Gambarelli's Oxygena Air Purifying Floor Tiles
by Paula Alvarado, Buenos Aires 
on 06.14.05
The Oxygena line of floor tiles from Italian firm Gambarelli eliminates contaminating gases through its surface. The system is based in that the tiles contain titanium dioxide, an element which reacts to and eliminates polluting gases thus rendering them harmless. The company's website explains that when solar rays hit the surface of the tiles, titanium dioxide (thanks to its photo catalytic properties) produces active oxygen, which then oxidizes polluting gases. The gases are transformed into nitrate ions which, combined with water or other elements, become eco-efficient (scheme in the extended).
Oxygena is designed for outdoor applications (buildings, balconies, walkways, etc.), and it can help cleaning the air of nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide produced by vehicles, central-heating systems and domestic cookers. It can also be laid indoors. ::Oxygena.
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My understanding is that
active oxygen = ozone
which is a respiratory irritant and considered a pollutant itself. I hope I'm wrong on this.
That sounds about right. "Air purifiers" like the Sharper Image one emit low amounts of ozone, which binds oxygen to other molecules in the air as it breaks down. The EPA has a document online mostly saying they don't produce sufficient ozone to really clear the air, and if they did, it would be lethal to be in the same room.* I imagine this is a similar idea, with probably about the same efficacy.
I did use an industrial ozonator before I moved into a house where the owners had been heavy smokers for fifty years. It worked well, but that was only for use when no one was there to breathe the ozone.
* http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/ozonegen.html
Well, I'll find out better for you guys, but the company has an authorization from the Italian Environment Department, so I don't think the tiles are toxic. I'll e-mail them with this issue though.
I'm wondering if the amount of energy it takes to make and transport the tile produces more harm than the potential good that they can do? I read through their PDF and it give a lot of information about the possible good that these tiles could do but says nothing about what it takes to produce them...
Oh geez, I totally missed this and just sent you guys a "tip" on it. Hehe, sorry.
Next time then I guess I'll use my real email.