Ozone layer

“ When the sky is darkened with clouds, there is more ozone than when it is clear. Before thunder-storms, or while they are at a distance, ozone, like electricity, increases, and various changes and fluctuations may occur during the progress of the storm.
Summing up in a few words, we may say that atmospheric ozone is more abundant during the winter and spring, because in those seasons there is much rain, snow, hail, and wind, a low temperature, and a maximum of electricity. During these seasons, also, there is little decomposition going on in the vegetable world. ”

“ Nature of Ozone.—During the action of a powerful electric machine, and in the decomposition of water by the voltaic battery, a peculiar odour is perceptible, which is considered to arise from the generation of a substance to which the term ozone has been given, on account of its having been first detected by smell, which, for a long time after its discovery, was its only known characteristic. ”

“ Thus, judging by what has been said above, ozone should he formed in nature not only in the many processes of oxidation which go on, but also by the condensation of atmospheric oxygen. The significance of ozone in nature has often arrested the attention of observers. ”

“ Ozone is a most energetic body, and a powerful bleaching agent; if a point is attached to the prime conductor of an electrical machine, and the electrified air is received into a bottle, it will be found to smell, and has the power of bleaching a very dilute solution of indigo. Ozone [Pg 102] is not a mere creation of fancy, as it can not only be produced by certain methods, but may be destroyed by a red heat. ”

“ Origin of Atmospheric Electricity and Ozone.—The sources of ozone in the atmosphere are almost innumerable. Like atmospheric electricity, it results from a wide variety of countless and ever-changing influences; it is one of the grand resultants of the ceaseless chemistry of the earth and sky. The evidence is now pretty clear that one prominent source of atmospheric ozone is in vegetable life. The oxygen that plants evolve from their leaves is more or less ozonized. It is claimed that ozone is developed with the perfume of flowers. ”

“ It is however indisputable [13] that the amount of ozone in the atmosphere is subject to variation; that the air of dwellings contains no ozone (it disappears in oxidising organic matter) ; that the air of fields and forests always contains ozone, or substances (peroxide of hydrogen) which act like it (on iodised starch paper &c.) [13 bis] ; that the amount of ozone increases after storms; and that miasms, &c., are destroyed by ozonising the atmosphere. ”

“ Moreover, direct examination of the air by more accurate methods—including samples collected with the aid of kites and balloons up to a height of several thousand feet above the earth—shows that the amount of ozone in the whole of the lower atmosphere is exceedingly small—much too small to be of hygienic significance. ”

“ These facts have also been put in another way, namely, that the maximum period of ozone occurs when there is greatest evaporation of water from the earth, and the minimum when there is greatest condensation of water on the earth; a theory which tallies well with the idea that ozone is most freely present when electricity is being produced, least present when electricity is in smallest quantity. ”

“ It is also quite possible that ozone may play an important part in regulating the functions of the vegetable kingdom likewise; and although it would be premature at present to speculate upon its specific office, yet, for this reason alone, it may be well to note the fact of its frequency, in conjunction with the different phases which vegetation assumes, persuaded that no principle can be generally diffused throughout nature, as appears to be the case, with this, without having some important and appropriate use assigned for it to fulfil. ”

“ Should water not be available, it should rest in the centre of a hole 15 feet deep and 10 inches in diameter, tightly packed with charcoal, which, while conducting the electricity from the rod into the earth, serves also to preserve the iron from rusting.
OZONE. The atmosphere, besides holding the vapour of water diffused throughout its mass, contains also minute traces of carbonic acid and ammonia, and a very remarkable substance called Ozone. Oxygen, one of the component gases of the atmosphere, is capable of existing in two conditions ”

“ And the oxygen of the hill-tops is purer, keener, rarer, more ethereal. It is rich in ozone. Now, ozone stands to common oxygen itself as the clean-cut metal to the dull and leaden exposed surface. Nascent and ever renascent, it has electrical attraction; it leaps to the embrace of the atom it selects, but only under the influence of powerful affinities; and what it clasps once, it clasps for ever. That is the pure air which we drink in on the heather-clad heights—not the venomous air of the crowded casino, nor even the close air of the middle-class parlour. It thrills and nerves us. ”

“ The admixture of nitrogen, or even of hydrogen, and especially of silicon fluoride, appears to aid the formation and preservation of ozone. Amongst other methods for preparing ozone we may mention the following: 1. In the action of oxygen on phosphorus at the ordinary temperature a portion of the oxygen is converted into ozone. At the ordinary temperature a stick of phosphorus, partially immersed in water and partially in air in a large glass vessel, causes the air to acquire the odour of ozone. ”

“ As regards the sanitary value of flowers, Mantegazza, of Pavia, states that ozone is generated in larger quantities by certain plants possessing spicy aromatic odours, than by the action of electricity upon the air. He says that in some plants this ozone is developed by the direct rays of the sun, whilst in others the action, once begun in solar light, is continued in darkness; and that cherry-laurel, clove, lavender, mint, lemon, fennel, narcissus, heliotrope, hyacinth, mignonette, &c., all produce ozone largely on exposure to the rays of the sun. ”

“ The amount is greater over the sea than over the land, probably due to the absence of oxidizable matter, which allows the ozone to accumulate over the water. It is more abundant with westerly than with easterly winds, due to the fact that westerly winds have a downward component of motion ”

“ When the atmospheric pressure is decreasing, when with that there is increasing warmth and moisture, and when south and southwesterly winds prevail, then ozone is active; but when the atmospheric pressure is increasing, when the air is becoming dry and cold, and north and northeasterly winds prevail, then the presence of ozone is less active. ”

“ Lavender, fennel, mint, clove, and cherry-laurel, evolve ozone with special abundance when exposed to the solar rays. It is believed that the oxidation of essential oils, as anise-seed, bergamot, etc., under exposure to the light and air, develops ozone, and that in all flowers the source of the ozone is the essence ”

“ This was actually shown to be the case in 1880, by Chappuis and Hautefeuille in their researches on the physical properties of ozone. Its boiling point under a pressure of 760 mm. is about -106°, and consequently compressed and refrigerated ozone when rapidly expanded forms drops, i.e. is liquefied. Liquid and compressed [11] ozone is [206] blue. In dissolving in water ozone partly passes into oxygen. It explodes violently when suddenly compressed and heated, changing into ordinary oxygen and evolving, like all explosive substances, [12] that extra heat which distinguishes it from oxygen. ”

“ It has been proved, in the first place, that ozone is denser than ordinary oxygen. The production of ozone is always followed by a contraction of the gas’s volume, the contraction being greater or less according to the amount of oxygen which has been ozonized. Regularly as the observers—Messrs. Andrews and Tait—converted a definite proportion of oxygen into ozone, the corresponding contraction followed, and as regularly was the original volume of the gas restored when, by the action of heat, the ozone was reconverted into oxygen. ”

“ It will be seen that ozone is at its minimum when the sun is at the zenith, and its maximum about sunrise and sunset. It varies with atmospheric conditions, as electricity, rain, fog, thunder-storms, snow, wind, clouds, halos, and auroras, eclipses, etc. ”

“ If air which colours the test-papers be found to lose the property after being heated, the change can only be due to ozone, because nitrous and nitric acids (which have the power of colouring the test-papers) would not be removed by the heat, whereas ozone is changed by heat into oxygen.
Once we are certain that ozone exists in the air, we must recognize the fact that its presence cannot fail to have an important bearing on our health and comfort; for ozone is an exceedingly active agent, and cannot exist anywhere without setting busily to its own proper work. ”

“ Ozone can be produced by hanging a piece of moist phosphorus in a room; and it is stated by Dr. Daubeny, that part of the oxygen given out by plants, especially by scented flowering plants, is in the condition of ozone. A small quantity is produced when an electrical machine is worked; its presence is evidenced by a peculiar smell (the name ozone is derived from the Greek word for smell) .
Test of Ozone in Air.—Traces of ozone in air are detected by exposing strips of blotting paper moistened with a mixture of a solution of potassic iodide and starch. ”

“ It will be remarked that snow-storms also favor atmospheric electricity. The direction of the wind has a certain influence, as is well recognized, on ozone. According to Lowe, ozone is most abundant during a southwest or south-southwest wind, and least abundant when the wind is north or northeast. There is a maximum when the barometer is low, and a minimum when it is high. ”

“ Ozone soon begins to be formed, as shewn by the rising of a light column of smoke from the phosphorus, which, at the same time, becomes luminous. In five or six hours, the quantity will be abundant, when the bottle is to be emptied of its contents, washed out, and closed for use and experiment.
Whichever way the ozone be produced, it is always identical in its properties; and these are described as numerous and remarkable. Its odour is peculiar, resembling that of chlorine, and, when diluted, cannot be distinguished from what is called the electric smell. ”

“ Hence, as suggested by these observers, it seems probable that the ozone is resolved into a quantity of ordinary oxygen equal in bulk to itself, which is liberated at the moment when another portion of its oxygen enters into combination with the metal or the iodine.
Ozonised air becomes deozonised when passed over cold manganese dioxide, silver dioxide, or lead dioxide. When ozone is mixed with peroxide of hydrogen, water and oxygen are formed. In these cases the ozone is converted into ordinary oxygen, and the peroxides into monoxides. ”

“ By the electric spark discharged in dry oxygen as much as 15 per cent. may, under proper conditions, be turned into ozone. Ozone has also been found to be heavier than air. Professor Zinno says, that compared with an equal volume of air its density is equal to 1,658, and that it is forty-eight times heavier than hydrogen. Heat decomposes it; at the temperature of boiling water it begins to decompose. In water it is much less soluble than oxygen, and indeed is practically insoluble; when made to bubble through boiling water, it ceases to be ozone. ”

“ But, by cooling a mixture of oxygen and ozone to a low temperature, the ozone may be condensed to a deep blue liquid which is unstable and readily explodes. When mixed with air, as ordinarily obtained, ozone possesses a powerful odor resembling that of diluted chlorine and is the most powerful oxidizing agent known, attacking india-rubber, paper and other organic substances and corroding mercury at ordinary temperatures. It is unstable and gradually changes to ordinary oxygen upon standing, while it undergoes this change instantly upon heating. ”

“ And not only is it found that country air contains more ozone than town air, but it is found that air which has come from the sea has more ozone than even355 the country air, while air in the crowded parts of large cities has no ozone at all, nor has the air of inhabited rooms. ”

“ So far as we have gone, we might be disposed to speak unhesitatingly in favour of the effects produced by ozone. We see it purifying the air which would otherwise be loaded by the products of decomposing matter, we find it present in the sea air and the country air which we know to be so bracing and health-restoring after a long residence in town, and we find it absent just in those places which we look upon as most unhealthy. ”

“ Where we can't pipe in the ozone, we can use portable vaporizers, to be supplied once a month, and of sufficient capacity to keep the air of an average-sized house perfectly pure for thirty days.
"Pure? More than pure! Exhilarating, life-giving, delicious! Under this system, Wally, the middle and upper classes will thrive as never before. They'll grow in size and weight, in health and intelligence, under the steady influence of ozone, day and night. Every vital process will be stimulated. Our invention will mark a new era in the welfare of the world!" ”

“ It parts with its third atom as in the mercury experiment, and so loses its distinctive peculiarity. Thus we might be led to anticipate the results which come next to be considered.
Ozone has certain work to do, and in doing that work is transmuted into oxygen. It follows, then, that where there has been much work for ozone to do, there we shall find little ozone left in the air. Hence, in open spaces where there is little decomposing matter, we should expect to find more ozone than in towns or cities. ”