Ozone CPAP Cleaners, A Health Hazard In The Bedroom

There has been an explosion of various CPAP sanitizers that work by generating Ozone (O3) which then circulates through a CPAP circuit, from the mask to the machine itself, thus "sanitizing" these parts in the process. Ozone however is quite a dangerous gas for human consumption and it is not clear how these cleaners have even passed the FDA regulatory barriers to be sold in United States, in the first place. According to US Environmental Protection Agency, EPA; "When inhaled, ozone can damage the lungs. Relatively low amounts can cause chest pain, coughing, shortness of breath and throat irritation. Ozone may also worsen chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma and compromise the ability of the body to fight respiratory infections" https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality- ... nfections.

Also Ozone sanitizers use warm air to "dry" the inside of CPAP circuits, leaving a flaky white residue behind. This flaky stuff can often bee seen blowing out the CPAP mask when the machine is first turned on. The flaky stuff is the dried out residue left over from "rain-out" inside of the hose and water tank and tends to elevate in volume when tap water has been used or a lot of saliva has been deposited in the mask. Clearly it is not very pleasant to breath the stuff, so if you use of of these Ozone cleaners make sure that: 1-You stay well away from it while it is working. Placing it outside to do its work may be the safest thing to do. 2-To prevent the white flaky stuff from being deposited into your lungs, it is best to turn your CPAP on for 5 minutes or so, before masking up.

Better yet you may wish to consider using clean warm water and your favorite dish soap to clean your hose, mask and tube and then rinse them out well and dry fully before using them again. Your machine itself rarely ever has to be sanitized unless you loaned it to someone with a known communicable disease, a scenario with an infinitely small probability.

All the best and never ever breath Ozone into your lungs.

Yes, I am surprised that regulators allow the use of ozone cleaners for CPAP use. Without a doubt it is an effective way to sterilize the CPAP, hoses, and mask. However, it is a significant risk to the longevity of the materials. Ozone is a naturally occurring form of oxygen. Before during or after a thunderstorm it can be smelled in the air. Lightning can cause it to form and linger at levels high enough to be detected by the nose. But, on the more positive side, ozone is very reactive and does not last long. It is commonly used in bottled water to kill any bacteria which may form. Unlike tap water which will have a residual chlorine or chloramine to kill bacteria, distilled water or bottled water will not have anything in it, unless ozone is added. That is my pet peave with bottled water. The plastic containers are another contributor to our plastic pollution problem. And, bottled water is almost always activated carbon filtered to take out the chlorine and chloramine which leaves it vulnerable to bacteria contamination and growth. Some, but not all bottled water is treated with ozone to overcome this problem.

I am not so convinced that these ozone cleaners like SoClean are a health hazard to people, but they certainly can be to your CPAP equipment.