The Effect of Negative Ions

Have you ever noticed that feeling of well-being after a thunderstorm passes? On the surface, it seems that the storm has cleared out the bad air and replaced it with good air. But the explanation is more complex than that.

The air around us is made up of molecules, each having a core of positively charged protons surrounded by negatively charged electrons. Nature strives to create balance in all things and it seeks to create equilibrium by having the same amount of electrons as protons so that positive and negative charges cancel one another out. However, due to millions of different circumstances that take place every day around the globe, these balances are upset.

Have you ever noticed that feeling of well-being after a thunderstorm passes? On the surface, it seems that the storm has cleared out the bad air and replaced it with good air. But the explanation is more complex than that.

For example, positive ions can be produced by friction between air masses, between the air and the ground over which it is blowing and especially between weather fronts that are constantly marching around the planet. In the latter case, lightning is formed because of the interaction of clouds that set up positive charges that flash to the negative-charged earth. This destroys the overabundance of positive ions when it happens and is another example of Nature trying to create balance.

In the case of weather fronts, the electrical disturbance tends to precede the actual storm and causes the atmosphere to be become overloaded with positive ions. This overdose of positive ions can cause livestock to become restless and can even cause bugs to bite more aggressively. Humans are also affected and even though we may not be able to put our finger on the cause, we nevertheless sense the phenomenon. After the storm has passed it seems as though the air has been cleaned and washed and everything is right with the world. In reality, the storm has eliminated the overabundance of positive ions and replaced them with negative ions that ease tensions and leave us renewed.