrooms, etc. related to the presence of timber in particular).



The coherence of the whole of these results with the data of the Physics of the gaseous mediums and cellular Biology must henceforth make it possible to regard the negative ionization of the air as one of the sourest means and less noisiness, at the most moderate cost, to ensure the depollution and the unquestionable and permanent cleansing of the air of all our sites of activity like everyday life, in all private places, public or professional.

Prof. Doct. Breton Jacques, of the University of Bordeaux Sciences. August

2001





NEGATIVE IONIZATION : CHARACTERS OF HARMLESSNESS





More than one thousand of scientific publications, on a world level, are devoted to the properties of the negative ions of the atmosphere, in fact and essentially the molecular Oxygen ions carriers of a negative charge (electron) supernumerary, that these ions are of natural origin or that they are produced by a suitable device (crown effect for example).

Very many experimental work was devoted more especially to the effects of the negative oxygen ions on the alive, animal and/or human medium.

Teaching the Physics of the atmosphere - " atmospheric electric Phenomena and alive medium " – to the International Certificate of Human Ecology within the framework of eight European Universities, I was thus led to send to the Ministry of Health a very complete analysis of this problem, the results obtained concerning as well the purely physical effects, in particular the precipitation of all the aerosols present on the ionised places, that checked or supposed biological effects charged molecule O2-(action on certain mediators such 5 Hydroxy-tryptamin (Serotonin), action on the kinetics of the ionic channels of the cellular membrane, etc.)

It is essential to recall that the whole of this work never let appear an iatrogenic, immediate or differed effect of negative ions applied to the alive medium, whatever the density of ions used (sometimes higher than several hundreds of thousands per cm3 of air) and whatever the exposure time to these densities (several months, even of the consecutive years).

During research continued during three years with the Faculty of Medicine of Bordeaux, implementing cultures of human fibroblasts of variable ages subjected to flows of negative ions of increasing intensities, we could completely confirm this absence of effect harming or lethal on the cultures, until ionic densities of the charge of the order million per cm3, over durations exceeding one week of permanent exposure.

Conversely, we always observed a regular growth, often faster and more complete than that of the pilot cultures, the mechanisms of inhibition of contact in particular remaining strictly preserved and active . Confirming these data, the examination in electronic microscopy never highlighted an unspecified deterioration of the structures, in particular of the immediately vulnerable area which is the cellular membrane.

In addition, since 1991, under the supervision of the municipal authorities of the Town of VOIRON, in France, and under the permanent control of the responsible doctors, we continue an experimentation of application of negative ionization to the problems of micro pollution and bio-contamination of the cribs of children of this city.

With a passing higher than 6 years, the observations of the responsible doctors confirm the significant and completely significant fall winter rhinopharyngeal pathologies, episodes of contagious infantile pathologies, episodes of spring allergies, with for corollary a fall considerable and regularly maintained of the absenteeism as well of the young children as of the personnel of the crib. The doctors concerned observe the total absence of any possibly ascribable incident to the use of the negative ionization of the air of the interested buildings.

Similar observations arriving at identical conclusions are made by the personalities responsible for the municipal crib of Aix-Les-Bains where the same ioniseurs source are installed since 1993.

Finally has been just published in JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH, dependent of AMERICAN GEOPHYSICAL UNION, first international authority in Geophysics and Physics of the atmosphere, a work which I completed in collaboration (cf. joined bibliography) reporting the discovery of an unknown phenomenon: The unquestionable correlation between the passage of the active cold fronts (weather disturbances characterised by strong variations in temperature, hygroscopy, direction of the wind, on intervals of time which can be very short) and the arrival on the ground of intense flows of electric charges (molecular ions) of the two signs, of which the density can exceed 150 000 charges per cm3 during several minutes, sometimes during several hours.

This unknown phenomenon so far seems to be in relation to deep disturbances of the upper atmosphere, and the massive injection of electric charges (ionospheric plasma) of extra-atmospheric origin (solar wind).

The passages of active cold fronts are weather standards and repeated events under all the latitudes which - to our knowledge and with a secular passing - do not have pathological effects specific directly ascribable to the electric charge present at the time of these passages and correlative with its presence.

In the same direction, it is advisable to recall that the water falls or the cascades of mountain are the place of exceptional negative ionic densities (> 50 000 ions/cm3), known of the mountain dwellers residents for the quality of the air surrounding and its capacity, at the time of a short stop on the site, to ensure a rapid " recovery " after the effort.

Also let us point out the case - not very known but largely checked by the physicists University of PAU - Pyrenean sites of cure intended for pneumopathies, in particular in the area of CAMBO: levelling granitic intrusions rich in radioactive b emitters (electrons) are systematically present on the sites of the centres of cure.... for the greatest profit of the patients who remain there, and without any iatrogenic effect recognised after more than one century of observations.

Thus, the whole of the natural phenomena on the one hand, the placement of qualified apparatuses on the other hand, never made it possible to highlight an unspecified harmful effect resulting from a permanent exposure, some duration that it is, to a density of negative ions of natural or " artificial " origin.

The only reserve - but it is an absolute reserve - is which the generator of negative ions is completely deprived of any emission of per oxidising: ozone, and oxides of nitrogen which accompany this one.

These substances are cytotoxic, the dangerously aggressive ones for all living tissue, and even with amounts claiming to respect " standard-refuges " (too famous 0,05 ppM for example), constitute an insidious but serious danger for any exposed person.

In fact, the rates of per-oxidising emitted by these apparatuses must not exceed the values measured in very pure atmosphere, that is to say less than 4 parts per Billion (4 ppB or 0,004 ppM).

A negative ions generator usable in closed or not very ventilated place will have imperatively to comply with the rule above: only then an expertise carried out by a duly accredited official organisation could considered to be admissible and the product considered to be sure and really stripped of any harmful effect.

Let us add to finish some with another well maintained, but completely inaccurate confusion in comparison with quantum mechanics, that the negative oxygen ion O2 is not an ion " super oxide " aggressive, but - contrary to the molecule of " ordinary " oxygen, active "bi-radical" - an ion "mono-radical" equipped with a weak reactivity and oxidising properties, allowing him a permanent presence without damage for the alive medium. Thus, only and unfortunately the most ignored harmful effects of " ordinary "negative ionization is by no means the creative electron emission of ions oxygen, but that of toxic substances which inevitably accompany this emission when the emissive system requirements do not answer physical very strict rules of construction.

The Patents which to date protect the apparatuses provided with an electronic optics to super confinement from plasma result directly from the application of such rules, ensuring of this fact an electron emission (negative ions) free of the presence of all peroxidising, and thus making it possible to withdraw the maximum of effects of the negative ions present by injection of flows as intense as it is necessary.



PESSAC 08/01



Pr. Dr. Breton J











BIBLIOGRAPHY



It is not possible to give here a bibliography detailed on the negative ionization of the air. On the other hand it is possible to refer to this bibliography, contained in the works or documents hereafter.



" AIR IONS: PHYSICAL AND BIOLOGICAL ASPECTS ".
J.M. Charry and R.I. Kavet CRC Press Inc Edict. 1988. Boca Raton, 33431
Florida. 720 references.

DUBOY J.P. " aero-ionization. biometeorologic and therapeutic interest ".
Thesis of Doctorate in Pharmacy. March 1982. Medical
university of Bordeaux II. 118 references.

BRETON J. " physical Factors and Ecology ".
Teach to the International Certificate of Human Ecology.
Eight European Universities. The World Health Organization.

OLIVEREAU J.M. " psychophysiologic Incidences of atmospheric ionization ".
Thesis of Doctorate ès-Sciences. University of Paris
VI, June 1971. 428 references.

BRETON J, BRETON V and LE GOFF Y..
Atmospheric ionization patterns At 4 m above ground level in correlation to meteorological events ".
Journal of Geophysical Research, January 27 1998, vol. 103, p.1837-1846.








HARMLESSNESS OF

THE NEGATIVE IONIZATION OF THE AIR





All the experiments and all the observations accumulated since more than one century show that the natural ionization of the air to dominant negative is of a total harmlessness for the whole of the alive beings. This harmlessness, essential to the regular operation of our cellular structures, remains however closely related to the presence of an extremely low ozone rate in all salubrious natural sites ("4 ppB = 0,004 pp M).

It is strictly the same for the negative ionization produced by the generators of ions, under the absolute reserve that those do not produce on any occasion a quantity of toxic per oxidising gases (ozone, oxides of nitrogen) higher than the threshold of 4 ppB.

No difference not existing between the negative ions met in the atmosphere and the negative ions produced by a generator, the harmlessness of its use will be assured if, and only if, this generator respects the threshold of production of per-oxidising.

This condition being respected, the ionizer could be used in all closed or confined, deprived or public places, of work, rest or cure, with a total harmlessness.

It is what the use of such an apparatus has proven for more than eight years.



REFERENCE.

Summary, with significant bibliography, by the pr. BRETON Jacques of the University of Bordeaux Sciences, Doctor Physical ès-Sciences: " negative ionization: characters of harmlessness ".02/98.
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