"long-term exposure can have dire health implications that can lead to critical illness"
Air contaminants can pose serious health risks if left undetected and unmitigated. In some cases, prolonged exposure to certain concentrations could be fatal. The adverse effects of high exposure to VOCs and particulate matter vary for short-term and long-term exposure, and depend on the contaminants present. Symptoms that can arise from short-term exposure include eye, nose, and throat irritation, headaches, nausea and vomiting, dizziness, and worsening of pre-existing conditions such as asthma and other lung conditions.[1] While long-term exposure spanning from a few years to a life-time can have dire health implications that can lead to critical illness.[2]
This highlights the importance of regularly monitoring indoor air quality to know when it is necessary to employ ventilation and air filtration systems indoors. The purpose of the indoor air quality monitor is to detect the present VOCs and particulate matter in the air. Once certain levels are detected, it is designed to turn on the ventilation and air filtration systems in the home to maintain safe levels.
01.
MQ-135
Detects various gases such as carbon monoxide, alcohol, carbon dioxide, toluene, ammonia, and acetone.
02.
SGP41
Detects the total Volatile Organic Compounds and Nitrous Oxides in the environment
03.
HM330
Detects particulates in the air as small as 0.3 microns and produces readings for PM1.0, PM2.5, and PM10.
Thingsboard was used for the cloud platform. The data from the Arduino sent through serial lines to the ESP32 is retrieved via Thingboard’s API. If the values exceed the exposure limits, the ventilation and air filtration devices would be automatically turned on. Conversely, when the levels are within the recommended limits, the devices would be automatically turned off.
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