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How To Choose The Best Indoor Air Quality Monitor For Your Commercial Building

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Even if it smells fresh, the air inside commercial buildings can be unhealthy. Some toxic gasses such as excess carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and formaldehyde might be present, and the only way for you to uncover and measure its existence is through indoor air quality monitors. What are indoor air quality monitors? How do you choose the best indoor air quality monitor for your commercial building?

What are indoor air quality monitors?

Indoor air quality (IAQ) monitors are devices fitted with multiple sensors that collect data on the levels of air contaminants and other factors affecting the air in an indoor environment. IAQ monitors take periodic measurements and send the results to mobile devices or a computer.

The IAQ data that air quality monitors provide helps commercial building owners and their tenants to detect air quality issues, pinpoint their exact sources, and establish their own unique solutions to improve indoor air quality.

Common air pollutants that IAQ monitors measure

Particulate matter or PM is a mixture of tiny solid and liquid particles that are formed from a variety of sources such as organic compounds, metals, acids, soil, and dust. Indoors, particulate matter is a result of the outdoor air entering commercial buildings and can also be formed from smoking, candle burning, and the use of unvented space heaters.

Particulate matter is so small that it can easily enter the deep portion of the lungs and mix with the bloodstream resulting in lung irritation, coughing, sneezing, runny nose, and shortness of breath.

Carbon dioxide or CO2 is a colorless and odorless gas present in the atmosphere.

CO2 can be produced through combustion, metabolic processes of living organisms, decomposition, respiration, and burning of fossil fuels. While this gas is a natural component of our air and makes up part of the carbon cycle, excessive amounts of it can lead to negative effects on health such as fatigue, weakened brain function, and headaches.

Volatile organic compounds or VOCs are organic compounds that have low boiling points and evaporate and combine in the air easily. VOCs can come from various natural and man-made sources including plant and animal respiration, organic decomposition, paints, solvents, cleaning agents, pesticides, and air fresheners.  VOCs can lead to a variety of health problems including loss of concentration, nausea, kidney and liver damage, or health problems affecting the central nervous system.

Carbon monoxide is colorless, odorless, and tasteless making it difficult for us to detect. These characteristics also make CO concentrations build up inside built environments and cause carbon monoxide poisoning.

Formaldehyde is a colorless, flammable gas at room temperature with a strong odor. It is a type of Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) that is found in many consumer and workplace products such as glue and adhesives, paints, air fresheners, and permanent press fabrics. Short-term exposure to formaldehyde can cause eye, nose, and throat irritation. At higher levels, formaldehyde exposure can cause skin rashes, shortness of breath, wheezing, disruptions in lung function, and cancer.

Benefits of an improved indoor air quality

Enhanced tenant and customer health

By knowing what’s in the air you breathe, commercial building owners can immediately take action to address air quality issues and prevent health problems.

Improved productivity and trust

Workers who are comfortable and are exposed to healthy indoor air quality at work take fewer sick leaves and are more likely to continue doing their jobs at an improved pace and efficiency. Additionally, monitored IAQ also fosters confidence and trust between customers, the employees, and the building owner knowing that wellness is prioritized.

Secured green and health buildings certifications

Installing indoor air quality monitors and improving indoor air quality allows commercial building owners to comply with standards and secure green building and sustainability certifications such as LEED, WELL, BREAMM, Fitwel, Green Mark, and RESET, among others.

Optimized business performance

Improving indoor air quality benefits not only the well-being and the employee’s workability, but also the entire business performance. Creating a positive work environment with healthier air also positively affects employees’ quality of deliverables, resulting in customer satisfaction and immediate business growth.

Choosing the best indoor air quality monitor for your commercial building

Choosing an indoor air quality monitor is often the first step that many buildings commercial owners take to improve indoor air quality. But, before choosing what brand to purchase and expecting accurate data from it, the following must be carefully considered:

Number of parameters – some measure 7, others measure 9, and a few can monitor more than 10 parameters; some can measure ozone, others can measure ammonia, while there are those that can measure both. When choosing an indoor air quality monitor, it is important to find one that is fitted with the right type and number of sensors based on your commercial building’s needs and requirements.

Data and integration – look for IAQ monitors that offer easy yet secure access to data. Some monitors offer software for building owners to analyze their data, but can also come with recurring subscription costs and data ownership problems.

Additionally, choose IAQ monitors that provide the ability to take the data and integrate it with building management systems (BMS) and smart devices. Integration helps automate a certain built environment, can reduce the time it takes to respond to air quality problems, and increase energy efficiency.

Location

An IAQ monitor must be located in open spaces. This will allow the device to obtain adequate samples of the air employees are being exposed to. The device should also be out of arm’s reach, and shall not be placed behind a locked gate.

Communication

Some IAQ monitors offer a variety of technologies to communicate data such as LTE-M, NB-IoT, WiFi, and LoRa. Some offer just one option, while others have multiple. Building owners must contact their IAQ solutions provider to understand specific network requirements, carrier limitations and area coverage.

Takeaway

Choosing the best indoor air quality monitor for your commercial building is your first line of defense against indoor air pollution and its effects. By having the IAQ monitor that fits your building’s specific needs, unique strategies can be performed and fact-based decisions can be made to improve the air you, your tenants, your customers, and your employees breathe.

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