The 5 Best Air Quality Testers For Home Use
To remain healthy, we often track what we eat, drink, and how much exercise we do, but what about the air that we breathe?
In this article, the Instrument Choice scientists discuss the importance of indoor air quality, examine several key air quality parameters and detail the five best air quality testers for home use.
About Indoor Air Quality
Indoor Air Quality (often shortened to IAQ) refers to the air quality within enclosed or semi-enclosed buildings. The more technical definition is “the sum of attributes of indoor air that have the potential to affect a person's health and wellbeing.”
Indoor air quality can be affected by sources both inside outside the home. Examples of sources outside the home include emissions from cars and other transport as well as smoke from neighbouring wood heaters. Potential sources impacting air quality from within the home include wood-burning and un-flued gas heaters, cleaning products, aerosols as well as cigarette and bushfire smoke.
Between work, home, education, and shopping, Australians are spending 90% or more of their time indoors. The impact of poor indoor air quality can be far-reaching, having potentially both immediate and long term impacts. The reaction and severity will vary significantly from person to person and will depend on several factors, including age as well as pre-existing medical conditions.
Immediate: Examples of immediate responses to poor indoor air quality can include inflammation of the eyes, nose, and throat, headaches, dizziness, and fatigue.
Long Term: More significant health effects may show up after years after significant exposure has occurred or after long or repeated periods of exposure. While effects and severity will depend on several factors, long term health effects may include forms of respiratory diseases, heart disease, and cancers.
While further research is needed to understand better the relationship of indoor pollution exposure times and concentration levels on health outcomes, it is easy to monitor and make changes within your home to ensure you are breathing safe air.
Common Air Pollutants in Homes
1. Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
Indoor CO2 at high levels will cause drowsiness, cause you to feel sluggish, and cause headaches. High CO2 levels within a home are an indicator of the adequacy of air ventilation relative to indoor occupant density as well as metabolic activity.
2. Particulate Matter
Particulate matter refers to microscopic particles of solid or liquid matter suspended in the air. You will often find particulate matter abbreviated as ‘PM’ and the particulate matter size as ‘PM10’ and ‘PM2.5.’ In addition to concentration, size matters when it comes to the health effects of PM. The most common particulate matter IAQ meter measure is PM2.5. High levels of PM2.5 are known to cause cardiovascular and respiratory diseases and cancers. Sources of particulate matter include smoke from fires and wood heaters, car and truck exhaust, and airborne industry pollutants.
3. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC)
Volatile organic compounds are a variety of chemicals emitted from some solids or liquids in the form of gas. VOC concentration tends to be significantly higher indoors. Examples of VOC emitting products include; paints and lacquers, cleaning supplies, building materials, furnishings, pesticides, and glues.
4. Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2)
Short term exposure to high levels of Nitrogen Dioxide can act as an irritant to the eyes and nose. Repeated or long term exposure can resue in acute or chronic bronchitis. NO2 is the primary source of nitrate aerosols, which form a fraction of PM2.5 and, in the presence of ultraviolet light, ozone.
5. Ozone (O3)
Ozone at or near ground level is one of the main components of photochemical smog. Ozone forms by a reaction between sunlight and pollutions such as nitrogen oxides and VOCs. Ozone levels will be highest during periods of sunny weather. Excessive ozone in the air can cause breathing issues, reduce lung function, trigger asthma, and cause lung disease.
6. Carbon Monoxide (CO)
Carbon Monoxide is tragically one of the most acutely toxic indoor air contaminants. It is a colourless and odourless gas absorbed by the human body more readily than oxygen. In high enough concentrations, carbon monoxide will quickly act to deprive the brain of oxygen. High levels of carbon monoxide can lead to nausea, unconsciousness, even death.
7. Temperature & Humidity
While temperature and humidity profoundly affect comfort, they also influence the quality of indoor air. When humidity is too low, eyes and skin will become irritated. When humidity is too high mould, and mildew will flourish.
The 5 Best Air Quality Tester For Home Use
So how can you better manage air quality at home to help ensure better outcomes? An essential tool is an indoor air quality meter. The team at Instrument Choice has selected the five best multiparameter indoor air quality meters currently available. Find and an introduction and review of their measurement capabilities below.
1. uHoo Indoor Air Quality Sensor
Product Code: IC-uHooIndoorAirQualitySensor
The IC-uHooIndoorAirQualitySensor sends data via WIFI to the free UHoo mobile application. On the app, you can easily view both current and historical data as well as share collected information with family and friends. Whatsmore, you can customise notifications within the app so that you can be alerted or notified when your indoor air quality is suboptimal.
Measures: Temperature, Humidity, Carbon Dioxide, VOC, Particulate Matter, Air Pressure, Carbon Monoxide, Ozone, and Nitrogen Dioxide.
2. Laser Egg + Chemical
Product Code: IC-LE-201
The Laser Egg+ Chemical is a smart air quality monitor that tests and communicates the quality of the air you are breathing. Monitor fine dust particles and smog (PM2.5) as well as harmful VOCs. With real-time information, you can quickly act to make healthy adjustments in your home.
Measures: PM2.5, Total Volatile Organic Compounds (TVOC), Temperature and Humidity
3. Laser Egg + CO2
Product Code: IC-LE-202
The IC-LE-202 is a relatively sophisticated device if you want the option of comprehensive, real-time indoor air quality information displayed on your instrument’s large LCD at home or your mobile device. The app allows you to interrogate historical data (including trends), set alarms, and pair up with other smart home devices.
Measures: PM2.5, Carbon Dioxide, Temperature, and Humidity.
4. Air Quality Monitor and Data Logger
Product Code: IC-PM-1064SD
The IC-PM-1064SD indoor air quality monitor accurately measures and records data for four crucial indoor air quality parameters. Log and save air qualitydata to an SD card in a spreadsheet for further analysis.
Measures: temperature, relative humidity, carbon dioxide (CO2), and PM2.5
5. Laser Egg
Product Code: IC-LE-200
The IC-LE-200 Laser Egg deploys very accurate optical sensors that count individual air particles in the air. Kaiterra's innovative cloud-based calibration helps ensure you receive precise readings. This laser egg model monitors and reports three critical indoor air quality parameters via WIFI to your mobile app.
Measures: PM2.5, Temperature, and Humidity.
Conclusion
Get the information you need to help manage your home environment with an indoor air quality tester. Armed with real-time data of any indoor airborne pollutants, you can take swift action to ensure safer air for you and your family.
For more information on any of the best air quality testers for home use listed above, speak with an Instrument Choice Scientist! We're here to help! Call 1300 737 871 or email [email protected].
(Source World Health Organisation 2018)
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