Ozone sterilization is a technology that uses the strong oxidation properties of ozone to eliminate pathogens. Ozone (O3) is a strong oxidant, and its principle of killing pathogens is mainly through the following aspects:
1. Oxidizing cell membrane: Ozone can oxidize the lipids and proteins on the cell membrane, causing damage to the cell membrane. This damage will destroy the normal function of cells and make them unable to sustain life activities.
2. Damage DNA: Ozone can also penetrate into the cell and react with DNA, causing DNA damage. DNA is the genetic material of cells, which will cause cells to fail to replicate and grow normally after damage, resulting in cell death.
3. Destroy cell metabolism: Ozone can also oxidize enzymes and other metabolites in cells, destroy the cell's energy supply and substance transport system, making cells unable to carry out normal metabolic activities.
4. Inducing apoptosis: the oxidation of ozone can also induce cells into programmed death, that is, apoptosis. This is the self-defense mechanism of cells against pathogen infection, which removes infected cells through apoptosis, thus limiting the spread of pathogens.
In short, ozone sterilization effectively kills pathogens by oxidizing cell membranes, damaging DNA, destroying cell metabolism and inducing cell apoptosis, so as to achieve the purpose of disinfection and sterilization. This method has the advantages of broad spectrum, high efficiency and no residue, so it has been widely used in medical, food processing, water treatment and other fields.
