Air Sensor technology advances and increasing availability in the consumer marketplace are changing the landscape of indoor air quality management. As air sensor technology evolves and becomes more widely used in relation to indoor air quality management, it is increasingly common for a sensor or a combination of sensors to be incorporated in equipment, appliances and other devices that measure, record, and/or display the concentration of certain pollutants or environmental conditions indoors. In addition, sensors are increasingly being used in devices to trigger an action, such as turning on an exhaust fan or air cleaner when pollutant concentrations or environmental conditions exceed a pre-defined level.
Some common consumer uses of air sensor technology indoors include:
- Detecting airborne pollutant concentrations. For example, some devices are designed to detect and indicate levels of a targeted pollutant like particulate matter (PM) indoors.
- Triggering an action in equipment, appliances, or other devices such as turning on an air cleaner when pollutant concentrations or environmental conditions exceed a pre-defined level.
- Activation of safety devices such as carbon monoxide alarms and smoke detectors when concentrations of carbon monoxide or components of smoke reach levels that indicate the potential for immediate danger to life.
In addition, air sensor technology is used for indoor air research and educational activities. For example, air sensor technology can be used in research to better understand total exposure to specific pollutants. Portable devices that use air sensor technology also may be included in environmental science curriculums to help students understand indoor air quality in their classrooms.
Despite many advances, there are still gaps in our understanding of the data quality and performance of sensor technology indoors. Additional research is needed to better characterize the use of air sensor technology indoors.