The Open Air Factor
A Story of OAFs and SODs, Sausages and circumstances
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)
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”
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”
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.
The Open Air Factor (1993)
Patent Granted!
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.
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
The Open Air Factor -Actives
HOCH2OOH HYDROXYMETHYLHYDROPEROXIDE
CH3OOH
METHYL HYDROPEROXIDE CH3CH(OH)OOH
HYDROXYETHYL HYDROPEROXIDE C2H5OOH
ETHYL HYDROPEROXIDE
The Open Air Factor - Actives
H2O2 HYDROGEN PEROXIDE
Plus Many, Many more…..
AND…
The Open Air Factor
OH•
The Hydroxyl Radical
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
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
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…”
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
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)
The Open Air Factor- Plasmalyser Generated.
Comparison TestBacteria Aerosolised equidistant between device and AGI
Sampler
02000400060008000
100001200014000160001800020000
1m 2m 3m 4m 5m 6m 7m 8m 9m 10m
Sample distance from device
Su
rviv
ing
Bacte
ria a
t 1 h
ou
r
Control
Plasmalyser
Hepa Filter
UV Catalysis
Ionizer
Open Air Factor- The Next Generation Picture Courtesy of Tri-Air Developments Ltd.