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.
The growing urbanization, industrialization and deforestation has led to an increase in the number and density of undesirable particles and airborne pathogens (bacteria, viruses, etc.) in our environment. Indoor air quality has therefore become even more important especially after covid-19 wreaked havoc around the world and its measurement is the first step towards ensuring that the immediate surrounding is safe for our families. As a researcher in medical domain with a keen interest in technology that affects our health, I compared various air sensors online before deciding to try HibouAir (Air monitoring devices-IoT sensor) at our home. I liked the fact that they use recycled materials for manufacturing their products, which is beneficial for the environment.
My initial experience with the HibouAir sensor has been positive. This small and affordable device requires simple setup but provides relevant data in real time for timely intervention, if required. It was interesting to not only monitor the concentration of different elements in the air such as CO2 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 apps on both the desktop ( I tested the Mac OS app) and mobile (android) worked well and showed the parameters using a clean design and intuitive interface.
As with any other product, there is still some room for further improvements. In particular, I would like to see a display on the device itself so that a mobile phone or a pc is not always needed. I would also like to see a comparison with external air quality in the app that can be easily arranged by sourcing that data from external source (e.g., EPA). This could give an indication of the improvement in air quality compared to outdoors if a customer is using an air purifier. These are just a couple of suggestions for further improvements and don’t take away the fact that HibouAir sensor is a great product already in its current form. I would highly recommend it for indoor air quality monitoring.
Dr. Vikas Gupta, PhD Senior Clinical Scientist Philips Innovation Hub @ Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm
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 abilitiesof 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
However, rising CO₂ levels—particularly in enclosed environments—pose significant health concerns. This is where having an accurate indoor air quality monitor CO2 becomes essential.
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? Monitoring Air Quality CO2 levels is an effective way to determine whether indoor environments like offices, classrooms, and homes are adequately ventilated.
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 CO2 sensor product 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.
Improving employee productivity is a key goal for companies of any size. Having a healthy workplace is one of the concerns of companies. In fact, indoor air quality greatly influences the health of staff by influencing their well-being and creating productive and healthy work environments.
A company that does not take care of its employees does not inspire trust and can lose everything: customers, turnover, talent drain, etc. Therefore, the quality of the air breathed at work is a very important factor influencing the health of workers. Employers, therefore, have every interest in ensuring that their teams breathe good quality air. Good indoor air quality improves working conditions. In fact, the exposure to diseases increases by sharing closed spaces where the air circulates little and is hardly renewed. Not in vain, the indoor air is twice as polluted compared to the outside air. For several decades, this issue has fortunately been taken very seriously and the evolution of technology facilitates awareness of the subject. In addition, the current context of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a review of indoor air quality standards.
Indoor air is on average 5 to 7 times more polluted than outdoor air, whereas we spend 80 to 90% of our time there, mainly in our workplace. In question, many factors and pollutants can have an impact on health. To mention just one, CO2, which is one of these factors, is very present in buildings.
It is measured in ppm (part per million) or µg/m3. Indoor CO2 levels are generally higher than outdoors, due to CO2 exhaled by occupants. It should be noted that there can be harmful consequences when the concentrations are higher than approximately 1000 ppm such as health risks and a reduction in efficiency at work. If the threshold is exceeded, the air is considered polluted and it is recommended not to temporarily occupy the room.
Most important, to minimize the risk of virus transmission through the air is keeping CO2 levels as low as possible in all indoor spaces.
How to improve indoor air quality and CO2 impact
The following steps can be taken :
Ventilate the rooms: it is recommended to open the windows as well as the doors on a regular basis to ventilate the premises and reduce the effects of confinement.
Have good ventilation: an effective ventilation system is recommended to ensure good air renewal.
Control sources of pollution: there are many sources of indoor pollution and it is important to limit them.
Take measurements using air quality sensors: these sensors make it possible to measure the levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the room but also other indoor pollutants (volatile organic compounds (VOC) etc.. in order to be able to make the right decisions and apply appropriate corrective measures.
For this, there are devices for measuring air quality which will allow knowing more about the air currently breathed. HibouAir is receommended in this regard. HibouAir is an affordable air quality monitoring device with a simple setup that provides all indoor environmental data for observations of CO2, VOC, PM, pressure, temperature, and humidity for a healthy environment. It is suitable for offices and other indoor places with a wide range of applications. This device comes with a cloud dashboard which allows accessing historical data remotely along with mobile and desktop applications. There are several solutions provided by HibouAir for indoor air quality monitoring.
The air quality at home can affect both adults and the child. However, children are extra sensitive to air pollution.
Clean air has been linked to children’s health and well-being. Children are particularly susceptible to air pollution because their bodies and lungs are still developing. For example, you get asthma much easier as a child than as an adult. Then children are also a little more active, so they breathe more in comparison with body weight. This makes them absorb air pollutants much more easily than adults.
As a parent, the safety of children is a top priority. Most parents, on the other hand, do not realize the danger that risks their children’s health every day because they don’t have access to visible air quality data. Children come into contact with environmental pollutants in their rooms every day. Toys and other items make the child’s bedroom a fun, safe space to play, learn and sleep. These items are likely to release toxic air pollutants into the room.
Indoor air pollution can be up to five times more severe than outdoors. They are there even though we can not always see or smell them.
Air pollution in the home can have many different health effects on children, including childhood asthma, allergies, poorer learning ability and a higher risk of early cancer and cardiovascular disease later in life. This is especially serious because studies show that high exposure to air pollutants early in life can have lifelong consequences for children’s physical and mental development. Installing an air quality monitoring device at home will make sure that children are breathing in the best air.
Choose the best air quality monitoring device for kids
HibouAir is an affordable air quality monitoring device with a simple setup that helps you accurately measure indoor environmental data for observations and studies to preserve a healthy air quality environment. HibouAir comes with two different variations; particule and CO2 sensors.
There are several indoor air quality monitoring solutions provided by HibouAir:
Users can choose the best solution that meets their requirements.
HibouAir mobile and desktop applications work for any solution which provides real-time air quality data of nearby devices over Bluetooth. HibouAir Dashboard account is available for cloud solutions, which provides real-time data with various maps, charts and graphs for analysis. It can also generate alert notifications and periodically reports upon request.
With HibouAir, parents can feel calm in the knowledge that children can play happily, sleep well and stay healthy.
