Contaminated air is harmful to health. The contamination of air can be due to many reasons like – pollutants present in air, gases, temperature and excessive humidity. Statistics from a report of WHO (World Health Organization) states that more than 7 million people die due to contaminated air around the world every year.
To battle air contamination, majority of people rely on air purifiers. These purifiers not only clean the air but also have inbuilt air quality sensor that can help you in determining the contamination in the air.
However, are the readings of these sensors trustworthy? Well, irrespective of the answers, it holds real-life implications, especially when it comes to your health.
Low-grade sensors that are inbuilt in the air purifiers are not as reliable as the high-grade air quality sensors like the Air Visual Pro, whose reliability and accuracy is top-notch. In this article, we will provide you with more information on the reliability of the inbuilt air quality sensors.
What Are Inbuilt Air Quality Sensors?
The inbuilt air quality sensors like the name suggest comes with the air purifier. These are inexpensive air quality monitors that flash an alert if there is a problem in the air just like smoke or carbon detectors. These sensors, however, only alert in case the air quality goes bad, as compared to the standalone air quality monitors that provide real-time information about the quality of surrounding air.
Challenges of Inbuilt Air Quality Sensors
Majority of inbuilt air quality sensors are photometers. They can only measure the amount of pollutants or contaminants present in the air based on the amount of light blocked from the laser or LED. Each particle that passes between the sensor and beam absorbs or blocks a bit of light and causes the beam to dim a little. The inbuilt-sensors pick these changes and provide a general estimation of the quality of air.
These devices usually display the readings of air-quality on a scale that is similar to traffic lights. Which means if there is:
Green light – The air quality is good
Yellow Light – The air quality is on the verge of causing harm
Red Light – The air quality is terrible
Moreover, the air quality index number provided in most of the inbuilt air quality sensors is just made up. Therefore, providing with no real time or worthy information about the air quality or pollutants present. A good air quality sensor must always give accurate measurements of pollutants in the surrounding air.
What Types Of Pollutants Must Be Measured By Air Quality Sensors?
Whether you are trying to measure the air quality indoor or outdoor, you air quality sensors must provide you with real-time information of these four things.
- 5: PM2.5 or particulate matter 2.5 are extremely tiny particles that can harm the lungs and enter the bloodstream causing blockage in veins. Therefore, the air quality monitors must be equipped to inform about the presence and amount of these particles in the air.
- Temperature: Temperature has a substantial effect on the quality of the air we breathe. The air quality monitor should be able to provide you with accurate details about the changes in temperature.
- Humidity: Excessive humidity in the environment can help the microbial bacteria and other pollutants in their growth. An excess amount of these bacteria can harm your health by causing problems in your breathing.
- Gases: High levels of CO2 and other harmful gases can cause significant problems to the health. The air quality monitor should be able to provide the exact readings on the amount of toxic gases present in the surrounding air.
Why Should Standalone Air Quality Monitors Be Your Preferred Choice?
Air quality monitors like Air Visual Pro from IQAir, not only provide real-time and exact information of the above-stated pollutant but also help in:
- Measuring both indoor and outdoor air quality
- Providing forecast about the air quality, thus helping in minimising exposure to polluted air
- Providing alerts on the phone when the quality of air is below the required standard
- Providing cost-effective and productive recommendations to improve the air quality
‘The Takeaway’
If you want to take control of the air you breathe, using proper air quality monitor is necessary. Standard inbuilt air quality sensor may promise you the world, but only after adequate measurement you will know whether it works or not. However, in case of standalone air quality monitors, every small detail will be accurately provided to control the air quality. So, get the IQAir’s swiss-made air quality monitor from BreatheEasy – the official and exclusive partner of IQAir.
