A healthy bacillus bacterial cell (waiting to ruin your day).
Zooming in closer, Ozone (light green) comes into contact with the cell wall. The cell wall is vital to the bacteria because it ensures the organism can maintain its shape.
As ozone molecules make contact with the cell wall, a reaction called an oxidative burst occurs which literally creates a tiny hole in the cell wall.
A newly created hole in the cell wall has injured the bacterium.
The bacterium begins to lose its shape while ozone molecules continue creating holes in the cell wall.
After thousands of ozone collisions over only a few seconds, the bacterial wall can no longer maintain its shape and the cell dies.