My ballast smelled like burning circuit boards for the first little while. It must have been the anti-rust oils on the transformer. Obviously, the bulbs should not emit any smell. I hope there's no arcing happening insdie the bulb holder. Maybe check out your fluorescent tubes. Those are known to cause arcing if loosely installed. I use a conductive spray for most of my electronic equipment call Pro Gold. A habit from my stereo equipment.
Speaking of which, ozone will eat the rubber on your speaker surrounds for breakfast.