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Increasing awareness among the public about the importance of indoor and atmospheric air quality — and the link with an array of health hazards and chronic medical conditions — is generating a strong demand for home and office air monitoring products.
Technology has rapidly evolved to fill the need for precise detection of airborne pathogens and particles. Homeowners and businesses alike want to know whether microbes and cancer-causing substances such as asbestos are suspended in living spaces, and at what concentration. A clear sign of the increased concern over air quality is the skyrocketing growth of the market for air quality monitors. According to analysis from ReportLinker.com, the global market for indoor air quality monitors was estimated at USD $3.7 billion in 2020. It’s now projected to reach a size of $6.4 billion by 2027. As home monitoring increases, so does the need for finding practical solutions to improve the air we breathe and mitigate risks. This is especially true in spaces for vulnerable people, like children and the elderly, and areas of food preparation. This point was highlighted in a study conducted in the spring by the Canadian Partnership for Children’s Health and Environment and the Canadian Child Care Federation, in collaboration with University of Ottawa researchers. Nearly half of 2,000 professionals in child care programs across the country reported unhealthy conditions for children, according to the survey data. Over two-thirds of respondents expressed concern about risks to children’s health and wellbeing posed by air pollution (indoor 64 percent; outdoor 69 percent), toxic chemicals in products (69 percent), a lack of access to nature (68 percent), and climate change (68 percent). When consumers are ready to act, there are many options for air quality monitoring and purification systems, including reference-grade FRM/FEM monitors, mobile air quality sensors, and stationary low-cost sensors. Air quality monitoring using FRM and FEM equipment developed largely as a result of government mandates. A key reason both the U.S. and Canadian governments got involved in the maturation and application of these technologies is that they needed ways to accurately measure air quality in cases where atmospheric data are used to develop policy and measure compliance with regulatory standards. This type of monitoring equipment is extremely precise — and expensive. A single monitor may cost as much as $40,000 USD. On top of that, the equipment requires periodic maintenance from highly trained technicians. Because the monitors need specific types of environments and infrastructure, they are harder to deploy and often impractical when it comes to measuring air quality in small spaces. That’s where mobile air quality monitoring comes in. Mobile monitors are light enough to be mounted on cars, and much less costly. This sometimes comes at the expense of accuracy. Stationary low-cost sensors that are not considered mobile are equally attractive options, but also tend to fall short of the FRM/FEM gold standard. These options measure air quality in different ways, and often provide different data outputs. The choice of the most appropriate monitoring technology is an important one, as precise and regular monitoring can make the difference between a healthy environment and an atmosphere that is hazardous to adults and children. Comments are closed.
AuthorHamza Mbareche is a researcher, trainer and consultant who focuses on improving the environmental safety of workplaces and public spaces, using cutting edge technologies. Archives
August 2023
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