This is the final post in a four-part series covering the topic of data logging in terms ofHome Applications,Products and Performance,监测类型, and Indoor Air Quality.

昂贵的，研究级仪器已经可用于测量室内空气的污染物数十年，但只在过去几年中Foobot.,Awair, and similar low-cost,consumer-grade devices采用室内空气质量（IAQ）监控家庭使用实用。各种低成本传感器连接到这些设备中，并且其专有软件显示他们正在阅读的某些版本。与我讨论的其他逻辑相比this series，这组设备的准确性更糟，但它们是学习事物的工具，我们无法在过去几乎实际衡量。

Carbon dioxide

I’ve found carbon dioxide (CO2) to be the most helpful thing to measure. Obviously, when we breathe, we emit CO2. From the conversations I’ve had with IAQ researchers, CO2 is not considered a dangerous pollutant (though if you search around, you’ll find studies about mild cognitive impairment measured in people in rooms with high CO2). However, CO2 levels do tell us how well our ventilation system is working; if CO2 is building up, it means our exhalations are not being wafted away by air movement.

在我自己的房子里，我惊讶了我孩子卧室的空气有多糟糕。我以为我们泄漏的老房子会有很多气流，但事实证明我们的孩子正在呼吸2200ppm的二氧化碳，谁知道还有什么被困在那里。(There is some kind of “Total VOC” and particulate sensor on the Awair v1 I was using, but it did not generate useful information. I could tell when someone was vacuuming but other than that not much we did or didn’t do made the readings change.)

我开始在每小时10分钟运行炉扇，在晚上将空气混合在一起，然后看着这是一个令人尴尬的看法，以看看这是否是1000ppm的二氧化碳 - 通常被认为是一个相当好的水平。（再次，如果您想学习太多），请在CO2级别搜索更多）。它证明了一个很好的解决方案。

Particulates

小颗粒污染是在健康效果方面是最佳学习的污染物之一。已经显示出低于2.5microns的颗粒（称为PM2.5），以遍及造成心血管，肺等器官损伤，甚至改变我们的微生物组并与出生缺陷有关。不幸的是，PM2.5难以准确地测量低成本仪器。劳伦斯伯克利国家实验室发表了一项关于几个品牌的消费级IAQ设备，并且在颗粒上不得超过500美元的多传感器设备。Dylos制作一个成本550美元的传感器，确实给出了非常准确的读数。有关可以使用PM2.5数据进行的示例，请查看罗伊斯计划run by Lynda Wiggington and Rhett Major. Their goal was to reduce particulate exposure among residents of western Pennsylvania. Using dozens of Dylos meters they recorded particulates before making any changes to houses. Then they measured again following multiple interventions, such as closing windows at night, adding box fans with high-MERV furnace filters, and improving HVAC systems and kitchen range venting. Having the baseline PM2.5 data led to improved IAQ.

VOCs

挥发性有机化合物（VOC）是一组通常在我们的工业化社会中普遍存在的杂色化学品。在室内，他们来自家具，衣服和地毯，以及个人护理产品，化妆品和清洁解决方案。低成本IAQ设备中的传感器由各种材料触发，这既不良好又糟糕。在加侧，很容易看到通风不足以去除这些污染物。但由于传感器对如此多的事情作出反应，因此不容易理解任何给定时间的问题。

Radon

I know of at least one brand of IAQ monitor with a radon detector:Airthings Wave Plus.氡应该d be controlled尽可能最大。通风通常通过用新鲜外部空气稀释氡来帮助。使用监视器，您可以看到给定水平的通风是完成工作。在一些房屋中，地下室的压力与上层的压力可以推动更高或更低的氡渗透。使用监视器跟随氡水平可以帮助实现更好的控制。

Monitoring IAQ is important for occupant health—and to ensure ventilation systems are operating optimally. As with all sensors, some are better than others, but I imagine devices will improve and costs will come down, given the newfound attention being given to the subject of IAQ.

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Doug Horgan.is vice president of Best Practices at鲍in Washington, D.C. Photo by Peter Yost.