[MrEnergyCzar]

Rule out PTSD. You might want to add counseling to the list of suggestions. The death of the guy in your building may have brought up the loss of someone else from earlier in your life...

 

[HVolt]

Try adding some good air filtration equipment (non-ozone generating) to the space. The Blue Air brand with the carbon filter will also remove bacteria and VOCs from the environment. I use these at home, and while pricey they work very, very good. They are also made in the USA.
https://www.blueair.com/us

If you continue to have issues then you should see a doctor. I would also be open to the possibility that you are hyper aware of odors which is understandable given what occurred.

 

[Phil Stasik]

Astronauts that return to their spacecraft after space walks all report that "ozone smell" on their suits and equipment. That's because they are exposed to atomic oxygen in low-earth orbit while outside the spacecraft. NASA and all of its partners are pretty good at protecting their astronauts from toxic substances, and I'll bet that they have a way of neutralizing that smell. I know that it sounds like a long shot, but I would send an email to the Public Affairs Officer (PAO) at the Johnson Space Center, and ask them if they have a solution.

 

[Phil Stasik]

By the way, I have stayed at hotels that used ozonators to neutralize cigarette odors. I don't like either smell, so I feel your pain. I'll bet hotel people have some experience with this problem.

 

[BrianP]

Activated charcoal clears ozone which was a problem on laser printers. The solution was a charcoal filter on the cooling air outlet, used on HP 2686 Laser printers. These filters will also absorb most chemicals used for this in gas masks. Believe charcoal can be purchased from fish aquarium shops as used to clean the water in fish tanks. Need to make a box up filled with it so air can flow through and a 12 volt fan to blow it run it of 12v socket, select fan below 8amps so not overload the socket. Just an idea. Ozone is not a clever idea to clear smells as very corrosive, rots certain rubber products that you do not want a hole in. Also if you can smell it it's above maximum levels for health.

 

[Seven3Five]

Lookup Jolie Kerr. She's an expert on cleaning and getting smells out. She runs a blog and a podcast called "Ask a Clean Person". I'm sure she would LOVE to help you out. Seriously. She oddly enjoys the oddest cleaning challenges.

 

[linkim]

In this part of the country, termites like to eat wooden houses so termite exterminators have a lucrative business. They tent the house and pump a poisonous sulfur chemical into the tented house. typically the fumigant is left in for 2-3 days. Then the tent is removed and fans are used to disperse any of the toxic chemical vapor. I think some homeowners are more sensitive to the presence of the chemicals and report an adverse reaction. Don't know if the chemical affects them organically or psychologically. We had this done to our home last year, and didn't notice any strange smell when we returned home.

Ozone (O3) is not stable and either reacts or decompose to O2. It is sometimes used as a substitute for chlorine (bleach) because they both respond chemically in the same way.

If you have a lingering health issue from ozone, then one should go see a doctor. But to contemplate selling a vehicle because it may be contaminated seems far fetched to me.

 

[ampera_jed]

I highly doubt any consumer level ozone generator could achieve this. An industrial one, maybe it could damage the lining of your nose and cause you to be confusing smells.

You seem to be thinking somehow ozone has wafted into your car with you? Can't see it at all.

Cut a pile of wet grass, spread it on a tray, and leave it in the car for a day or two, would be my advice. Get srid of most smells IMHO, and anything remaining smells nice and natural (as long as you don't leave it too long it rots!! )

 

[flyingsherpa]

Just so I'm clear... I'm not saying ozone itself is still causing me problems. But from here:

...ozone is highly volatile and does not stay around in buildings. We also agree that ozone, precisely because of that extra oxygen molecule, is highly volatile and can oxidize other molecules. It is precisely that volatility that can result in overdosing a building or car or other enclosed space and its contents, apparently oxidizing materials and causing related problems.

...The smell that remains is probably from oxidized materials, possibly carpeting, padding, foam cushions or something else. That outgassing odor tends to continue for a long time. The solution is usually to identify exactly what is giving off the odor and dispose of it.

I believe that somehow, some oxidized material is still causing a problem in some clothes and in my car. Its effects on me are quite dramatic and unlike anything I've experienced before (sort of like inhaling too much gasoline vapor... slightly light-headed, really "out of it" feeling / difficulty thinking/focusing, but usually with lung pain too.... on days I'm most affected, I can barely eat).

I appreciate all the serious replies.

 

[StreetUrchin]

just curious, have you tried sitting in any other Volts (similar age/year). Possible you've developed a hyper sensitivity to some material in the Volt. Similar to how there are some rare individuals that have a severe reaction to allergy testing that makes it worse that the original allergy...

Though this is a stretch, as you probably would have noticed other things that are bothering you as well else where...

 

[stresstool]

The OP isn't nuts. It happened to me once a long time ago too. I put one of those little ozone makers in my car (an '86 Olds) intending to leave it in there for just a few minutes (as the instructions that came with the device suggested). A couple of hours later I remembered it being in there. Oops. It made me sick (headache and nausea) for the first few days when driving which I had to do with all windows down and luckily my commute at the time was short. The residual "smell" left in the car didn't dissipate completely for several months and I left the windows open forever thereafter and left fans running all night blowing through the car for at least a couple of weeks afterwards.

 

[Loboc]

There are activated charcoal furnace filters that may help. Some car cabin filters also have activated charcoal.

http://www.amazon.com/Filtrete-Alle...I5V88/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1446229410&sr=8-1&keywords=charcoal+furnace+filter

When I was a mechanic, we used cut-up potatoes to get rid of bad smells in cars. I had a problem with my wife's car once. She went to the grocery store and accidentally left some ground beef in the trunk. For a week. In Texas. In summer. I used potatoes and baking soda to absorb the smell. Took a few treatments, but, eventually it got back to smelling like carpet instead of a dead rat.

Getting the car detailed may help as well. Or it may make it worse if they use something that disagrees with your respiratory system. Some high-end car washes have a mist treatment that may help.

My late wife had COPD (along with other problems) and could not handle any kind of spray (like Windex) or cleaners or even the first time the furnace was lit for winter. I used bio-cleaners that had no smell. She had to leave the house if I used bleach in clothes even though the laundry has an exhaust fan and is in a totally different part of the house. Some dishwasher detergents have bleach as well.

This is probably not psychological. Sensitivity is real for some people.

edit: there are also low-VOC paints that contain an absorbing agent. Might help in the house.

 

[flyingsherpa]

The OP isn't nuts. It happened to me once a long time ago too. I put one of those little ozone makers in my car (an '86 Olds) intending to leave it in there for just a few minutes (as the instructions that came with the device suggested). A couple of hours later I remembered it being in there. Oops. It made me sick (headache and nausea) for the first few days when driving which I had to do with all windows down and luckily my commute at the time was short. The residual "smell" left in the car didn't dissipate completely for several months and I left the windows open forever thereafter and left fans running all night blowing through the car for at least a couple of weeks afterwards.

Thanks for this, no one likes to be called crazy (even if this whole situation is making me feel pretty crazy). This is the kind of story I was hoping to hear, though I was hoping you found a magic bullet to fix it other than time and air. There's lots of good ideas on this thread about odors, but I'm not sure most would apply in this situation (covering it up won't prevent a bad reaction to it, need to somehow neutralize it at the source).

 

[nhern202]

Ok there are a few unanswered questions I'd like to ask.

1. A guy passed away in my small apartment building
How old was he?
What did he die of?

2. Landlord was not very fast about dealing with this (dead guy odor) and I started researching ways of dealing with the disturbing odor.
How did the landlord finally deal with the dead guy's odor?
If you smelled the dead guy might you be smelling what the landlord used to deal with the dead guys odor?

Does your Volt have cloth or leather seats?
Have you used any cleaners in the Volt?

How old are you?
When was the last time you had a physical exam and blood test?

I love a good mystery.

 

[flyingsherpa]

Ok there are a few unanswered questions I'd like to ask.

1. A guy passed away in my small apartment building
How old was he?
What did he die of?

2. Landlord was not very fast about dealing with this (dead guy odor) and I started researching ways of dealing with the disturbing odor.
How did the landlord finally deal with the dead guy's odor?
If you smelled the dead guy might you be smelling what the landlord used to deal with the dead guys odor?

Does your Volt have cloth or leather seats?
Have you used any cleaners in the Volt?

How old are you?
When was the last time you had a physical exam and blood test?

I love a good mystery.

1) late 50's, suicide (don't know how). I knew him a bit, it's sad.
2) It's been 26 days since we first noticed the smell. Landlord did nothing (except put out some coffee grounds in the hallway) until a few days ago, when he emptied the apartment of the guy's belongings. He also claimed to have cleaned up a bit (I wasn't around that day, been living with friends for almost 2 weeks now, but I didn't smell cleaning agents when I was there the next day)... the health dept disagrees and is currently issuing a warrant for his arrest for failure to clean up like they ordered. So I'm pretty sure I have not been affected by anything the landlord did (cuz he didn't do anything). With a warrant on his head, I'm guessing he'll bring in a proper clean-up crew very soon.
3) Cloth seats. I had the car detailed a week ago (steamed seats, shampoo carpets), seemed to help a little but not enough, and shampoo smell is also irritating to my recovering lungs. No cleaners before that, maybe some Armor All once a year.
4) I'm late 30's... I just happened to have a full physical the day before I started using the generator. I'm healthy according to the doc.

 

[rmay635703]

CT State Dept of Health disagrees with you.

I was exposed to high levels of ozone indoors for years, no affect on me. (my folks ran an ozone generator in the house due to mold)

The affects they attribute to ozone ARE OUTSIDE IN THE ENVIRONMENT WHEN MIXED WITH VOC, WATER, & NOX

Apples and oranges.

Ozone when mixed with volitile compounds and water is serious, indoors not so much.

So Yes ozone has an affect by itself indoors, mucus and possibly asthma in some individuals but thats it and its temporary.

Also the half life of ozone is short, concentrated even shorter, it may be present for 3 days but the amount will be nearly zero, likely less then you encounter outside after a thunderstorm, do you have breathing issues after a T-storm?

This is all just nonsense.

I'm out

 

[MTN Ranger]

Nominated for 2015 "Unusual Post of the Year".

 

[adric22]

See if you can get your doctor to prescribe you some Xanax. If nothing else, just to test a theory. I used to get extremely sick when I traveled and could never figure out why.. I kept asking myself if it was something I ate on the airplane, etc, etc. Trying to apply some logic to it. When I asked my doctor about it, he gave me Xanax. I honestly didn't believe that would do any good. I did not think anxiety could make a person as physically ill as I would get. But the next time I went on a trip, I took it with me just in case. I was fine all of the way from Dallas to London, but as soon as I got on a bus in London and saw the cars going the the "wrong way" on the street, I became very sick. I took one of those Xanax and within 15 minutes I was like a new man. I was actually amazed it worked.

So I guess my point is.. if there is any possibility that you are getting sick because somewhere in the back of your mind you are associating this with the dead person or the original smell, this would be a good diagnostic tool to find out if it is anxiety. If the Xanax doesn't help, then you can mark that off the list and continue to look for more scientific reasons.

 

[ampera_jed]

I used to do high voltage experiments, and have some patents for HV generators. I used to produce loads of real ozone in a room in my house, so much I frequently had to vacate the room as I couldn't breathe from it (yeah, OK, occupational risk and all that! ). Yet no lingering effects in the house as you are describing. You seem to have produced less than this as you weren't suffocating from it, so I really think the issue lies in another explanation. Yes, ozone is strongly oxidising, but it doesn't simply attack polymeric materials like you are describing, it is a much slower process that some good ventilation to drop the concentration will stop almost instantly.

Get and use some nasal spray could be a good start. Ozone attacks the mucous membranes very effectively. Treat your nose nicely, see if it recovers.

 

[flyingsherpa]

I was exposed to high levels of ozone indoors for years, no affect on me. (my folks ran an ozone generator in the house due to mold)

The affects they attribute to ozone ARE OUTSIDE IN THE ENVIRONMENT WHEN MIXED WITH VOC, WATER, & NOX

Apples and oranges.

Ozone when mixed with volitile compounds and water is serious, indoors not so much.

So Yes ozone has an affect by itself indoors, mucus and possibly asthma in some individuals but thats it and its temporary.

Also the half life of ozone is short, concentrated even shorter, it may be present for 3 days but the amount will be nearly zero, likely less then you encounter outside after a thunderstorm, do you have breathing issues after a T-storm?

This is all just nonsense.

I'm out

Way to not even read that link... it specifically calls out dangers of ozone generation in the home and how the gas itself can harm you. I agree it should be temporary... unless something is still triggering me (did you see the links I posted about long-term off-gassing of some materials after high levels of ozone exposure).

Be thankful you are so immune to this, but know that chemical susceptibility is a spectrum and can change over time. I've known people who worked in labs for years who developed chemical sensitivities and had to find another line of work. Perhaps I'm on the edge of bell curve, I've never had breathing issues before, but I'm still feeling effects 2+ weeks and counting now.