We spend between 80 and 90% of our time indoors, and yet the air inside is often more polluted than outside! It is therefore important to take steps that can preserve our health at home. Here are a few tips.

Several types of pollutants can be present in our homes and cause bothersome or harmful effects on our health. The quality of indoor air depends on the concentration of pollutants and the renewal of the air in the dwelling.

Sometimes odourless, colourless and in low concentrations but nevertheless present in our habitat, the most frequent pollutants are:

• – Biological pollutants that come from living organisms (moulds, viruses, animals, etc.)
• – Chemical pollutants such as volatile organic compounds ( VOC ), widely used in the manufacture of construction products but also in cleaning products and tobacco smoke
• – Physical pollutants result from combustion, in particular from our boiler but also from human breathing.

What advice is to avoid emitting pollutants at home?

• – Ventilate daily for 10 minutes in the morning and evening
• – Open windows when doing household chores
• – Keep the air inlets or extraction vents clean
• – Do not turn off the ventilation system. It is indeed designed to operate continuously.
• – Never block the air inlets (even in winter)
• – Dust the air inlets located at the window level every month
• – Maintain a humidity level between 40 and 60%, using an air quality monitor(a device that measures the humidity level)
• – When cooking, put a lid on pans to reduce humidity

Air quality and the renovation of the building

When we carry out renovation work in our condominium, it is essential to integrate the indoor air quality aspect into the project. Indeed, if the apartment is well insulated, but the ventilation system is not adapted to the buildings after work, the stale air cannot be renewed. Insulation and ventilation must be systematically coupled in order to avoid humidity in the air and walls, mould, paint blistering, etc.

Purifying the air improves your daily comfort and your long-term health!

In the long term, the consequences of this unhealthy air can be very significant and can even seriously affect our health. Polluting air can not only cause many diseases such as asthma, cancer or other cardiovascular diseases, but it also plays a determining role in our daily comfort. The role of air is far from trivial since it can carry two things: allergens, colds and other viruses on the one hand, and gases such as CO2 or volatile organic compounds on the other. These elements strongly influence the human body, starting with the quality of sleep, among other things. Like the food we eat, the air we breathe plays a vital role in our well-being.

Thanks to indoor air quality monitoring devices, which makes it is possible to measure the levels of C02, VOCs or other pollutants (in ppm – particles per million) that are in our home. Thus, this allows us to know if the air in our home is too polluted, and therefore to ventilate accordingly to renew the air significantly.

Why HibouAir for monitoring air quality at home

HibouAir is a wireless air monitor that can track the air quality at home to help us breathe better easily and effortlessly. The best thing about HibouAir is that we are always informed about our surrounding environment in real-time. The monitor continuously analyzes the most important polluting elements such as CO2 or fine particles, volatile organic compounds (VOC), temperature, humidity, pressure, and noise and gives us the information in real time. Thanks to this revolutionary device, which helps improve the air inside our homes and above all understand how to avoid polluting it. 

A precise analysis of pollutants to ensure your well-being!

The HibouAir monitor is a very innovative device with an extraordinary ability to analyze its environment. It is indeed able to monitor the air quality of our interior, whether it is a house or an apartment! How? By simply measuring a number of parameters such as humidity, temperature, volatile organic compounds, CO2 or fine particles (PM1.0, PM2.5, PM10).

Air quality is visible in real-time and via the HibouAir mobile and desktop application!

The results can also be accessed via an extremely easy-to-use mobile application which allows us to see the details of each pollutant. Not only is the application easy to install, but it also translates complex data into a language that everyone can understand. The application highlights how pollutants evolve according to our daily activities!

But the application does not stop there! It also gives us a decision on how good the indoor environment is in terms of CO2 or fine particles.

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In our well-insulated houses, we constantly breathe stale air and that is not healthy at all. Good air quality is important for our health and well-being. Smart Sensor Devices has developed HibouAir, an intelligent air quality monitor. It comes with both particle and CO2 sensors. The device visually indicates when the air is polluted in the house and it is time to ventilate.

Studies have shown that we spend at least 90% of our time indoors: at home, office, or school… These living environments are designed to make us feel safe and protected. It is with this in mind that over the past 20 years, buildings have been better and better insulated. Indeed, this allows us to keep our homes warm without having to consume too much energy. But the situation turned against us. Our living environments have turned into “hermetic boxes”, in which the air can no longer enter or leave, and this is a major problem!

Poor air quality at home

Many people believe that outdoor air is more polluted than indoor air. And yet, nothing could be less true. Our indoor air is filled with CO2 – which is the substance we release when we breathe. Humidity and VOCs (volatile organic substances), can seriously damage your health. These substances are released into the air when we cook, light candles, the paint on our walls or the varnish that covers our furniture, etc. These parameters can cause fatigue and migraine in the short term and cancer in the long term. Without our realization, these substances have a significant impact on our comfort and well-being. 

Know what you breathe!

Everyone assumes that our homes and living environments are “sanctuaries” in which we can live healthily and where our children can grow up safely, but the reality is unfortunately quite different. Since it is known that Covid-19 can also be spread through the air, many renowned virologists insist that it is vital to sufficiently renew the indoor air in our schools, offices and homes to contain the risk of the spread of the coronavirus. This is how we gradually realized that the quality of the air we breathe had to be good.

While understanding this necessity is a first step forward, however, an additional problem has been added due to the odourless and colourless nature of stale air. Therefore, we do not realize when the air quality deteriorates in a room. And that’s why Smart Sensor Devices has developed the HibouAir, a smart air quality monitor.

How to measure the air quality in your home?

The HibouAir contains detectors, which constantly monitor the air quality in your home. The main parameter that HibouAir closely monitors is the CO2 rate. The monitor notices when it increases too much and shows in the desktop or mobile application visually. On the application, it turns green if the air is healthy and orange if the CO2 level is between 800 and 1200 ppm ( parts per million ), a sign that indoor air quality is deteriorating. If the screen on the CO2 value turns red, this means that the amount of CO2 has exceeded 1200 ppm. In this case, the accommodation must be generously ventilated as quickly as possible by opening doors and windows.

The HibouAir is more than just a CO2 monitor

The HibouAir is more than just a visual CO2 monitor. The device also lists other parameters, such as VOC content, temperature, air humidity, pressure etc. In short, all the factors contribute to a healthy and comfortable indoor climate. All the air quality data measured by the device is stored on the device. The device can store up to 7 days of air quality data which can be accessed from the HibouAir mobile or desktop application. This allows you to judge the health of your home in real-time, as well as view history or see if you can identify repeating patterns. And it also lets you know if your home has structural problems, which will then need to be resolved urgently.

Not only for home but also offices, schools and classrooms.

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It is necessary for human health that indoor air is of high quality. A large part of the active population spends their 8-hour workday in an office. Working in large spaces often means being with large groups of people who all share the air. People’s health depends largely on the indoor environment where we work, live or carry out any type of activity for a long time.

The air pollution in an office may seem harmless compared to how it looks in some industries. And of course, the risk of serious occupational diseases as a result of chemicals and particles is less. Nevertheless, poor air quality in the office can make people tired, cause headaches and reduce work performance.

Airflow, air quality, temperature and humidity are factors that affect the performance of an employee in an office environment. There is also a connection between air circulation and sickness absence. In other words, a good indoor climate in office buildings is of great importance for productivity, comfort and, above all, people’s well-being. 

Use air quality monitor to improve air quality in office 

When it comes to air quality in the office, how useful is an indoor air quality monitor and should you get one? Anyone looking at how to improve the air quality inside office buildings should definitely consider investing in an air quality monitor.  

Why HibouAir for office?

HibouAir indoor air quality monitoring solution for the office helps to keep track of the air quality in real-time. It comes with a quick & easy set-up. No need for wifi, gateway or cloud connectivity. The device can store up to 7 days air quality data.

HibouAir’s air quality monitoring Desktop Pro application gives users insight into their indoor air quality in real time. The dashboard provides an overview of all the devices on one screen. An employee can also use the mobile app to access data whenever they want. The device list can be managed from the settings. The value updates every thirty seconds. This information will help to reduce the risks of bad indoor air and improve employee productivity and performance.

The application is available for both Windows and MAC operating system.

HibouAir measures and monitors the air quality levels in an indoor environment where the user can follow the values ​​for CO2 or PM (PM1, PM2.5, PM10), Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), relative humidity and temperature.

A building management system (BMS), is a fully computerized and automated control system that controls and monitors mechanical and electrical building equipment, such as ventilation, lighting, electrical systems, fire extinguishing systems and protection systems. This tool has given facility managers a central system through which they can monitor and control building operations such as lighting, security systems and elevators.

A BMS can be used to bring the exact amount of fresh air that is needed to make sure occupants stay productive by measuring CO2 levels and delivering demand-controlled ventilation. Companies who know how to drive productivity get the most out of their people’s talent, produce fewer failures and bring better products and services to the market, which in turn drives revenue and profits. Staff are the most valuable asset of any organisation.

Today, the measurement of carbon dioxide is an important tool to ensure good ventilation of the building while saving energy by reducing the number of over-ventilated buildings. Obviously high levels of CO2 indoors indicate poor ventilation, which also allows other potentially dangerous air pollutants to accumulate and create health, productivity and comfort problems. However, measuring CO2 is not an indicator of good air quality: it is an indicator of the need for air renewal.

A CO2 sensor is an instrument used for the measurement of carbon dioxide gas in a given environment. These devices usually record carbon dioxide in parts per million (ppm) in occupied spaces and offer us a sample of the concentration of this gas in the air we breathe.

With the use of CO2 sensors, it is possible to identify the areas or inhabited rooms in which the levels of carbon dioxide are higher than acceptable. From here it will be necessary to design or adjust the ventilation systems and the airflow to these needs in order to obtain adequate renewal and quality of the interior air.

Air quality monitoring devices can be linked to BMS. HibouAir is one such air quality monitoring device that measures all important environmental parameters. HibouAir is simple, easy to install and economical. 

Why HibouAir for building management system

HibouAir is an air quality monitor specially designed for indoor air quality monitoring. HibouAir comes with a quick & easy set-up as it doesn’t require connecting or pairing. The device can be mounted easily on the wall. This indoor air quality monitor provides not only the concentration of different elements in the air such as CO2 or PM and volatile organic compounds (VOC) but also the other parameters such as humidity, temperature, atmospheric pressure & light level that affect the ambient environment around us. The device can store up to 7 days of indoor air quality data for analysis and decision-making. The system will be able to read real-time air quality data from HibouAir via Bluetooth or cloud using the API for effective ventilation. 

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Nursery, primary school, college, high school: children spend 90% of their time in enclosed spaces. And contrary to popular belief, indoor air is just as incriminated as outdoor air. Both developed and developing countries are affected. For their health and comfort, the quality of the air they breathe is as important as the food they are fed.

Good air quality inside a building has a proven effect on the quality of concentration, the rate of absenteeism in schools, and well-being. Conversely, poor air quality can promote the emergence of symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, irritation of the eyes, nose, throat and skin, dizziness, or more respiratory allergies and asthma.

The health and economic issues related to indoor air quality are significant. It is therefore important to implement actions to improve indoor air quality, whether in housing or in establishments open to the public such as schools.

Children can indeed be exposed in schools and places of reception to several pollutants emitted by furniture, cleaning products and school supplies. The concentrations of pollutants measured in the air of schools can sometimes be higher than in other places of life, also due to the density of occupation of the premises and often insufficient air renewal.

In school buildings, there are many possible sources of emissions of polluting substances: building materials, paint, furniture, heating appliances, cleaning products, and materials used for various activities (glues, paint, markers, etc.). Poor indoor air quality can promote the emergence of various symptoms: headaches, fatigue, irritation of the eyes, nose, throat, skin, dizziness, allergic symptoms, and asthma. Conversely, good indoor air quality, and in particular sufficient ventilation of classrooms, has positive effects: reduced absenteeism, the well-being of occupants, and better learning for children.

Monitoring air quality in schools with a CO2 sensor 

In class, there is always a risk of COVID-19 infection. Children can also contract Covid. For this reason, and because we want to contain the spread of the virus in society, CO2 monitoring is necessary. CO2 is not in itself dangerous because it is present naturally in the air. Outside, it is diluted. But in indoor air, its concentration can increase very quickly in the absence of ventilation. The problem is that a high concentration of CO2 in the air leads to health risks and affects the cognitive abilities of the occupants.

As CO2 is an odourless and invisible gas, it is undetectable to humans. This is why one of the solutions for limiting exposure to air with too much CO2 is to install  CO2 sensors. 

These sensors make it possible to measure the quality of the air in real-time to alert in the event of exceeding the limit values. 

CO2 sensors are important to monitor the proper ventilation of classrooms.

In Europe, several schools have been equipped with CO2 sensors to monitor classroom air. The teacher is alerted when the values ​​exceed the thresholds. He can then ventilate the room. These sensors also make it possible to educate and raise the awareness of children on the issue of air quality. And during an epidemic, they also make it possible to fight against the risks of contamination with COVID-19  by lowering the concentration of contaminated particles in the air. 

The Québec government and educational institutions are continuing to closely monitor the air quality in classrooms and ensure that appropriate mitigation measures are applied when problematic situations occur. 

Read more https://www.quebec.ca/en/education/preschool-elementary-and-secondary-schools/air-quality-schools

What solutions does HibouAir offer for air quality in public buildings such as schools?

Smart Sensor Devices has developed an air quality monitor device called HibouAir. HibouAir is an affordable wireless device with a simple setup that helps you accurately measure indoor environmental data for observations and studies to preserve a healthy air quality environment. Its small size and simple shape make it easy to mount on the wall of a classroom. 

The air quality data is stored in the cloud and can be accessed remotely using HibouAir Dashboard. It provides real-time as well as historical data with various maps, charts and graphs for analysis. It can also generate alert notifications and periodically reports upon request.

The app presents information in a logical way, with a clear display of air quality. This indoor air quality monitor provides not only the concentration of different elements in the air such as CO2 or PM and volatile organic compounds (VOC) but also the other parameters such as humidity, temperature, atmospheric pressure & light level that affect the ambient environment around us. The colour codes indicate whether the measurements represent good, moderate or severely polluted air. 

Get Air quality monitoring solution for school

Photo by Max Fischer: https://www.pexels.com/photo/teacher-asking-a-question-to-the-class-5212345/

Spain has announced new energy-saving measures, including limits on air conditioning and heating temperatures in public buildings and large commercial buildings, as it becomes the latest European country to try to reduce its energy consumption.

Applies to all public buildings, shopping malls, cinemas, theatres, train stations and airports, air conditioning must not be set below 27°C degrees Celsius during the hottest months of the year.

During the winter period, there is also a limit on heating, which cannot be set above 19°C in public places.

Reference : https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/05/world/europe/spain-air-conditioning-limits.html

In order to save energy, air quality monitoring devices could be helpful. These monitoring devices provide real-time and historical air quality data such as temperature, humidity, CO2 etc., which will help determine temperature changes in a given time.

Why HibouAir to save energy

HibouAir is an air quality monitor specially designed for indoor air quality monitoring. HibouAir comes with a quick & easy set-up. No need for wifi, gateway or cloud connectivity. Its design is sleek and the navigation of its desktop and mobile applications are simple and effective. The app presents information in a logical way, with a clear display of air quality. The device is easy to set up and use, as it doesn’t require connecting or pairing. This indoor air quality monitor provides not only the concentration of different elements in the air such as CO2 or PM and volatile organic compounds (VOC) but also the other parameters such as humidity, temperature, atmospheric pressure & light level that affect the ambient environment around us. It displays the current indoor air quality data and shows reading graphs for the past 7 days. The colour codes (green, yellow and red) indicate whether the measurements represent good, moderate or severely polluted air. 

The historical data provided by HibouAir, tells us change of temperature and energy consumption by air conditioner.

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People generally spend more than 80% of their time indoors and of that time, a large part of the active population spends their 8-hour workday in an office. People’s health depends largely on the indoor environment where we work, live or carry out any type of activity for a long time.

Ensuring good air quality inside an office is essential to guarantee the health of workers, which also translates into better work performance. 

The causes of poor air quality in offices

Various factors can influence indoor air quality, mainly of organic compounds present in the air.

The physical factor of the thermal environment (temperature, humidity, air velocity) also influences air quality (for example, an increase in temperature can favour the volatility of certain compounds or the proliferation of certain moulds and bacteria). 

Main indoor air pollutants in offices

Allergens such as pollen: can aggravate respiratory problems and cause coughing

Carbon dioxide and volatile organic compounds (VOCs)

Humidity: Certain bacteria and fungi can grow in spaces without sufficient ventilation. They can cause breathing problems

Chemical substances: cleaning products, paints… can cause headaches and even nausea.

What consequences does poor air quality have for the worker?

Poor indoor air quality has a significant impact on the comfort of the workers, giving rise to inconvenience, feelings of discomfort and inconvenience (dazzling, lack of concentration, dizziness, cough, etc.).

How to ensure good indoor air quality in offices

To ensure good indoor air quality in the work environment, it is essential to monitor indoor air quality and ensure good ventilation.

An air quality monitor can help us see things more clearly by providing measurements of the air that is present around us. Knowing what’s in the air can give us peace of mind, reveal sources of pollution and help us take action.  

The measurement of CO2 for office as in indicator of air quality

The correct ventilation of indoor or closed environments is essential to control possible exposures to respiratory viruses – among them, the cause of the COVID-19 pandemic. But how to ensure that the environments we occupy are properly ventilated or maintain air circulation and purification systems that protect us?

Being produced naturally by people, closed or poorly ventilated environments will always have higher concentrations of particles and gases such as CO2 than those with adequate air flows. And it is environments with little ventilation in which the effects of poor air quality, in addition to a possible source of contagion, are found.

Since CO2 is the gas that is most abundantly produced by the respiratory process, gas and particle concentration meters have become a fundamental tool for health care. 

These air quality monitors take a sample of the air in environments to provide certainty about the ppm values ​​of carbon dioxide and other particles found in them. Air quality monitors allow us to understand exactly if space is safe and healthy, or not. 

Why HibouAir 

HibouAir is an air quality monitor specially designed for indoor air quality monitoring. HibouAir comes with a quick & easy set-up. No need for wifi, gateway or cloud connectivity. Its design is sleek and the navigation of its desktop and mobile applications are simple and effective. The app presents information in a logical way, with a clear display of air quality. The device is easy to set up and use, as it doesn’t require connecting or pairing. It displays the current indoor air quality data and shows reading graphs for the past 7 days. The colour codes (green, yellow and red) indicate whether the measurements represent good, moderate or severely polluted air. 

The HibouAir app has proven to be extremely stable.

Monitor air quality at office with HibouAir 

HibouAir analytic app provides real-time air quality data from multiple devices. A desktop setup with a dongle can provide an overall air quality snapshot of the office. An employee can also use the mobile app to access data whenever they want. 

A good indoor air quality monitor should be able to measure the level of pollution in your home or office, although it won’t be able to do anything to reduce it. 

Even if you’ve been using an air purifier for years and are confident in its effectiveness, you probably still don’t know what air quality conditions it faces and when its performance is most important to you. This is because very few purifiers offer direct air quality readings. Certainly, some models have built-in sensors that can measure air quality and adjust machine settings to fix problems. They don’t usually tell you how much (and what type) of pollution they’re measuring, or why they’re adjusting.

An air quality monitor can help you see things more clearly by providing you with measurements of the air that is present at a given time in a given room in your home. Knowing what’s in the air can give you peace of mind, reveal sources of pollution and help you take action. If you live near a highway, for example, your air quality may drop during rush hour, prompting you to adjust your air purifier or air conditioner in anticipation. Some instructors may also offer simple tips and advice to improve your air. 

That said, most of the time, the decisions you make based on what an air quality monitor shows are decisions you should be making no matter what. Typically: opening the windows on sunny days will help you eliminate volatile organic compounds (VOCs or, more simply put, gases and odours). If a monitor confirms your concerns about particulate pollution (like smoke, pollen, and mould), you’ll need to keep an air purifier running. Monitors can augment, but not replace the air quality management by you.

That’s reason enough to make this device a useful companion to your other filter equipment. 

It also helps you to know when to replace HEPA filter. It can be difficult to tell when to replace a HEPA filter. Should one go by looks? Probably not. Going by looks turns out to be a poor measure of filter efficiency. The best way to test a HEPA filter’s efficiency and determine when to replace it is to use an air quality monitor.

Why HibouAir

Its design is sleek and navigation of its desktop and mobile applications are simple and effective. The app presents information in a logical way, with a clear display of air quality. The device is easy to set up and use, as it doesn’t require connecting or pairing. It doesn’t make any sound or show up any LED lights so as not to disturb your sleep, while the device continues to monitor the air. 

Its small size and simple shape make it easy to place on a desk or bedside table. This device has two versions, CO2 and Particle. The BLE version doesn’t offer Wi-Fi connectivity. This is not a weakness, however, just a different approach to air quality monitoring that meets the needs of many people. In addition, the BLE version generally costs less than the wifi version.

It measures particulate matter (PM1, PM2.5, PM10) or CO2, along with other environmental factors such as VOCs, temperature, humidity, pressure, and light. 

The interface of the application is both simple and rich in information. It displays the current indoor air quality data and shows reading graphs for the past 7 days. Clicking on either graph opens a short menu that allows you to view only specific measurements (like CO2 or VOCs) and adjust the time window (in minutes, hours or days). The colour codes (green, yellow and red) indicate whether the measurements represent good, moderate or severely polluted air. 

The HibouAir app has proven to be extremely stable.

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What is carbon dioxide (CO2) and where is it found?

Composed of one carbon atom and two oxygen atoms (CO2), carbon dioxide is a colourless gas of natural origin that appears in the atmosphere as a trace gas (that is, it occupies a volume of less than 1% of the total atmospheric ). It is a pillar in the terrestrial life cycle and plays a significant role in controlling the planet’s climate.

Carbon dioxide is caused by natural geothermal and biogeochemical phenomena that include the respiration of living things and their decomposition. It is also generated artificially by various human activities and industries, as well as the burning of fossil fuels, natural gas, and coal. And, with them, their concentration in the atmosphere is increasing.

The effects of CO2 on humans

In normal concentrations, carbon dioxide is generally not a toxic gas for people. Although it is exhaled in the breath, it is a necessary gas for life that is diffused throughout the body and that assists in many physiological functions, such as haemoglobin. However, when CO2 is found in higher concentrations in environments, it can become a gas that is harmful to humans.

CO2 is expressed in ppm (parts per million), and a limit value of 1000 ppm is recommended for a healthy indoor climate. Above 1200 ppm, the indoor climate is unhealthy and ventilation is required immediately. Air humidity is also important. Air that is too dry irritates the respiratory tract, and air that is too humid can cause mould. Air humidity is expressed in RH (relative humidity), it is recommended to seek a percentage of humidity between 40% and 60%.

An unhealthy indoor climate can cause the following health problems:

• Headaches, fatigue, and drowsiness (which often increase during the day);
• Mucosal irritations and other non-specific discomforts;
• Communication of infectious diseases that leads to an increase in sick leave;
• Increased incidence of allergies;
• Increased risk of asthma attacks.

THE MEASUREMENT OF CO2 AS AN INDICATOR OF AIR QUALITY

The correct ventilation of indoor or closed environments is essential to control possible exposures to respiratory viruses – among them, the cause of the COVID-19 pandemic. But how to ensure that the environments we occupy are properly ventilated or maintain air circulation and purification systems that protect us?

Being produced naturally by people, closed or poorly ventilated environments will always have higher concentrations of particles and gases such as CO2 than those with adequate air flows. And it is environments with little ventilation in which the effects of poor air quality, in addition to a possible source of contagion, are found.

Since CO2 is the gas that is most abundantly produced by the respiratory process, gas and particle concentration meters have become a fundamental tool for health care. 

These air quality monitors take a sample of the air in environments to provide certainty about the ppm values ​​of carbon dioxide and other particles found in them. Air quality monitors allow us to understand exactly if space is safe and healthy, or not. 

Monitor CO2 levels with HibouAir

In the personal and specific environment for shared indoor environments, keeping an eye on carbon dioxide concentrations is essential to take ventilation and correction actions, and take care of ourselves. To do this, it is recommended to have a monitor that can monitor air concentrations, provide intelligent information to improve decision-making, and help take quick action in controlled environments to create conditions for a healthy and productive workplace or home.

Incorporating all these functions; the HibouAir is the most accurate air quality monitor in its category. 

It enables intelligent and remote monitoring for homes or offices.

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Sources:

https://www.co2.earth/daily-co2

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/z3fv4wx/articles/zndkxyc