Use Case: Supporting University Research on Indoor Air Quality with HibouAir Cloud Monitoring
Air pollution is becoming a serious concern around the world. Wildfires, traffic emissions, and other environmental factors are increasing the level of fine particles in the air. These particles, especially PM2.5, are small enough to enter the lungs and cause health problems.
While outdoor air pollution is often monitored by regional stations, indoor air quality is not always measured in detail. This is a problem because people spend most of their time indoors. To understand real exposure levels, indoor air must be measured directly.
Researchers from the School of Built Environment at the University of Technology Sydney wanted to study this issue more closely. Elaheh Samandi, Arezoo Shirazi, and Sidney Newton carried out a research project called “Measuring the fine particulate exposure levels of building occupants using localized sensors.” Their goal was to understand how outdoor pollution affects indoor air inside a university building in Sydney, Australia.
To collect accurate data over five months, the research team used IoT air quality sensors, including the HibouAir air quality monitoring device.
The Research Approach: Continuous Monitoring Inside the Building
The researchers installed sensors inside different areas of a multi-story university building. They also measured outdoor PM2.5 levels near the building. By doing this, they were able to compare indoor and outdoor air quality over time.
The study ran for five months and included different environmental conditions, such as winter and periods of Hazard Reduction Burning (HRB). These events helped the researchers understand how extreme outdoor pollution affects indoor air.
Using the collected data, the team calculated Indoor-to-Outdoor ratios and something called an Exceedance Index. These measurements helped them understand how much outdoor pollution enters the building and how often indoor air exceeds recommended health limits.
Because they used localized sensors instead of relying only on a regional monitoring station, they were able to see what was really happening inside the building.
Key Findings: Indoor Air Can Be Worse Than Expected
The study revealed several important findings.
During winter, PM2.5 levels increased overnight. This shows that air quality can change even when buildings are not fully occupied. Continuous monitoring is important because pollution does not only happen during working hours.
The researchers also found that areas close to the building entrance had much higher exposure levels. In fact, the indoor space nearest to the entrance exceeded more than double the World Health Organization’s recommended PM2.5 limit for over 80 percent of the study period. This clearly shows that pollution can enter buildings through doors and air intakes.
When the researchers compared their local outdoor sensor data with the nearest regional air quality monitoring station, they found something important. The local outdoor PM2.5 readings were about 2.5 times higher than the regional station’s readings. This shows that regional stations may not always reflect the real pollution levels around a specific building.
The Role of HibouAir in the Study
HibouAir helped make this research possible by providing reliable and continuous PM2.5 measurements inside the building.
The device collected data over the full five-month period. Because it connects to a cloud platform, the researchers were able to store, download, and analyze the data easily. This allowed them to study patterns over time and compare different areas inside the building.
Although this study focused mainly on PM2.5, HibouAir can also measure CO2, PM1.0, PM10, temperature, humidity, and VOCs. This makes it useful for broader indoor air quality research in the future.
The ability to monitor continuously and access data remotely made HibouAir a practical tool for long-term research.
Why Localized Monitoring Is Important
This research clearly shows that regional air quality data is not always enough. Pollution levels can be very different at the local level, especially near busy roads or during events like Hazard Reduction Burning.
Buildings also behave differently depending on design, ventilation systems, and how close they are to pollution sources. Without localized monitoring, it is difficult to understand what occupants are actually breathing.
By using localized sensors like HibouAir, researchers and facility managers can see real exposure levels instead of relying on distant monitoring stations.
With accurate and reliable data, researchers can better understand these patterns and develop strategies to improve indoor air quality. Tools like HibouAir make this possible by providing clear and consistent environmental data.
For readers interested in learning more, the full research article can be accessed here:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0360132323004304