Air has numerous times been stated as one of the most crucial elements of survival for living organisms. Not only do we require air, but we require pollution-free clean air for our safe survival. Experiencing and observing all the ill effects of poor air quality on a person’s quality of life and health is certainly a point to think of.
With the advent of industrialization, air pollution took a steep rise in no time. Besides industries and other such sources, even emissions from vehicles in this day and age have become a prominent contributor to air pollution. But how do we successfully find the air quality around the area we are residing in compared to the pollutant levels?
The answer to this question is Air Quality Monitoring and an indoor air quality meter.
What is Air Quality Monitoring?
It is the process used to determine the existing features and quality of air, evaluate the effectiveness of programs involved with its control, and identify the areas that require restoration.
Under this, various pollutants are monitored under the program known by the name of NAMP with the assistance of agencies like NEERI, CPCB, SPCB, etc. This monitoring is carried for 24 hours, with the rate of frequency being twice a week. The pollutants include:
- Nitrous Oxide (NOX)
- Carbon Monoxide (CO)
- Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
- Particulate matter (PM 10 and PM 2.5)
- Sulphur Dioxide (SO2)
Air Quality concerning the air exchange rate
Air quality might not be the same everywhere. It tends to differ by weather conditions and geographic patterns, along with the various sources of pollution towards the degrading quality of air today. That is the reason why every area has a different air quality level.
For instance, let us consider two different areas:
- Area 1 gas a lower air exchange rate coupled with fewer sources of air pollution
- Area 2 has a higher air exchange rate and fewer sources of air pollution
In comparison, you will get to know that Area 1 will have a poor quality of air when compared to area 2. This is because area 1 has a low air exchange rate that helps the pollutants build up easily, whereas area 2 has a high air exchange rate due to which pollutants do not tend to build up in that area.
Conclusion
An indoor air quality meter primarily helps identify the pollution level, air quality level, and polluted areas. With the data provided, measures can be devised to protect the environment and living organisms’ overall health easily.