Scientific discovery often has its biggest impact when shared with a wider audience. For example, medicine, nutrition and climate change are broad issues that are studied every day by scientists, but when millions of people around the world apply the latest knowledge in these spheres to their own lives, the results are far-reaching.
In much the same way, the quality of the air we breathe is a matter for all of us, and there is much we can do. On a macro level, we can fight for clean air in our provinces and towns. We can urge governments to address the issue, and push industries to embrace more stringent emissions standards. And we can act in the home, the school and the workplace.
Air quality monitoring technology makes that possible, allowing precise detection of airborne pathogens and particles. With a monitoring device, homeowners and businesses alike can know whether microbes, fungi and cancer-causing substances such as asbestos are suspended in living spaces, and at what concentration.
A sign of the popularity of air quality monitoring is the skyrocketing growth of the market for detection units. According to analysis from ReportLinker.com, the global market for indoor air quality monitors was estimated at USD $3.7 billion in 2020. It’s now projected to reach a size of $6.4 billion by 2027.
As home monitoring increases, so does the need for finding practical solutions to improve the air we breathe and mitigate risks. This is especially true in spaces for vulnerable people, like children and the elderly, and areas of food preparation.
This point was highlighted in a recent study by the Canadian Partnership for Children’s Health and Environment and the Canadian Child Care Federation, in collaboration with University of Ottawa researchers. In its survey, nearly half of 2,000 professionals in child care programs across the country reported unhealthy air quality conditions for children.
When consumers are ready to act, there are many options for air quality monitoring systems, including reference-grade FRM/FEM monitors, mobile air quality sensors, and stationary low-cost sensors.
Air quality monitoring using FRM and FEM equipment is the most advanced and sophisticated choice. This type of monitoring is extremely precise, but expensive. Costs include regular maintenance from highly trained technicians. Because the monitors need specific types of environments and infrastructure, they are harder to deploy and often impractical when it comes to measuring air quality in small spaces.
That’s where mobile air quality monitoring comes in. Mobile monitors are light enough to be mounted on cars, and much less costly. This sometimes comes at the expense of accuracy. Stationary low-cost sensors that are not considered mobile are equally attractive options, but also tend to fall short of the FRM/FEM standard.
Although detecting and measuring airborne risks involves sensitive instruments, sophisticated computations and new technologies, basic preventative measures also play a central role in addressing these issues.
Unhealthy indoor air is often the result of interior sources, rather than outdoor air seeping into buildings. Furniture can release formaldehyde, and cooking, heating units, plastics, and household products can all produce dangerous organic compounds. Carpets are a source of bacteria and fungi, which can be aerosolized into the air by simple activities like walking. Mold growing on surfaces and within walls can generate airborne fungus particles, and dust is the optimal transmission agent for dust mites.
Mitigating the risks can mean something as simple as opening windows and using fans. Constant ventilation helps extrude particles from a room, and keeping surfaces dry can prevent the growth of mold. Paying close attention to the household products and interior design items you purchase such as paints, carpet and paneling can reduce the amount of organic compounds that will be generated inside a dwelling.