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Negative-Ions and Computers

http://www.gi.alaska.edu/ScienceForum/ASF5/505.html
Alaska Science Forum
September 25, 1981
Article #505

by T. Neil Davis

This article is provided as a public service by the Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks, in cooperation with the UAF research community. T. Neil Davis is a seismologist with the Institute.

Evidence seems to be mounting that ion concentrations in the air do affect how people feel. Further, there is evidence that the new trend toward using computerized equipment in offices may be creating a special problem.

Outdoor air contains about a thousand positive and negative charges (ions) within each cubic centimeter. Cosmic rays coming into the earth from the sun and elsewhere break apart air molecules and thereby create much of the ionization that exists in the air. Since more cosmic rays come in at the high latitudes, the high-latitude air normally has a higher proportion of ionized air molecules or molecular clusters. However, in cities and in confined spaces such as offices, processes take place to reduce the number of ions. One important process is attachment of charge-carrying molecular clusters to pollution particles in the air. When that happens both the ions and the pollution particles tend to be swept out of the air by the electric field that exists naturally near the earth's surface.

The loss of ion concentration is thought to be harmful because it does seem that high ion concentrations do make people feel better, just why, doesn't seem to be clearly understood. High ion concentrations also apparently inhibit bacterial growth and perhaps foster plant growth. The good effects seem to be attributed to high concentrations of negative ions rather than positive ones; generally, the concentration of both types go together, except in small volumes of air perhaps only a few feet across.

Now, a new problem arises according to an article in the August 1981 issue of Mini-Micro Systems, a publication for computer buffs. The problem has to do with CRTs, the cathode ray tubes contained in video terminals and the newfangled typing stations that seem to be sprouting on desktops all over the country. In the Geophysical Institute alone I counted 70 CRTs, not including cathode ray tubes in test equipment.

The electric field caused by the positive static charge that appears on a CRT in normal operation sweeps the nearby air of negative charges, thereby depleting the negative-ion concentration in the immediate vicinity. Apparently when the ion concentration is lowered by this or any other means--air conditioning does it too--workers complain of headaches, lethargy, dizziness and nausea.

One experiment performed in England on 54 individuals at a computer site seems rather convincing. Negative-ion generators were installed, but, unknown to the persons being tested, the generators were not turned on for four weeks. During that period the negative-ion concentration was about 550 per cubic cm. A secret switching on the generators during the next eight weeks of the test raised the ion concentration to 3,500 per cubic cm, several times that found in normal outside air. After the experimenters turned on the ion generators, they found that the tested persons had fewer headaches and other complaints than before. Only five percent then said they had headaches, whereas 20 percent of the workers complained of headaches before the ion generators were turned on. The number reporting dizziness and nausea dropped by more than half, down to less than one percent.

Other English tests indicate that the more complex the task a person tries, the more the individual is affected by negative-ion levels. Also females are more responsive than males to negative-ion depletion or enrichment.

Fraudulent or questionable claims made some years ago about the benefits of ion generators muddy the issue of how important ion concentrations are in air around workers. Consequently, there now probably will have to be overwhelming evidence that ion levels do affect people before widespread attempts are made to ensure that proper levels are maintained. But if that comes to pass, we may see regulations requiring installation of ion generators in rooms where air conditioning and CRTs are used.

 

Air Ionizers Wipe Out Hospital Infections
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn3228-air-ionisers-wipe-out-hospital-infections.html?full=true&print=true
18:02 03 January 2003 by Natasha McDowell

Repeated airborne infections of the bacteria acinetobacter in an intensive care ward have been eliminated by the installation of a negative air ionizer.

In the first such epidemiological study, researchers found that the infection rate fell to zero during the year long trial. "We were absolutely astounded to find such clear cut results," engineer Clive Begg at the University of Leeds, UK, told New Scientist.

Stephen Dean, a consultant at the St James's Hospital in Leeds where the trial took place says: "The results have been fantastic - so much so that we have asked the university to leave the ionizers with us."

The ionizers produce negative air ions that collide with suspended particles and give them a charge. The scientists believe charged particles aggregate together and fall out of the air, thereby disinfecting the atmosphere and stopping the transmission of infection.

"We don't fully understand how it is working, but we suspect it is damaging or killing the bacteria," says Beggs. "But if the ionizers are cleaning the air in this way, we would expect to find more precipitation of acinetobacter on surfaces and this is exactly what we found."

 

Antibiotic Resistant
Acinetobacter infections are often very difficult to treat as the bacterium is resistant to many antibiotics. It poses no real threat to healthy humans but can cause serious infections in people with weakened immune systems.

"Ionisers may become a powerful weapon in the fight against hospital acquired infection," says clinical microbiologist Kevin Kerr, another team member. "People had focused on getting doctors and nurses to wash their hands and had not looked at anything else."

About 10 per cent of infections in the UK's public hospitals have been estimated to be airborne, but Kerr says it may be even higher, as conventional methods to sample airborne bacteria are inefficient.

But although the results are very promising, he adds that further research is needed because acinetobacter infections tend to be cyclical. "They may not be seen for weeks or months and then you see a cluster of infections," he says.

 

TB Target
The team is currently doing more lab studies to see if other organisms may be targeted. Tuberculosis is one promising target.

Brian Duerden, director of the UK's Public Health Laboratory Service, is encouraged by the results. "It is not the whole answer as many infections are spread by touch, but it is a potential addition to the weaponry against hospital infections," he told New Scientist.

Research by electronics company Sharp has shown that positive and negative ions produced by their air conditioning systems can inactivate viruses including influenza. But the new study is the first to link such an effect to reduced infections in hospitals.

 

Treatment of Seasonal Affective Disorder With a High-Output Negative Ionizer
by Terman M, Terman JS.
Department of Psychiatry,
Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
J Altern Complement Med 1995 Jan;1(1):87-92

ABSTRACT
This study was designed to evaluate the antidepressant effect of negative ions in the ambient air as a potential treatment modality for seasonal affective disorder. Twenty-five subjects with winter depression underwent a double-blind controlled trial of negative ions at two exposure densities, 1 x 10(4) ions/cm3 or 2.7 x 10(6) ions/cm3, using an electronic negative ion generator with wire corona emitters. Home treatments were taken in the early morning for 30 min over 20 days, followed by withdrawals.

 

The severity of depressive symptoms (prominently including the reverse neurovegetative symptoms of hypersomnia, hyperphagia, and fatigability) decreased selectively for the group receiving high-density treatment. Standard depression rating scale assessments were corroborated by clinical impressions. When a remission criterion of 50% or greater reduction in symptom frequency/severity was used, 58% of subjects responded to high-density treatment while 15% responded to low-density treatment (chi 2 = 5.00, df = 1, p = 0.025). There were no side effects attributable to the treatment, and all subjects who responded showed subsequent relapse during withdrawal. Treatment with a high-density negative ionizer appears to act as a specific antidepressant for patients with seasonal affective disorder. The method may be useful as an alternative or supplement to light therapy and medications.

 

Negative Ions Are Beneficial To Human Body In Four Major Ways:
Reprinted from "Economy Daily News" - January 30, 2002

Strengthen the functions of autonomic nerves

Reinforces collagen (tissues that are resilient and tension-related)

Improves the permeability of the cell's prototype plasma membranes (improves metabolism)

Strengthens the body's immune system

Negative Ion Regeneration For Youthfulness and Longevity
by John Heinerman, Ph.D

Negative ions neutralize pollutants and provide positive effects on health to stimulate the reticulo-endothelial system, a group of defense cells in our bodies that marshal our resistance to disease. Act on our capacity to absorb and utilize oxygen. Negative ions in the bloodstream accelerate the delivery of oxygen to our cells and tissues. Speed up oxidation of seratonin (5-hydroxtryptamine) in the blood. This is well known to have far reaching effects on mood, pain relief and sexual drive.

 

Studies Proving the Effectiveness of Negative Ions

Negative Ions Help Prevent Respiratory-Related Illnesses.
In a study conducted in a Swiss textile mill, negative ionizers were placed in two, 60' by 60' rooms, each containing 22 employees. In one room, the negative ion electronic air cleaner was turned on during the course of the study. In the other room, the negative ion air purifier was permanently turned off, although the employees in this room were led to believe they were working in a room enriched by negative ions. During this six-month study, a total of 22 sick days were lost by employees working in the room in which the negative ionizer was operating. In the room where the machine was not operating, a total of 64 days were lost to sickness. During a month-long flu epidemic, the first group lost a total of 3 days to sickness, while the second group lost a total of 40 days to sickness (Stark, 1971).

In a test involving a Swiss bank office, one group of 309 worked in a negative ion-treated environment. A second group of 362 worked in an untreated environment. Over the next several months, for every day lost to respiratory illness (cold, flu, laryngitis, etc.) in group one, 16 days were lost to respiratory illness in group two (Soyka, 1991).

In a Surrey University study at the Norwich Union Insurance Group headquarters, eight negative ion generators were placed in the computer and data preparation section. Before the test, the research team spent a month compiling incident rates for complaints of sickness and headaches. During the test in which the negative ion air purification systems were in operation, incidents of sickness and headaches were reduced by 78%. After testing was completed, the Norwich Union opted to keep the negative ion electronic air cleaners (Soyka, 1991).

 

Negative Ions Counteract The Effects of Smoking.
High levels of negative ions neutralize the effect that tobacco smoke has on the cilia. Cilia are the microscopic hairs located in the trachea that move rapidly back and forth to prevent pollutants and toxins from traveling into the vulnerable areas of the respiratory tract. The faster the cilia move, the more effective they are. However, tobacco smoke slows down the ciliary beat, diminishing the body's ability to keep cancer-causing pollutants from entering the depths of the respiratory tract. Tests have shown though, that adding high levels of negative ions to the air accelerates the ciliary beat to normal levels (Soyka, 1991).

Negative Ions Are A Natural Anti-depressant... . . and without the side effects!
In a study conducted by Columbia University, 25 people with SAD (Seasonal Affective Depression) sat in front of a negative ion air purifier for a half hour every morning for a month. Half the subjects were given a low level of negative ions, and the other half a high level. The higher level of negative ion treatment proved to be as effective against SAD as antidepressants, such as Prozac and Zolof, and without the side effects of these drugs (Finley, 1996).

Negative Ions For A Positive Attitude
Positive ions, which are found in abundance in most indoor environments, cause an overproduction of serotonin. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that helps the body deal with mental, emotional, and physiological stress. An overproduction initially causes hyperactivity, which rapidly leads to anxiety, and in some cases depression. Negative ion treatment has proven to be successful in reducing the overproduction of serotonin, and therefore successful in alleviating depression in some cases (Kreuger, 1957).

Negative Ions Help Us To Sleep Better.
In 1969, French researcher found that the overproduction of the neurohormone serotonin caused sleeplessness and nightmares. In using a negative ion electronic air cleaner to treat a group of people experiencing sleeping problems as a result of serotonin overproduction, he found that most of them were able to sleep better (Soyka, 1991).

Negative Ions Reduced Airborne Salmonella - U.S. Dept. of Agriculture
A recent study by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture found that ionizing a room led to 52% less dust in the air, and 95% less bacteria in the air (since many of the pollutants found in the air reside on floating dust particles).

The U.S.D.A. also performed another study to test the effectiveness of negative ionization at removing airborne Salmonella Enteritidis. The negative ions drastically reduced the airborne salmonella particles, prompting the following statement from the USDA:

"These results indicate that negative air ionization can have a significant impact on the airborne microbial load in a poultry house and at least a portion of this effect is through direct killing of the organisms."

Good Housekeeping Magazine Ionizer Smoke Test
In March of 1999, Good Housekeeping Magazine had its engineers test an ionizer by using a smoke test, and found that it cleared out the smoke in a tank. Watch the video here.


Agriculture Research Service (of USDA)
The Agriculture Research Service of the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture tested the effectiveness of ionizers for removing dust in a poultry hatchery. The dust level is very high in such an environment. In this study, the use of an ionizer resulted in dust removal efficiencies that averaged between 81.1 and 92.2%. The airborne transmission of salmonella (to the eggs) was also significantly reduced as a result.

Ionization Reduces Bacteria in Surgery Units - Journal of Hygiene
Scientists showed that ionization reduced bacterial levels in burns and plastic surgery units by over 96% after a two week period, which results in much better and more rapid healing of patients.

Journal of Applied Microbiology
The use of negative ions was even found by scientists to reduce the presence of airborne viruses by about 40%. A study featured in the 1987 issue also showed the negative ions are free from any adverse side effects.

Science
A 1976 study featured in this publication provided evidence that negative ions can have a biologically lethal effect on airborne microorganisms.

Journal of Hygiene
A 1979 study found that using negative ionization in the air protected chickens from airborne infection of the deadly Newcastle Disease Virus.

Journal of Food Protection
A 2001 study found that airborne negative ionization was highly effective at destroying airborne and surface salmonella.

University of Medicine and Pharmacy (Romania)
A test on male rats showed that just moderate levels of negative ions increased the resistance of the rats, reducing or eliminating the effect of some chemicals.
(Summary of Study)

 

Effect of Negative Ions on Drivers - Toyota Central R & D Labs
A study by Toyota Central R & D Labs, Inc. found that negative ions can improve fatigue and cognition of drivers. (Copy of study - PDF File http://www.tytlabs.co.jp/office/elibrary/ereview/erev371pdf/e371_065sakakibara.pdf)

Negative Charged Ions are Effective in Treating Cancer
(Cited from High-Voltage Treatment published by Youth Publishing)
In 1950, Dr. Haskell applied Negatively Charged Ions to patients of Hypertension. Amazingly, Negative Ions were proven to have a positive effect in lowering one's blood pressure, while no beneficial effects were observed with Positive Ions. Negative Ions are also effective against influenza, asthma and especially bronchial disease. Another study done by the University of Frankfurt involved a "Cancer Team" in order to further study the physical effects of Negative Ions to cancer cells. Different types of cancer cells were transfused into the bodies of mice. In order to have a base of comparison, one group of mice were put into a negative ion environment each day while the other group remained untouched. As a result, the mice in the negative ion environment lived, on average, for 59 days, while the mice that were untreated lived no longer than 34 days. The mice from the experimental team lived 25 days longer; some even lived as long as 80 days! The experiment's result confirm the effectiveness of Negative Ions in treating cancer.

"Negative Air Ions Stimulate Mitochondria" Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Biophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia.
http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/dsp.cgi?msg=12330

Other Negative Ion Benefits
Asthma, Allergies, and other Respiratory Problems and Illnesses. Many scientific studies have been conducted over the years (mostly in Europe and Russia) showing how exposure to high levels of negative ions drastically or significantly reduce asthma and allergy symptoms, as well as respiratory-related illness. Studies have also shown a link between negative ion treatment and benefits for the following:
 

Migraine Headaches
Inhaling negative ions regulates the production of serotonin inside the brain. The overproduction of serotonin inside the brain is the cause of migraine headaches.
 

Depression
A study at Columbia University suggested that negative ion treatment is more effective than anti-depressant drugs such as Prozac and Zolof, and there are no side effects with negative ions.
 

Fatigue
The overproduction of serotonin (chemical produced inside the brain) also causes fatigue, and negative ions regulate the production of serotonin inside the brain.
 

Sleep
A study in France found that negative ionizers helped people to sleep better, by regulating the production of the chemical serotonin in the brain.
 

Mental Performance and Concentration
Several tests have shown people exposed to negative ion treatment perform much better in mentally-oriented activities than those who are not.
 

Physical Performance
Due to test results performed by Russian scientists, negative ionizers were always installed in the locker rooms and resting places for the Russian athletes.
 

Burns
Studies performed in one hospital found that burn patients were far more likely to recover more quickly and thoroughly.

Other Negative Ion Studies:

"Health Tips: Healthy Breathing & Negative Ions": Monumental Message

"Negative Ions and Computers": Alaska Science Forum

"Air Ionizers wipe out hospital infections": New Scientist

"Treatment of seasonal affective disorder with a high-output negative ionizer": The Good Drug Guide

"Negative ions explained in layman's terms": Chemtrail web site

Advanced research on Ions: by Scientist Guy Cramer; Project Air

Penn State University Graduate School of Architectural Engineering & Dept. of Biology

"Negative Air Ions Stimulate Mitochondria" Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Biophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia.