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- NEGATIVE IONS, VITAMINS OF THE AIR?
- Negative Ions Vitamins of the Air?
New Rrealities
Author: Don Strachan and Jim Karnstedt
When certain kinds of winds begin to blow throughout the world, hospital
admissions, suicides, and crime rates skyrocket. One country-Switzerland-
even accepts the blowing of the "Foehn" during the commission
of a crime as mitigating evidence in court.
These "notorious" desert and sea winds are also linked to minor
illnesses and malaise epidemics. Victims' claims range from sleeplessness,
irritability, tension, migraines, nausea, palpitations and hot flashes
with sweating o shills to tremor, vertigo, swelling, breathing difficulty,
and frequent intestinal movement. In addition, elderly persons are affected
with depression. apathy, and fatigue..
What causes these "witches' winds." as they are often called,
to differ from others? What do they posses or lack that make them a dread
to the lands or oceans they blow across?.
Nothing more than an imbalance of invisible, minute particles with an imperceptive
electrical charge-positive and negative ions..
According to the experts, positive ions rob us of our good senses and dispositions,
while their counterpart, negative ions, enhance them, stimulating everything
from plant growth to the human sex drive..
For the uninitiated, ions are charged particles in the air, formed when
enough energy acts on a molecule such as carbon dioxide, oxygen, water
or nitrogen-to eject an electron. The displaced electron attaches itself
to a nearby molecule, which then becomes a negative ion (neg-ion). The
original molecule (minus an electron) is now a positive ion (pos-ion).
These ions, in turn, react with dust and pollutants to form larger particles.
Small neg-ions (usually no more than 12 gaseous molecules clustered around
a charged atom or molecule) are short-lived and highly mobile..
As long ago as 1789, the Abbe Bertholon, European monk speculated that
ions exist and affect people. He recorded the responses of medical patients
and normal people to changes in the electrical state of the ambient air.
More than a century later, in 1899, two scientists named Elster and Geitel
proved the existence of ions. Only since the 1930s have researchers been
probing their secrets..
In nature, ions are formed in a variety of ways. About half are created
by radioactive gases. Radioactive substances in the soil, cosmic rays,
ultraviolet rays, air flow friction, falling water and plants all produce
the other half. For example, they stream off the leaves of plants, most
notably pines and asparagus ferns..
Ions are apparently also created by the phenomenon of "subterranean
suspiration". As Fred Soyka, author of The Ion Effect , told the first
Ions and Light Conference held this summer in Atherton, California. "Solar
and lunar influences cause the water table to rise, forcing air out of
the earth." This prompted Federal Aviation Administration research
psychologist, Bruce Rosenberg, to charge the earth with having "bad
breath." Being negatively charged, he said, "it breathes positive
ions.".
Normally only about one atom in 100,000,000,000,000,000 is ionized making
a total of maybe 1000-2000 ions per cubic centimeter (that's like a handful
of planets floating in a circle 4 billion miles in diameter). These are
usually balanced pretty evenly between positive and negative, with a slight
edge toward positive. "However, the normal may not be the optimal,"
Fred Soyka told New Realities. "On the seashore, where water is always
falling, you have about 2000 negative to 1000 positive. That seems to be
the ratio that human beings respond to most favorably."
We have all experienced this positive effect, regardless of our proximity
to waterfalls or the ocean. Every home has a built in, natural ionizer-the
shower. Our daily bath rituals are, in effect, the practice of preventive
medicine. Research has shown that falling water creates thousands of negative
ions by splitting other wise neutral particles of air, freeing electrons
to manifest their vitalizing function. These electrons join up with smaller
air particles, thus giving them a predominantly negative charge.
Waterfalls have always been the favorite habitat of mystics and artists.
The inspiration and romance generated at places like Niagara Falls and
Yosemite have a direct relationship to the lowering of serotonin levels
in the blood, caused by the waves of negative ions from the spray of these
falls.
Those notorious desert and sea winds mentioned previously raise the ion
count, but over-balance the positive-up to a ratio of 33 to 1 positive.
As the winds blow through arid areas, they stir up dust and the neg-ions
are leeched out. In Israel such winds are called the Sharav; in the Alps
the Foehn; along the Mediterranean the Sharkiye (called the Sirocco in
Italy and the Xlokk in Malta); in Africa the Simoon, Hamsin and Harmatan;
in southern France, the Mistral. There is the Boras of the Adriatic, the
Karaburan of the Gobi, the Zondi of Argentina, the Tramontana of Spain.
In the U.S., the Chinook plagues the Rockies and the Santa Ana the southern
California desert. Still other winds pos-ionize India and Australia. But
whatever their name, throughout the world, they are known to blow no good.
One might postulate that the culprit is really humidity, wind or temperature
changes, not positive ionization. That has been considered, but doesn't
account for the fact that weather-sensitive people react to the approaching
Sharav 12 to 24 hours before meteorological instruments do. Positive ionization
remains the culprit. So much for natural pos-ions.
The really lethal doses of pos-ions lie within our polluted cities, which
William Radley, president of the Bio-Environmental Systems, refers to as
"ion prisons." Car exhausts, factory fumes, tire dust, cigarette
smoke, cooking and heating fumes, dust and soot gobble up neg-ions, either
neutralizing or positively charging them. Inside, steel and concrete buildings
act as electro-magnetic Faraday cages, absorbing the charges of negative
ions. Synthetic building materials, clothing and furniture coverings eat
up more; so do the metal ducts covering heating and air conditioning outlets.
The positive static charge of plastics takes care of the rest, so that
in a typical interior, the neg-ion count may be below 100 per cubic centimeter.
(The minimal amount for optimum human functioning is about 1000/ccm.) In
the words of Dr. William Rea, Chief of Surgery at Brookhaven Medical Center
in Texas, "Houses don't breathe like they used to."
Several people have investigated the mechanisms of pos-ions' debilitating
effects. According to the Russian ion pioneer, Vasil'yev, ions act on the
endings of pulmonary afferent nerve fibers, altering the functional state
of the central nervous system and, through it, the peripheral organs. Sulman
et al (1970) found that weather-sensitive people excrete more of the neuro-hormone
serotonin than non-sensitive people. Serotonin is secreted by the pineal
gland and the intestines. It affects sleep, mood, nerve impulses, blood-clotting
and contraction of smooth muscles. LSD effects are caused by a serotonin
inhibitor, and chronic serotonin depletion is characteristic of some types
of mental anomalies.
Sulman's work supports the findings of American ion dean Dr. Albert P.
Krueger, who discovered that the specific negative ion or oxygen speeds
up the rate at which serotonin is oxidized in the bloodstream.
Krueger also found that pos-ions slow the sweeping action of the tiny hairs
in our throats from 900 to 600 beats per minute and cut mucus flow, thus
lowering our resistance to airborne allergens. For example, the pos-ion
carbon dioxide causes contracture of the back tracheal wall. Pos-ions also
cause vasoconstriction and increased respiration rate.
Oddly enough, notes ion author Soyka, "About five percent of the population
seems to react well to a positive charge. They feel euphoric."
If pos-ions are the bad guys, neg-ions wear white hats and shoot silver
bullets. Their beneficial effect was first discovered in 1932 by Dr. C.W.
Hansell at RCA Laboratories. Dr. Hansell was startled by the violent mood
shifts of a co-worker who sat beside an electrostatic generator. He observed
carefully and discovered that his colleague was ebullient when the machine
produced neg-ions and morose when it made pos-ions.
Subsequently researchers (mostly abroad) have found that neg-ions reduce
neurosis and anxiety, heighten appetite and thirst and stimulate sexual
behavior. They improved performance of voluntary movements: 81.2 percent
of drivers with neg-ion generators scored in the top half on driving tests:
86 percent in the top half on reaction time. In school they sharpen mental
functioning and reduce error rates. After a year with neg-ion generators
in their classrooms, a group of kindergarten teachers reported that their
students concentrated better and showed almost no 'weather effect."
Hyperactive kids were calmer. absenteeism was down (except on Mondays}
and the teachers themselves felt less fatigued.
Neg-ions promote alpha brain waves and increase brain wave amplitude, which
translates to a higher awareness level. Neg-ion Induced alpha waves spread
from the occipital area to the parietal and temporal and even reach the
frontal lobes, spreading evenly across the right and left brain hemispheres.
All of this creates an overall calming effect.
On the physical side, they have given relief from hay fever. sinusitis.
bronchial asthma. allergies. migraine and burn and post-operative pains.
Along with the burn pain relief. they lesson infections dry the burns faster,
heal them more quickly and leave less scarring. After operations. not only
did 57 percent of Dr. Igho Hart Kornblueh's patients treated with large
doses of neg-ions (10,000/ccm) feel less pain (as opposed to 22.5 percent
of controls), but restlessness and infection were also reduced and healing
quickened.
But why are ions therapeutic? Panty because they kill germs. Back in the
1930s. a Russian team headed by A L. Tchijevski found that large ion doses
of either polarity retarded bacteria colony formation on plates. Ionization
also sterilized enclosed air. Latter experiments duplicating Tchijevski's
work noted an exponential bacteria decay rate of 23 percent per minute
for untreated air 34 percent per minute for air with pos-ions. and 78 percent
per minute for negatively charged air. They concluded that the pos-ion
decay rate was due to simple bonding or the ions with the bacteria, whereas
the neg-ions actually killed them.
Interestingly, animals larger than microbes find neg-ions beneficial. Rats
learn better and are less anxious. Mice live longer. (Mice with flu die
more quickly If deprived of neg-ions.) Silkworm eggs hatch earlier, larvae
grow faster, spinning begins sooner, cocoons are heavier. chickens lay
more eggs and grow more plump. Sheep grow faster and supply more wool.
And in the vegetable kingdom. plant seedlings grow up to 50 percent more
when charged. Fruit stays fresh longer: after 10 days, ionized tomatoes
were still fresh while untreated controls rotted.
Researches offer a variety of reasons for ion effect. Dr Krueger explains
that plants benefit from both positive and negative ions because "ions
expedite both the uptake of ion and its utilization in the production of
iron containing enzymes (and) stimulate the metabolism of ATP in the chloroplasts
and augment both nucleic acid metabolism and oxygen uptake."
In humans, most researchers think that neg-ions act on our capacity to
absorb and utilize oxygen, accelerating the blood's delivery of oxygen
to our cells and tissues. Dr. R. Gualterotti of the University of Milan
says they make wider cell nuclei with more volume. The weight of evidence
supports Krueger's theory that ions break down serotonin in the bloodstream.
Lest negative ions sound too much like a cure-all, testers report that
neg-ions work only so long as they're being inhaled. As the charge is most
readily absorbed through the olfactory nerves, you need to breathe them
in through your nose, not your mouth. Dr. Krueger cautions that ''the biological
(non clinical) effects produced by atmospheric ions are not dramatic; on
the contrary, they tend to be limited in degree.''
But that's atmospheric ions. Artificially generated ions arc another story.
Just as positive ions can be generated artificially by pollution. so can
negative ions be man madeÑwith negative ion generators. It's true,
you can't plug in an ionizer at night and expect new muscles in the morning.
But their effects are not always subtle. '' People are allergic to the
Twentieth Century,'' says Bio-Environmental Systems President William Radley.
"Our architects and interior designers are poisoning us. Some people
are so sick or so intolerant of chemicals that sometimes the results of
ionization are quite dramatic.''
Since the 1950s, manufacturers have produced dozens of ion generators for
laboratory and home use. Early machines ionized atoms and molecules via
high-voltage electrical fields, incandescent materials, ultraviolet light,
x-rays and alpha or beta radiation from isotopes. The output of the electrostatic,
incandescent, and ultraviolet generators tended to deteriorate rapidly.
In addition, electrostatic and ultraviolet machines produced ozone, a toxic
oxygen allotrope, as a by-product.
Dr. Krueger used tritium-based generators during the 50's. Tritium is a
beta radiating hydrogen isotope with a half-life of 12.5 years. A minute
amount of the gas is sealed in zirconium and deposited on a stainless steel
foil. An electrical potential difference varying from 300 to 2000 volts
DC is used to separate pos-ions from neg-ions before they recombine in
the plasma. Tritium machines allow precise dosages, but unfortunately tritium
is so dangerous that it's illegal (except in fusion power plants). This,
the tritium generators manufactured during this period were seized by the
FDA.
During the 1960s, ion collectors drew air through an electrostatic field
between parallel plates or concentric cylinders: the ions were collected
on the plates. Present ion units apply a high voltage electrical signal
directly to the air to create an intense electric field around the emitters.
Why not set up a monster ionizer over Manhattan? Well, safety dictates
a size limit. Dr Robert Massy of the University of the Trees reported at
the Ions and Light Conference that, whereas a 5 ,000-volt machine produces
less than .05 parts per million of ozone (the limit allowed by the FDA),
extremely high-voltage units invariably fail to meet standards.
Although most people in the U.S. are not ion-wise, generators have been
popular elsewhere in the world for decades. In World War 11, Luftwaffe
planes were negatively ionized by electric field generators, in order to
reduce pilot fatigue. And it worked! (Electric field generators are like
female ion generators: instead of ejecting ions, they attract them. Germany
and the USSR use them in government buildings, hospitals, schools, factories,
restaurants, health spas, beauty salons, homes, offices, cars and trucks.
In Canada, Fred Soyka notes. "Ionization has become a household word.
My book became a best-seller, and innumerable articles have come out.''
The U.S. has equipped nuclear submarines with ion machines. Ionizers are
being used industrially in auto spray paint booths, food processing plants,
grain storage bins and chemical spray factories.
Architects and designers are beginning to see the health benefits from
fountains and rooftop solariums placed in urban environments, echoing the
wisdom of their forefathers in the Roman culture. The growing recognition
of our biological needs amidst our artificial interiors is opening up whole
new industries armed at replicating nature indoors. In addition, we could
all take Rosenberg's advice and wear underwear of polyvinyl chloride to
attract neg-ions. From BVD's to PVC's then, it's the negative ion generation.
Several machines are now on the market for home and office use ranging
in cost from about $70 to several thousand dollars You just plug them in
and they ionize away. But, here are some considerations to keep In mind.
If something or someone is between you and the generator, the ion count
around you will drop. If you and the machine are in contact with the same
dielectric material (as for instance, If it and your arms are on the same
desk), a charge will build up between you and it, and this charge will
repel ions. (Supposedly this doesn't happen with the latest machines.)
Also, your own static charge will often repel ions, especially in dry indoor
wintertime air. Synthetic clothing absorbs ions: wear cotton or wool, which
have neutral charges.
At the Ions and Light Conference, Fred Soyka told New Realities of some
in-progress Swiss research on ion machine frequencies. Frequencies of 60-100
Hz (cycles/sec) are stimulating to a person. while less than 25 Hz are
relaxing. "If you have 60-100 Hz frequency machine," Soyka says
"you may have trouble sleeping well with it on. Manufacturers ought
to look into machines with adjustable frequency ranges. Some European machines
already modulate frequency so people can dial their needs electrically.
A problem with ionizers has been determining their effectiveness. A typical
generator may supposedly churn out 100 billion ions per second. But how
many of them survive a yard past the machine? Ion counted do exist but
up unto now no store or salesperson selling generators has had one around.
Inexpensive units are now on the assembly line. Ion counters must be used
carefully: within a room the ion concentration vanes a lot depending on
how far you are from the generator. from conducting walls from charge buildup
on insulating walls from curtains or draperies . Poor measurability panty
explains why shoddy machines have been marketed (and confiscated by the
FDA in the past. Today regrettably the field is still not without its quacks.
According to Brute Sullivan. president of Environmental Sciences Corp.
''Some people Are selling generators for thousands One company calls its
machine The Air Doctor.''
Advanced technology has eliminated main problems associated with previous
ion devices. and as such there are more on the market today. Moreover,
it is now possible to create higher voltages with lower current, thereby
reducing or eliminating the production of ozone (Federal law prohibits
the production of more than .05 parts per million or 50ppb of ozone). So
to ensure that device meets the buyer's needs, one should carefully examine
the manufacturer's literature.
In addition buyers should look for a warranty on parts and labor including
a description of the room size affected by the machine. and even a money-back
trial period offer. A list of authorized service centers should also be
provided to the consumer. So caution is still the watchword since industry
standardization has yet to be instituted, although industry standards for
ion measurement and output are currently being drawn up by several manufacturers.
The first call for some kind of industry standards was issued by ion pioneer
Igho Hart Kornblueh back in 1961: "Standardization of the generating
and metering equipment by an independent authority would terminate the
hasty and regrettable trend to market ion generator of questionable safety,
quality and output."
Today Fred Soyka echoes his words: ''Measuring the sending capacity of
these machines is very important. You should be able to say, like when
you buy a 60 watt light bulb, "I'm getting an ionizer of this capacity,
and to correlate that to room sizes." A giant step was taken at the
Ions and Light Conference where the International Bio Environmental Society
was formed to set up standards and regulations within the industry. "We've
already gone though our Inquisition on ionization," said president
Bruce Sullivan. "We don't need another one.'' The Association is building
a box within which the ion output of different machines can be counted
at a standard distance and humidity.
Ions have been around for eons. Science has had its eye on the ion for
80 years. But public ignorance, generally non-ionized interiors and lack
of generator standards, is the hallmark of a science and industry still
in its infancy. Dr. E.R. Holiday thinks we know as much about air today
as we did about 70 years ago when biochemists thought proteins, fat and
carbohydrates were all we needed. Then a substance was discovered that
prevented rickets: the first vitamin. Ions might well be, as Holiday suggests,
"the vitamins of the air."
James Karnstedt is a writer, lecturer and researcher whose interests lie
in the field of light, color, sound and ions as they affect human consciousness
and health.
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