In October of 2004 we purchased several Air Ionizers from Sharper
Image. The one that is being used in the area where we spend the most
time is the Ionic Breeze Air Freshener for Bathrooms and Small Spaces
model #S1627. Could this unit be causing the frequent headaches and
changes in menstrual cycles? Whenever we are outside and away from the
unit, the headaches start to clear up.

Hello rc99-ga,

You might want to read about the Consumer Reports results showing that
the Ionic Breeze air fresheners are generally ineffective. It's not
likely that your filter has anything to do with your medical
condition.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/11/14/BUG6O9R0GI1.DTL
In February 2002, Consumer Reports published a lengthy article
reviewing 16 different air purifiers. It placed the Ionic Breeze
Quadra model at the bottom of its rankings, saying the device produced
"no measurable reduction in airborne particles."

"So Consumer Reports went back and tested again, this time seeing how
much cigarette smoke could be removed over 19 hours. It couldn't even
clean the smoke from one-eighth of a cigarette."

Good luck.

~ czh ~

My mother had heard on the news that if you have scented air
fresheners near these units they can be toxic to your health.  Not
sure if you have these near by, pretty sure they are the plug in
fresheners that cause the problems.

Just thought I would let you know.

Check to be sure that the machine is sending out NEGATIVE IONS.  Some
air purifiers send out POSITIVE IONS which are very "body unfriendly".
 If yours is one with positive ions it would explain what is going on.

The machines also give off electro magnetic fields (as do all machines
when they are turned on) and some people are sensitive to EMF's.  If
you are spending any length of time closer that 5' to the machines
this could be having a stressful effect on your body.

If you have a machine that sends out negative ions and you are sitting
more than 5' away from it (and you clean it according the the
manufacturers directions) then it seems the machine is not the source
of the problem.

I did some checking for your.  Here's a quote off a web site that
sells negative ion ionizers....
Surround Air XJ-2000 produces negative ions, while the Ionic Breeze
Quadra air purifiers produce positive ions. The air-cleaning benefits
of negative ions are well understood and established in the scientific
community. Positive ions do not offer any air-cleaning benefits. In
fact, there are studies indicating potentially adverse health effects.
Scientific Studies Prove the Effectiveness of Negative Air Ionization

I believe your headache is being caused by the ozone released by the Ionic Breeze.

How does it work?

All of Sharper Images' Ionizer products work by emitting negatively
charged ions. The negative ions attract positively charged particles
in the air, and in time, these particles will become too heavy and
will fall to the ground or be captured by the Ionizer's filter.

Why It is Harmful

Ionizers produces a dangerous by-product: Ozone (O3). Ozone is a
deadly disinfectant: it is very useful for killing molds and
micro-organisms because it can disintegrate cell walls (cell lysis).
Keep in mind that whatever can destroy mold cells is also deadly to
human cells. I don't know if I would want to be surrounded by a
disinfectant (for example, I clean my tub with bleach, but don't want
to bathe in a huge tub of bleach).

Although ozone is supposedly safe when occurring within FDA, EPA, and
OSHA standards of 0.05 ppm (parts per million), there are many reasons
why your Ionizer may not be safe.

1. Dangerous usage can still occur even if ionizer itself is safe.
Even if the ionizer emits less ozone than the FDA standard of 0.05, if
you use your ionizer in an enclosed space (like a car or a small room)
for a prolonged period of time, the ozone will accumulate despite the
low emission rate.

Here is an excerpt from an EPA report on the subject:

Why is it Difficult to Control Ozone Exposure with an Ozone Generator?

"The actual concentration of ozone produced by an ozone generator
depends on many factors. Concentrations will be higher if a more
powerful device or more than one device is used, if a device is placed
in a small space rather than a large space, if interior doors are
closed rather than open and, if the room has fewer rather than more
materials and furnishings that adsorb or react with ozone and,
provided that outdoor concentrations of ozone are low, if there is
less rather than more outdoor air ventilation.

The proximity of a person to the ozone generating device can also
affect one?s exposure. The concentration is highest at the point where
the ozone exits from the device, and generally decreases as one moves
further away.

Manufacturers and vendors advise users to size the device properly to
the space or spaces in which it is used. Unfortunately, some
manufacturers? recommendations about appropriate sizes for particular
spaces have not been sufficiently precise to guarantee that ozone
concentrations will not exceed public health limits."

Source: http://www.epa.gov/iedweb00/pubs/ozonegen.html

3. Kids, pets, and plants. The 0.05 ppm standard is for grown adults.
But what is acceptable exposure for adults is NOT acceptable for kids,
pets, and plants.

Update:

Sharper Image has updated their website to provide some information
regarding ozone emission. Their FAQ site states:

"That faint scent [produced by the Ionic breeze ]is ozone (O3), a
molecule consisting of three oxygen atoms. It is a common component of
outdoor air. The U.S. government has set safe standards for ozone and
the Ionic Breeze GP complies with those standards."

However, the aforementioned EPA article suggests, even if a machine
meets the ozone emissions standards, it can still be dangerous if not
used correctly.