The Open Air Factor

1. The Open Air Factor A Story of OAFs and SODs, Sausages and circumstances

2. The Open Air Factor • History • First identified in the 1960’s at Porton Down – Microbiological Research Establishment- MRE • Recorded as a Patent Specification in March 1968- Druett & Packman (MRE) • Nature 26th Oct 1968- “An Unstable Germicidal Pollutant in Rural Air”- Druett & Packman (MRE)

3. The Open Air Factor (1968) • “ Substances known collectively as “The Open Air Factor” which kill bacteria, exist in the atmosphere at Porton” • “The Properties of the open air factor are similar to… ozone-olefin reactions” • “Some viruses are susceptible to an open air factor which is constant from night to night the nature of which is unknown”

4. The Open Air Factor (1988) • 1988- Lincolnshire Sausages made with fresh English Sage have a much longer shelf-life than those made with dried sage • Prof D.C. Ellwood- “If only someone could design an Open Air Factor Generator”

5. The Open Air Factor (1992-3) • 1988-91 Experiments with ozone in gaseous and solution forms • 1992 First Open Air Factor generator built using an ozone emitting UV tube and Essential Oils extracted from herbs- Sage and Rosemary • Experiments at a UKAS Accredited Lab showed average bacterial cell death of 99.999% in 60 seconds compared to control.

6. The Open Air Factor (1993) • Patent Granted!

7. The Open Air Factor (1998) • Experiments carried out by • MRE Porton Down (Benbough and Bennett) • S.C. Johnson& Son Inc. ( Racine WI.) (Sadler) • Harry Reid Centre for Environmental Studies, University of Nevada, Las Vegas (Jacoby-Garrett, Bishop and Stetzenbach) • All variously showed 3-5 log reductions against controls vs Staphylococcus, Micrococcus, E.coli, Klebsiella, and significant reductions in Bacillus spp and Clostridium.

8. The Open Air Factor • We have identified at least 40 kinetic stages • The products of each kinetic stage are capable of reacting with their own precursors and progeny • Its not taught to microbiologists in Universities • Atmospheric Chemists know all about it • Microbiologists don’t read papers on atmospheric chemistry

9. The Open Air Factor -Actives • HOCH2OOH HYDROXYMETHYLHYDROPEROXIDE • CH3OOH METHYL HYDROPEROXIDE • CH3CH(OH)OOH HYDROXYETHYL HYDROPEROXIDE • C2H5OOH ETHYL HYDROPEROXIDE

10. The Open Air Factor - Actives • H2O2 HYDROGEN PEROXIDE • Plus Many, Many more….. • AND…

11. The Open Air Factor OH• The Hydroxyl Radical

12. The Open Air Factor 1998-2005 • Problems with OAFs • In anything other than very low concentrations it generates a particulate “fog”. • Detectable Ozone must be present in the initial stages • The By-products are difficult to characterise because they are so reactive

13. The Open Air Factor 2005-2008 • The solution to the problems • “Plasmalyser” • A non thermal plasma generates the ozone, destroys the particulates, creates hydroxyl radicals, prevents fouling of: • A UV/catalysis stage, which further removes unwanted contaminants increases hydroxyl radicals • Finally residual ozone is blended with terpenes to create Open Air Factor

14. The Open Air Factor- Chestnuts! • “If it kills bacteria and viruses so effectively it must be harmful to animals” • “Its Ozone that’s the biocide” • “It contains ………..(fill in the blank) which has been shown in some studies to be harmful/irritant/ deadly…”

15. Open Air Factor • In 2008 tests at the Building Research Establishment’s Indoor Air Quality Monitoring Unit Ozone –below 30ppb No hazardous by-products when compared to international standards

16. The Open Air Factor- Effectiveness • It kills airborne virus and bacteria, often within seconds of exposure • It kills on surfaces • It does not require all of the air in a room to constantly pass through a device • It works 24/7 • It is benign to humans and other animals. • It is neutralized by Superoxide dismutases (SODs)

17. The Open Air Factor- Plasmalyser Generated.

18. Open Air Factor- The Next Generation Picture Courtesy of Tri-Air Developments Ltd.