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The AirVisual Node can show pollution levels, temperature, humidity and stuffiness, both indoors and outdoors.
Credit: AirVisual
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People typically think about clean or dirty air only when they're
outside, but air quality can be a significant problem even indoors. And
now, using a new gadget, people can identify pollutants — some smaller
than the width of a hair — in their homes, and this could help ward off
some illnesses, the device's creators said.
AirVisual — a global team of scientists, engineers and others — is
producing the gadget, called the AirVisual Node. The Node's bright and
colorful screen can illuminate pollution,
temperature, humidity and stuffiness, both indoors and outdoors. The
team hopes to change the approach to air-quality collection, said Yann
Boquillod, co-founder of AirVisual.
People generally have some understanding of what they're breathing outdoors, because most governments actively monitor the air,
Boquillod said. Indoor air, on the other hand, is a "big unknown," he
told Live Science. "You spend 80 to 90 percent of your time indoors, so
if you are able to actually control your indoor air quality," then you
can protect your and family's health, Boquillod said. [In Photos: World's Most Polluted Places]
Using this monitor, "I have the visibility of how much pollution my children are breathing," he said.
Indoor air pollution can come from stove tops, fireplaces and wood
products, among other sources, according to the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA). Burning food, especially, can release
contaminant-laden smoke into the air, Boquillod said. The Node can
identify these contaminants, which can include microscope particles, or particulate matter,
called PM2.5. The "2.5" comes from the diameter of the particle, which
is 2.5 micrometers. "It's a very tiny particle, much smaller than a
hair," Boquillod said.
The Node can measure particles up to 10 micrometers (PM10) in diameter, which includes dust. Particles smaller than PM10 can be inhaled into the lungs
and get past the body's normal defense systems, eventually entering the
bloodstream, Boquillod said. This can give rise to health issues like
eye, nose and throat irritation, he added. The smallest particles can
wedge deeply into the lungs, causing respiratory infections, bronchitis
and even lung cancer, according to the EPA.
The Node is able to measure the particles using laser technology, the
company said. Inside the Node, there is a fan that sucks in ambient air,
a laser that shoots a sharp and precise laser beam, and a photo-sensor
under the laser. "Whenever particulate matter passes in front of the
photo-sensor, it breaks the laser beam," causing interference that is
picked up by the photo-sensor, Boquillod said. "The photo-sensor counts
how many times the laser beam is broken."
The device relies on a powerful algorithm that identifies the size and
number of particles for each intake and extrapolates data from
successive intakes to determine overall air pollution, Boquillod said.
In addition to examining particles, the device also measures carbon dioxide
levels, which can indicate how well a room is ventilated. The larger
the amount of concentrated carbon dioxide there is, the stuffier a room
tends to be. [The 10 Most Pristine Places on Earth]
When carbon dioxide levels get too high, "you feel like you are not at
the most of your cognitive power," Boquillod said. The Node can measure
carbon dioxide concentrations of 400 parts per
million (ppm) to 10,000
ppm. When carbon dioxide reaches 1,000 ppm, the environment is confined
and needs some fresh air, and when the level rises to 1,500 ppm, people
will start to feel poorly, he said. When the level soars to 2,000 ppm,
it's time to ventilate and exit, Boquillod said.
The best place to gather air-quality data is wherever you spend the
most time, Boquillod said, which could be the bedroom or living room.
The Node can also be used to measure air pollution outdoors, though the
device needs to be in the shade, away from wind and shielded from rain.
The Node can connect to the Internet to send outdoor air-quality
measurements to AirVisual, which is planning to consolidate and share
the data worldwide.
Revenue generated by the Nodes, which are selling on the crowdsourcing site Indiegogo,
will help fund AirVisual's social project to map air pollution around
the world. Although governments already collect air-quality data in a
number of countries, many other nations are poorly monitored,
compromising the health of citizens in those places, Boquillod said.
AirVisual currently offers an app and website that share and forecast
global air quality. The group has the same goals as a nongovernmental
organization, but wants to be self-funded to increase its efficiency in
collecting and distributing data, Boquillod said.
The AirVisual Node sells for $149 and has collected $25,500, or 255
percent of its initial $10,000 goal, on Indiegogo. There are 18 days
left in the crowdfunding campaign, and the Airvisual team plans to
deliver the gadget in April, Boquillod said.
http://www.livescience.com/53771-airvisual-home-air-quality-monitor.html
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