# Scientific basis for effects of Negative Ions? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 29, 2008, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientific-basis-for-effects-of-negative-ions/474985 "2008-11-29T23:26:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![torie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@torie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/torie)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientific-basis-for-effects-of-negative-ions/474985/1 "2008-11-29T23:26:50Z")
A woman I know was raving about the positive effects of putting her new [Salt Lamp](http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-salt-lamp.htm) in her house. The idea is that heating salt creates a high concentration of negative ions in the air. Supposedly, the air in our regular environment is full of positive ions, which are harmful. Negative ions are supposed to create positive effects, which is why people report feeling better after spending sometime near the sea. I’m finding all kinds of articles that make the same claims about negative ions but no real scientific research into the idea. [Stuff like this, which doesn’t cite any sources.](http://portalmarket.com/negion.html) Is there a scientific basis for the negative ion theory or is this another new age fad? ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientific-basis-for-effects-of-negative-ions/474985/2 "2008-11-29T23:53:00Z")
It’s complete twaddle. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientific-basis-for-effects-of-negative-ions/474985/3 "2008-11-29T23:58:09Z")
Utter garbage. Here’s an [earlier thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=446347) with debunking links about one such product. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientific-basis-for-effects-of-negative-ions/474985/4 "2008-11-30T00:03:44Z")
[Biological Aspects of Clean-Room Ionization](http://74.125.95.132/search?q=cache:bMXZHvTMpWAJ:www.s196871816.onlinehome.us/purifyingair.com/purifyingair.com/library/IONS%2520%26%2520Biological%2520Aspects%2520of%2520Clean%2520Rooms.doc+%22Ion+Systems%22+clean+room&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=7&gl=us&client=firefox-a) The author works for a reputable firm, [MKS ION Systems](http://www.mksinst.com/product/ioncontact.aspx) which produces ion balancers for clean room use. The company does not sell salt lamps. ---
**Author:** ![torie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@torie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/torie)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientific-basis-for-effects-of-negative-ions/474985/5 "2008-11-30T00:24:46Z")
> [@Squink](#): > > [Biological Aspects of Clean-Room Ionization](http://74.125.95.132/search?q=cache:bMXZHvTMpWAJ:www.s196871816.onlinehome.us/purifyingair.com/purifyingair.com/library/IONS%2520%26%2520Biological%2520Aspects%2520of%2520Clean%2520Rooms.doc+%22Ion+Systems%22+clean+room&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=7&gl=us&client=firefox-a) > The author works for a reputable firm, [MKS ION Systems](http://www.mksinst.com/product/ioncontact.aspx) which produces ion balancers for clean room use. > The company does not sell salt lamps. So if companies are finding this legitimately useful in clean rooms where things must be clean, then maybe there is something to it? I mean, no one has ever done any peer reviewed research on whether or not the charge of the ions in our air can have any effect on us? ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientific-basis-for-effects-of-negative-ions/474985/6 "2008-11-30T00:54:24Z")
> [@torie](#): > > So if companies are finding this legitimately useful in clean rooms where things must be clean, then maybe there is something to it? > > I mean, no one has ever done any peer reviewed research on whether or not the charge of the ions in our air can have any effect on us? Did you read the whole linked article? First, effects in clean rooms may or may not have any relevance to the issue of whether negative ions are good for human health. Second, if the best that a \*manufacturer \*of the products can claim on that issue is: > [@](#): > > There are two basic opinions: one that considers there is a biological significance of air ionization and a second one that points out in spite of many years of extensive studies there is little agreement between researchers regarding the mechanism of these effects. then the answer is no. There is nothing solid that can be cited as a positive on human health. Nobody has said that there are no applications for negative ion generators in any or all conditions. That’s at best unproven. For general products intended for general health, however, we are still completely correct in saying that it’s crackpottery. ---
**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientific-basis-for-effects-of-negative-ions/474985/7 "2008-11-30T01:25:22Z")
[Related thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=418530). ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientific-basis-for-effects-of-negative-ions/474985/8 "2008-11-30T15:49:20Z")
It’s been a few years since I worked in the clean room business, but I don’t think anybody uses “ion balancers”. There are ion generators used to reduce buildup of static electricity so that there are fewer destructive discharges, and so that surfaces are less likely to build up large potentials and attract contaminant particles by Coulombic force. There are powerful and undisputed effects of positive, negative, or mixed ions on static buildup and on contamination (these effects aren’t the things that some say influence human health and well being). I was long fascinated by the supposed negative air ion health effects, read a book about them and have kept my eyes open for 20 years now out of interest in the topic. But I still have never found anything that sounded well researched and reliable in support of these effects. I doubt there is anything to it.