With the worsening domestic air quality, a growing number of people have started to pay attention to the issue and take measures to protect themselves. Whether it is wearing masks when going out, or installing fresh air systems and air purifiers at home, various solutions related to air health have been widely accepted and tried by the public. Consequently, household portable air quality monitors have made their way into ordinary families.
Some people may wonder: doesn’t the environmental protection bureau provide official air quality data?
After all, it is quite convenient to access such data either through weather apps on our phones or via online searches. So why spend money on a home air quality monitor? However, it is important to note that the official PM2.5 data is the overall average measured at specific outdoor monitoring stations during fixed time periods. Moreover, there is a significant difference between indoor and outdoor air quality.
After all, there are many uncontrollable factors indoors. Under normal circumstances, with doors and windows closed, the PM2.5 level indoors is about one-third lower than that outdoors, while the CO₂ concentration is higher than the outdoor level. If cooking or smoking takes place at home, the PM2.5 level will surge dramatically. These personalized variables can only be monitored by a home air quality monitor.
In addition, air quality monitors can not only realize real-time monitoring of indoor air data, but also help us evaluate the performance of home air purifiers or fresh air systems. We can then adjust their on/off status, air volume and operating modes according to real-time data changes. Therefore, for households that have already taken air purification measures, an air quality monitor is a must-have device.
Gas sensors are the core components of air quality monitoring equipment. PM2.5 sensors can detect the concentration of PM2.5 in the air; CO₂ sensors are designed to measure CO₂ levels; semiconductor and electrochemical sensors are capable of detecting formaldehyde or VOC concentrations in the air. If we compare an air quality monitor to a human body, then gas sensors are undoubtedly its powerful brain.
The construction of smart cities in China is inseparable from sensors, among which electrochemical gas sensors are widely used. They operate on the principle of measuring the electric current generated by the oxidation or reduction of the target gas at the electrodes, so as to determine the concentration of the target gas. Leading brands of electrochemical gas sensors, such as DDS from the UK, produce a large number of sensors every year,
including oxygen sensors, carbon monoxide sensors, hydrogen sulfide sensors, ammonia sensors, ethylene oxide sensors, nitrogen dioxide sensors, nitric oxide sensors, chlorine sensors and sulfur dioxide sensors. These products are sold to markets in Europe, America and Asia, boasting stable performance. They are widely integrated into monitoring instruments and meters used in industries such as petroleum, petrochemicals, municipal engineering, steel mills, coal mines, chemical engineering and civil applications.
