Bactericidal action of positive and negative ions in air

Abstract

Background: In recent years there has been renewed interest in the use of air ionisers to control of the spread of airborne infection. One characteristic of air ions which has been widely reported is their apparent biocidal action. However, whilst the body of evidence suggests a biocidal effect in the presence of air ions the physical and biological mechanisms involved remain unclear. In particular, it is not clear which of several possible mechanisms of electrical origin (i.e. the action of the ions, the production of ozone, or the action of the electric field) are responsible for cell death. A study was therefore undertaken to clarify this issue and to determine the physical mechanisms associated with microbial cell death.

Life Comes from the Air: A Short Review on Bioaerosol Control

“…Exposure to air ions for 15 minutes results in the inactivation of more than 80% of microorganisms on agar plates (Fletcher et al, 2007). Various studies have reported that air ions inhibit the growth of bacterial and fungal species (Shargawi et al, 1999;Noyce and Hughes, 2002;Kerr et al, 2006).…”

“…Further, there are few data on the effects of air ions on bioaerosols (not static microorganisms on agar plates, but airborne microorganisms). Fletcher et al (2007) suggested that air ions demonstrate bactericidal effects through the electro-poration of bacteria in addition to ozone exposure. Kim et al (2011) suggested that electro-poration plays a primary role in the antibacterial effects of air ions.…”

Generation and Determination of Negative Air Ions

“…For example, NAI play a positive role in altering the concentration of serotonin and cyclic nucleotides in the cerebral cortex of rats [6]. After that, various researchers demonstrated that NAI inhibit the growth of microorganism [7,8].…”

Effect of Treatment with a Natural Extract of Mukdenia Rossii (Oliv) Koidz and Unipolar Ion Emission on the Antibacterial Performance of Air Filters

“…Air ions have long been considered as antimicrobial stimuli; however, the detailed mechanisms underlying the antimicrobial activity of air ions are under investigation (Lee, 2011). Fletcher et al (2007) suggested that air ions exert bactericidal effects via the electro-poration of bacterial cells. The position and accumulation of air ions on the surfaces of airborne microorganisms may disrupt the electric fields of adjacent cell walls, which in turn may disrupt the transport of electrons and protons inside the cells (Lee, 2011).…”