Research review: Health Benefits of Negative Ions

Air ionization is known for decades, as is the correlation between negative ions and air quality: the more negative ions in the air, the less polluting particles. In urban environment, and especially inside buildings, negative ions are missing. To assess the nocivity of this lack of negative ions, scientists have studied the influence of air ionization on our physiology. Here are some picks from their research results.

Negative ions have positive effects

Pathogens removal

Article in Nature analyzing bactericidal effect of negative air ions:
https://www.nature.com/articles/281400a0
High amounts of negative air ions have an efficient antimicrobial activity on airborne bacteria:
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1365-2672.2009.04359.x#b20
Using negative ionization to prevent tuberculosis transmission:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2656548/pdf/pmed.1000043.pdf
Antimicrobian action of essential oil vapours and negative air ions:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20850191
Acinetobacter (antibiotic-resistant bacteria) removed from a British hospital using negative air ionizers:
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00134-005-0002-8
https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn3228-air-ionisers-wipe-out-hospital-infections/#.VIOycVfF_yA
Bacteria removal by negative air ionisation in Finnish hospital:
/user-info/effects_of_ionization_on_aerosols.en.html

Particles removal

Negative air ionization enables to decrease PM10 to 70-75% in a stable:
https://www.agriculturejournals.cz/publicFiles/52302.pdf
Bioaerosol removal using air ionization:
/user-info/effect_of_air_ions.en.html

Action on asthma and respiratory disorders

Strong medication decrease (roughly -50%) on a set of 30 patients suffering bronchial asthma, after a 17 months period of high density negative air ions treatment (Th. Le Cossec, doctorate thesis, Université de Bretagne Occidentale):
https://www.ionisation.be/Effets_benefiques_de_l_ionisation_negative_de_l_air_Revue_de_70_publications_scientifiques_Mars_2011.pdf
"Negative ions can promote the formation of epithelial cells of the nasal mucosa, accelerate mucosa cilia movement of the bronchus, improve alveolar ventilation, increased percentage of oxygen saturation in the blood. Clinical results show, after inhalation of negative ions concentrate in high doses during 30 minutes, a 20% increase of the oxygen absorption, and an increase of carbon dioxide of 14 5% emission. This normalize-ation of lung function may help asthmatic patients."
http://www.baike.com/wiki/%E8%B4%9F%E7%A6%BB%E5%AD%90%E7%A9%BA%E6%B0%94%E5%87%80%E5%8C%96%E5%99%A8
"Russian research conducted at the Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Biophysics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, in Pushchino, Russia, found that exposure to negative ions increased levels of the protective antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD) in mammalian erythrocytes. The researchers concluded that the primary physiochemical mechanism of beneficial biological action of negative air ions is suggested to be related to the stimulation of superoxide dismutase activity by micromolar concentrations of H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide)." (Jim English)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9237652

Blood oxygenation and pressure, heart rate

Exposure to negative air ions significantly reduces blood pressure and heart rate (observed on rats):
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18188611
"Cardiovascular system: negative ions allow coronary expansion and increase coronary blood flow, improve the cardiac function by adjusting heart rate and speed of blood flow, relieve angina and allow normalization of blood pressure."
http://www.baike.com/wiki/%E8%B4%9F%E7%A6%BB%E5%AD%90%E7%A9%BA%E6%B0%94%E5%87%80%E5%8C%96%E5%99%A8

Sleep

"British researchers at the Centre for Sport and Exercise Sciences in Liverpool exposed male subjects to negative ions and measured physiological responses, including body temperature, heart rate and respiration, while at rest and during exercise. Negative ions were found to significantly improve all physiological states, particularly during rest." (Jim English)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8064146
Effects of air ionization on waking and sleeping phases in rats:
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF02188943
Report of various research works obtaining insomnia reduction with negative air ions (JM. Olivereau, University Paris VI):
http://www.persee.fr/web/revues/home/prescript/article/psy_0003-5033_1976_num_76_1_28137

Headaches

JM. Olivereau (University Paris VI) reports various research works obtaining headaches reduction with negative air ions:
http://www.persee.fr/web/revues/home/prescript/article/psy_0003-5033_1976_num_76_1_28137
Hawkins (University of Surrey, England) ran a double-blinded experiment with negative air ionizers on a set of 106 subjects; headaches complaints decreased by 50% with negative air ionizer:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0272494481800266

No risk exposing oneself to high quantities of negative air ions

A.P. Krueger, University of California Berkeley: "No one as yet has found that the negative air ions concentrations produced by any properly constructed commercial generator may be harmful."
Many scientific studies experiment exposure to high level of negative ions density (10K/cm3 and beyond), without reporting any side-effect.

Do you want to know more?

If you want to dive deeper into the air ionization topic, we advise you the following readings which are as many attempts to provide an overview of research findings regarding negative air ions and the way they benefit human physiology:

Superoxyde Dismutase (SOD) suggested as the primary physicochemical mechanism for beneficial biological action of negative air ions
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9237652
Review (dated) by JM. Oliveau of negative air ionization impacts on psychophysiology, and discussion of its various aspects whose root cause might be serotonin regulation by negative air ions
http://www.persee.fr/web/revues/home/prescript/article/psy_0003-5033_1976_num_76_1_28137
Review of 70 scientific studies on negative air ionization - J.-L. Guilmot
https://www.teqoya.com/config/links/en/Effets_benefiques_de_l_ionisation_negative_de_l_air_Revue_de_70_publications_scientifiques_Mars_2011.pdf
Review of air quality aspects and a vision of some research outcomes
https://nutritionreview.org/2013/04/positive-health-benefits-negative-ions/

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