Cholesterol ozonation was carried out in ethanol-containing aqueous or nonaqueous solvent, and the ozonized products were analyzed by chemiluminescence detection-HPLC with on-line electrospray MS (HPLC-CL-MS) and characterized on the basis of NMR and FABMS. After the ozonolysis of cholesterol in water/ethanol (aqueous system) as well as in chloroform/ethanol (nonaqueous system), a unique ethoxyhydroperoxide molecule (7alpha-ethoxy-3beta-hydroxy-5alpha-13homo-6-oxacholestane-5-hydroperoxide, termed "7alpha-ethoxy-5OOH") appeared as main ozonation product. In addition to structural analysis, we confirmed the remarkable cytotoxicity of 7alpha-ethoxy-5-OOH toward human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells and found that its cytotoxicity is superior to that of the commonly known autoxidized cholesterol (3beta-hydroxycholest-5-ene-7-one). Hence, 7alpha-ethoxy-5-OOH is a toxic molecule of primary importance, arising during cholesterol ozonation in the presence of ethanol.