What are the benefits of an air quality monitor?

The air within a building is equally as essential as the air outside. Indoor air can become contaminated and detrimental to our health in the same way that outdoor air can. To ensure the safety and health of its employees, visitors, and other personnel, a number of establishments have elected to install air quality monitoring equipment.

Silhouette of trees and puff of air in the sky

What is a monitor for air quality?

Air quality monitors are devices that measure levels of air pollution. They are frequently electronic equipment with sensors that measure the concentrations of various air contaminants.

Air quality monitors can be used to determine the level of pollution in your immediate environment, such as your house or workplace. They’re also useful for determining whether it’s necessary to wear an air pollution mask outdoors, such as when a wildfire is nearby or when smog alerts are issued.

How do monitors of air quality function?

An air quality monitor measures the level of air pollution and transmits the data to a portable device or computer. The monitor will collect frequent air quality measurements and transmit real-time data.

There are two sorts of monitors: gas and particle monitors.

Particle monitors determine the number of airborne particles such as dust, pollen, smog, and mold spores. Gas monitors, on the other hand, measure the concentration of gaseous air pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, ground-level ozone, carbon monoxide, etc.

The objective is to determine if there are too many hazardous particles or gases in the air for you to safely breathe. If you reside in a city with high pollution levels, you may require an activated charcoal filter to purify the air in your house.

What does it mean to monitor air quality?

As pressure on air quality increases, strategies that are adaptable and dynamic are necessary to comprehend variations in air quality. Instead of depending on permanent sites to provide a realistic image of air quality, new mobile air quality monitoring techniques enable us to provide a comprehensive description of air quality. Using temporary sites that may be relocated to numerous areas, mobile monitoring provides more opportunities to analyze air quality in a given area.

Historically, networks of stationary equipment have been used to continuously measure air quality in the same site. Multiple sites are necessary to produce a meaningful spatial representation of how air quality varies in a given region. This method is effective, but it is essential to grasp the constraints and scope of the data’s representativeness. In many regions, such as cities with high traffic volumes, urban canyons, varying weather, and irregular emissions, air quality patterns will fluctuate at a variety of spatial and temporal scales, and a fixed network may overlook this complexity. 

Air quality monitors.

In other instances, it may be necessary to determine the magnitude of an air quality problem (such as diesel emissions) or the success of a policy adjustment. In some instances, a network may already exist, although it may be limited or contain “holes” that need to be filled. Similarly, there may be a need to comprehend an air quality issue, but a permanent, designed-to-operate-forever facility may not be necessary or, more typically, economical! All of these instances illustrate how mobile monitoring can contribute to a more accurate depiction of air quality.

Air quality monitoring is the process of determining the current air quality, evaluating the efficacy of control programs, and identifying areas in need of restoration.

Pollutants such as Carbon Monoxide (CO), Particulate Matter (PM 10 and PM 2.5), Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), Nitrous Oxide (NOX), and Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) are monitored under the NAMP program with the assistance of agencies such as CPCB, SPCB, NEERI, etc. The monitoring is performed for twenty-four hours each day, twice every week.

Considerations When Purchasing an Air Quality Monitor

As with any equipment, there are both superior and inferior products. Here is a list of potential characteristics to consider:

1. A continuous air quality monitor

An air monitor is only useful if it constantly updates its data. A monitor with a real-time sensor will display the fluctuating air quality in your neighborhood.

2. Capacity to monitor air quality over time

You’ll need a method to monitor the fluctuation (or lack thereof) of various contaminants over time. Generally, you should search for an air monitor that can record data for at least 24 hours.

Young woman enjoying bright sun rays and fresh air

3. The capacity to monitor multiple air quality measurements

Additionally, you will need an air quality meter that can simultaneously track numerous air contaminants. If you live in a region with high levels of pollution, it may be helpful to know which pollutant is the deadliest so you may better protect yourself and your family, whether that means purchasing an air purifier or relocating.

Advantages of Using an Air Quality Monitor

If you reside in a densely or sparsely populated area where wildfires are frequent but air quality monitors are scarce, it may be prudent to have your own. People with established breathing problems or underlying lung illness should also possess air quality monitors for two reasons.

Possessing an air quality monitor enables people to evaluate if it is safe to remain in the home or if they should leave for the time being. They wish to prevent the aggravation of your symptoms. Depending on the circumstances, hospitalization may be necessary for some individuals. Obviously, if you have health concerns, you should visit a board-certified physician.

These monitors are “definitely” useful and “very advantageous” for healthy individuals. Whether your indoor air quality is bad, you can look for (and remedy) any openings in your home, select where to place your air purifier, or decide if you need to temporarily relocate. Consider acquiring a home air quality monitor if you suffer from underlying lung illness or breathing difficulties.

Conclusion

Air quality monitoring can be a healthy and in some cases life-saving practice that enables continuous monitoring and control of emissions using real-time data.

If you want to improve air quality in your home, you may also use an air purifier. To learn more about it, you may check out our Guide to Selecting an Air Purifier.