Category: air pollution

Wildfires and Air Pollution

Sotirios PapathanasiouLeave a comment

The last few months and due to the lack of rain and the climate change some places in the world are facing extreme wildfires, most of the times manmade. Places like Galicia-Spain, Portugal and California-USA have been facing a great danger. The wildlife has been left without its habitat and humans without clean air. Unfortunately this kind of distraction creates enormous quantities of air pollution. A lot of times the air pollution spreads downwind from the fire source and even reaches other countries, so-called Cross Border pollution.

What kind of pollutants do the wildfires produce?

Mainly wood smoke contains a mixture of PM2.5, PM10 particles and various gases. More precisely wildfire smoke is a mixture of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds VOCs and a wide rage of particulate matter PMs that include ash, black carbon BC and organic carbon, such as Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons PAHs.

The smoke is a very complicated mixture of pollutants in the air, and it affects human health. It comes from lots of different sources, including trees, decomposed leaves, animals, forest litter and sometimes from local houses. Even the composition of the air pollution is depending on the way the smoke is created, for example by smouldering or flaming.

How to protect yourselves?

If you live close to a forest then ask your local authorities how you can help to protect the Earth’s lungs. If you happen to be near a wildfire/forest fire then remember to wear a N95 or N99 face mask. Don’t expose yourself in the smoke for a long time, even the face masks have a limit. If you live near an ongoing wildfire, close the windows and seal your house from the outdoor air. Stay away from your house for a few days, ask a family member who lives far away from the fire to host you.

Request

I can’t stand reading or watching on TV news regarding wildfires. The damage is huge especially when humans are responsable for them. My heart breaks every time. Please respect the environment. Thank you.

DIY PM Monitor Take 2

Sotirios Papathanasiou4 Comments

Do you remember this DIY Low cost DIY PM Monitor, there is a new and better version available.

The new version offers a low cost housing and the software is more mature now. The software is open source, on github, and there are some pre-built images on their website.

A great new feature is the ability to store of a few days of data on the device which makes it more robust to internet outages and usable for periods away from wifi access, and it records every sample from the PMS5003 sensor which is more that one per second to better capture quick changes and better for mapping walking around.

You can find all the instructions on their website.

Why I am in favour of Air Quality Sensors

Sotirios Papathanasiou6 Comments

Why am I in favour of air quality sensors and I support all AQI monitors and sensors independently their price tag?

Because they help us literally See the Air. They are the only tools we can use to get hard evidence that air pollution exists and raise awareness. Someone could say that inaccurate and probably cheap sensors are useless and I will agree in some level but you have to keep in mind that not everyone can afford a +1000$ sensor. Those “cheap” sensors will allow people to discover what they breathe in some level, act on it and will make them more conscious about the pollution. I truly believe that sensors will shape future societies.

Sometimes when I talk to people about air pollution some of them don’t seem to understand that air pollution exists. They have never thought that the black smoke exiting a car is a harmful pollution. They have never thought that lighting the fireplace for a “cosy” moment has effects and consequences. They have never thought that air pollution is everywhere and can affect everyone.

When evidences are presented, people start to think and wonder. A fundamental action which distinguish humans from animals. At that moment people make a huge difference as human beings and the Oxygen that is consumed by them is not a waste. Education is the key to a better future.

uHoo vs AirVisual vs Awair

Sotirios Papathanasiou18 Comments

On this article I am going to compare three AQI monitors: AirVisual, uHoo and Awair.

All the monitors were placed together in the guest room in my house, as you can see on the picture above. I chose that room because I wanted to be able to isolate the devices from the rest of the house and from human interaction especially for the first 21 measurements. No one was allowed in that room during those measurements. After those 21 random measurements which were taken during 4 days period of time I opened the door and I created some “air pollution”. The whole experiment lasted 10 days. Below you can see the graphs with all the sensors and monitors.

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“See The Air” & “Nicholas and his incredible eyesight” Books

Sotirios PapathanasiouLeave a comment

“See The Air”

Years of experience and personal research made me write and design this straightforward guide-book about air pollution. All the crucial information are inside this book, see the air you breathe today. Available on Paperback and Digital.

“Nicholas and his incredible eyesight”

Nicholas is a Scottish boy who will help your kids understand better what Air Pollution is and what they need to do to combat it. Through his empowering story he will teach them how to be more sustainable and thoughtful with the environment. Available on Paperback, Digital and Limited Edition Hardcover.

“Nicholas – The Science Book”

Let’s make a journey around the world and learn everything about the air we breathe. We are going to learn about the Earth’s atmosphere, the composition of the air and the most common air pollutants. In addition, we will learn how air pollution negatively affects humans and the environment. Available on Paperback.

Nicholas and his incredible eyesight | Book

Sotirios PapathanasiouLeave a comment

I am proud to announce my second book “Nicholas and his incredible eyesight” which is my second attempt to raise awareness on air pollution and this time by educating the youth.

The book is for all kids, the story is full of lovely and colourful drawings and at the end of the book the kids will have the opportunity to do some fun activities.

Synopsis of the story

Nicholas is a Scottish boy who lives in a small beautiful town in Scotland. He has to move with his family to London for a while. There and with the help of his teacher he will discover his unique super power.

The book is available on digital and paperback formats through the following stores:

Layer 3Layer 5Layer 4

 

 

If you are interested in a (Limited Edition) HardCover copy of my new book, please Contact me or Tweet me for more details.

ISBN-13: 9788469752708

Review: uHoo AQI Monitor

Sotirios Papathanasiou12 Comments

Finally is here. After having an adventure with the postal service for +40 days the uHoo device found its way to my home. I want to thank uHoo for its persistence.

Let me start by saying that this is a very promising device because it features 9 separate Sensors for Air Quality monitoring and there isn’t any other device with so many sensors for indoor use. The company was founded in August 2014 and it took them two and a half years to develop uHoo.

Features:

  • RGB LED Light
  • Temperature Sensor -40°C to 85°C / 40°F to 185°F
  • Humidity Sensor RT 0-100%
  • Air Pressure Sensor 300-1,100mbar
  • Carbon Dioxide CO2 Sensor 400-10,000ppm
  • Carbon Monoxide CO Sensor 0-1000ppm
  • VOC Sensor 0-1,000ppb
  • PM2.5 Sensor 0-200ug/m³
  • Ozone O3 Sensor 0-1,000ppb
  • *Nitrogen Dioxide NO2 Sensor 0-1000ppb
  • Micro USB Power Input 5V DC
  • WiFi 802.11 b/g/n @ 2.4 GHz

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OK Lab Stuttgart – PM DIY Monitor

Sotirios Papathanasiou5 Comments

An Outdoor PM DIY Monitor

Do you think the current PM (Particulate Matter) monitors are too expansive or too risky to leave them outside? Do you need proofs for convincing your local authorities to take actions against air pollution?

Then it’s time to build your own personal outdoor PM DIY Monitor. It won’t cost you more than €32 and it can feed your community with valuable data about the air quality. Use that data to prove how bad is the air quality in your neighborhood or community.

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Three Great Books for the Summer

Sotirios PapathanasiouLeave a comment

Summer is here and everyone is on vacation, with spare time to read some great books. It doesn’t matter which one you will choose Mine or Rieuwerts’ or Swyers’ or all of them, just make sure you learn more about the air you breathe. Share with your loved ones and friends the knowledge you will get.

Make sure you follow us on Twitter at @SeeTheAirBook, @AnAirThatKills & @TomSwyers.
SeeTheAirAnAirThatKillsbook tom

The Air in New York

Sotirios PapathanasiouLeave a comment

In my recent visit in New York and in other USA cities I decided to take with me a portable carbon monoxide device and measure the air quality across the cities during my trip.

The CO Sensor was placed on a net pocket that I had sewed on my backpack. I am quite the craftsman! The experiment had to be done correctly to ensure that the air flowed easily and the measurements were taken correctly and constantly.Read More »