WHAT ARE SMALL AIR IONS?

Some reports claim that air ionisation is a vast new field of knowledge (eg Sulman 1976), it is however a phenemonon that Abbe Betholon observed as early as 1780. Bertholon noted differential responses of normal individuals and patients as a result of changes in the elctrical state of the air (Krueger 1962). Over the past two hundred years there have been a number of upsurges of interest in the area. Unforunately, little effort has been made to integrate the available information. As a result, previous research findings provide a picture of air ionisation that is at best, fragmented.

Before reviewing previous findings, it is appropriate that air ionisation is clarified through the presentation of a definition.

AIR IONS

Air is made up of these chemical elements: nitrogen 78%, oxygen 20%, argon 1%, carbon dioxide 1/3% and other rare gasses 2/3%. These elements combine with other matter suspended in air to form molecules (Davies 1963). An ion is formed if any of the molecular complexes acquire an electrical charge.