Consumers are expected to warm up to ozone once they learn it is already widely used in municipal water treatment, food processing, and bottled water. As an oxidizing agent, ozone is 1.5 times more powerful than chlorine. Ozone kills bacteria, viruses and protozoa immediately on contact, much faster than chlorine. And because ozone works by dismantling the cell membranes, microorganisms cannot develop a resistance to it. That's an important feature, given the discovery of chlorine-resistant strains of Cryptosporidium and Giardia, both of which have caused deaths in recent years.
Some research suggests that ozone can also destroy molds and pesticide residue.
Several restaurant chains are already evaluating ROX equipment in their test kitchens. The acidic water can be used directly on meats, fruits and vegetables, without changing taste or quality, and can also be used to sanitize cutting boards, countertops, utensils, etc. Yen-Con Hung, a professor at the University of Georgia who has performed extensive research in this area, has found that, in some cases, EO water can kill bacteria more effectively than chlorinated water. He notes that, when comparing the two solutions, there is a difference in oxidation-reduction potential, even when they both have the same chlorine concentration. That's because EO water contains additional oxidants, which is one of the a features that Hung's research group is investigating.