Category: devices

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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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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Review: Cambridge Mask

Sotirios Papathanasiou7 Comments

This time I had the opportunity of getting a half face mask by Cambridge Mask Co. and of course I wrote with pleasure a review on my blog.

Characteristics

Cambridge Mask offers the N99 respirators (Not oil resistant), a three layer mask with a Military Grade Carbon Filter layer, and the Three-Ply Micro Particulate layer. An exhale valve is present as well to ensure that moist won’t build up.  These respirators also filter 99.6% of viruses and 99.77% of bacteria.Read More »

Air Quality Devices – Comparison 2017 Q2

Sotirios Papathanasiou15 Comments

More and new devices on the market. From wearables to home AQI monitors are here to assist people’s needs. Remember air pollution is everywhere.

comparison air 2017 Q2

  • Prices may vary during time.
  • Some Companies don’t specify on their data sheet if their devices are capable to measure PM2.5 or PM10 and they just mention the word dust.
  • Some other companies say: Our product goes beyond CO₂ by analyzing substances that directly affect your well-being by measuring VOCs. They aren’t clear if their devices have CO₂ sensor.
  • Some of the devices are AQI Monitors and Air Purifiers Combo. On this list you can only read the features as an AQI monitor.
  • The classification of the design between Bad, Good and Very Good is based on the materials (plastic, wood, glass and metal) that they use and the aesthetic on my personal opinion.

CO2 Candles Experiment

Sotirios PapathanasiouLeave a comment

CO2 Candles Experiment

In this experiment I will demonstrate how fast Carbon Dioxide CO2 rises inside a room by lighting two small candles.

bedroomday1_0000 copy

I chose my study room as it can be easily isolated, plus I have got all the AQI monitors inside this room for the purpose of the experiment. The room is 7.3m². The experiment is easy, I lit 2 candles and closed the door and window of the room. Then I waiting with myself inside the room till the CO2 reached 1200ppm. Basically I logged the time when the CO2 was 430ppm and when it reached the 1200ppm with and without the candles.

With the candles the CO2 needed 35 minutes to reach the 1200ppm limit as you can see on the graph below and without any candle and with exactly the same conditions as before the CO2 needed 59 minutes to reach the upper limit.

Conclusion

You gain 25 minutes of more oxygen and less CO2 until the room reaches the 1200ppm limit which means more productive time and fewer headaches.

Gray Slate

Where are the Public Air Quality Stations?

Sotirios Papathanasiou2 Comments

In my city (Almeria, Spain) there are two stations that measure the local Air Quality.

Let’s analyze them and see if they are located in the correct places and if they feature the necessary instruments for measuring the AQI properly.

The Background

It is located in “El Boticario” a park 10km outside of the city center. The coordinates according to an official document from“Junta de Andalucía” are UTMX:554439 and UTMY:4080272, but they aren’t correct (Not so professional). The real coordinates are UTMX:554319 and UTMY:4080066. This station seems to work well although they don’t feed the data in real time to the public and quite often is down.

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See The Air: The Book

Sotirios PapathanasiouLeave a comment

See The Air

The Essential Guide For Optimal Air Quality In Your Life

After a long time of researching and writing all the essential information about air pollution and how you can improve the air quality for you and your community, the book is ready. I am very thrilled to share this book with you all and I will be even happier if you share it with your friends and family as well. I tried to keep it as simple as possible without unnecessary information. You can see the table of contents below and take a small idea of what is inside this book.Read More »