Monitoring air quality using CO2 sensors seems to be an essential step to improve the indoor environment, and by extension the well-being of users of these common spaces.
Have you ever felt tired at the end of the day, a drop in energy, a feeling of discomfort? What if this was linked to too high a level of CO2, fine particles or volatile organic components in the room or office in which you work?
Air quality sensors: CO2, PM2.5 - PM10, HCHO/O3, TVOC the elements measured and the thresholds to monitor
The CO2 sensor - The basis
CO2 or carbon dioxide is an inert gas composed of one carbon molecule and two oxygen molecules. Present at an atmospheric concentration of around 400 ppm, this increases in closed environments, as it is rejected by the body in the process of respiration.
The increase in this concentration leads to harmful consequences on health once the threshold of 1000 ppm is reached (ANSE,2013).
- Decreased cognitive performance (decision making, concentration);
- Reduced feeling of comfort;
- Accentuation of the feeling of fatigue.
The problem is that it is very difficult to assess the ambient CO2 level without the appropriate CO2 sensor, as the gas is odorless. Paradoxically, far too few companies or schools are equipped with reliable CO2 sensors even though they would increase the feeling of well-being and cognitive performance.
COVID-19 has contributed to general awareness of the importance of monitoring indoor air quality. The High Council of Public Health recommends ventilating the room from 800 ppm CO2 (HCSP). The CO2 concentration makes it possible to judge whether there is good ventilation.
COVT / TVOC / HCHO sensors - Volatile organic components
According to cancer-environment, the family of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) includes all molecules formed of hydrogen and carbon atoms (hydrocarbons), and those whose hydrogen atoms are replaced by other atoms such as nitrogen , chlorine, sulfur, or oxygen.
Depending on the exposure, these TVOCs can have significant health consequences which can lead to cancer in the long term.
They are, for the most part, more concentrated in indoor environments. Ventilation is an effective method for controlling and limiting this concentration in buildings.
Particle Matter sensors: PM2.5 and PM10
PM2.5 and PM10, Particle Matter (or fine particles for short); 2.5 for less than 2.5 microns and 10 for less than 10 microns. They are mainly due to human activity such as transport, industry, chimney fires. According to the WHO, these fine particles are responsible for around 300,000 premature deaths in Europe each year.
Ozone O3 sensors
Ozone pollution is very present in Europe. Ozone is very irritating to the respiratory system. Concentrations increase particularly sharply in summer under the effect of heat. According to airparis the maximum threshold of 120 µg/m3 must not be exceeded.
LoRaWAN private network, the ideal architecture to simply deploy an air quality monitoring solution
Once the different potential pollutants are identified, it is necessary to define how to monitor the levels present and then adapt the actions to be implemented. Deploying an air quality monitoring solution at the scale of a school establishment, office premises or an SME can be done simply, and without mobilizing heavy investments, in particular thanks to the implementation of a LoRaWAN sensor survey network.
Indeed, LoRaWAN allows the installation of reliable wireless CO2 sensors in as many rooms or offices as necessary. All this equipment can be supervised from a central point: example SPARWAN office Dashboard
CO2 sensors for schools and offices: the choice of simplicity
There are CO2 sensors, very simple to read, either via a light indicator (green, yellow or red) or via an emoticon. The use of this type of sensor allows for rapid and independent reading of technical data. Users are included and made aware of the action to improve air quality. It could be a child in a school, a teacher or an office worker.
Depending on its role, it becomes simple to trigger ventilation or the opening of a window, for example. These sensors, in addition to CO2, make it possible to monitor other data such as temperature and humidity.
There are also other, more complete versions to measure all of the potential pollutants mentioned above.
