Selection and evaluation of commercial low-cost devices for indoor air quality monitoring in schools

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2024

Authors

Sá, JP (Author) Other; Chojer, H (Author) Other; Branco, PTBS (Author) FEUP; Forstmaíer, A (Author) Other; Alvim-Ferraz, MCM (Author) Other; Martins, FG (Author) FEUP; Sousa, SIV (Author) FEUP

Journal

The Journal is awaiting validation by the Administrative Services.

Title: JOURNAL OF BUILDING ENGINEERING

Vol. 98

ISSN: 2352-7102

Publisher: Elsevier

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 0 Citations

Scopus - 0 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-017-3VY

DOI: 10.1016/j.jobe.2024.110952

Abstract (EN): The use of low-cost sensors for monitoring Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) in schools has shown promising results, with the commercialisation of these devices increasing worldwide. This study aims to identify an effective, commercially available low-cost device for IAQ monitoring in schools. Four low-cost devices (AirVisual Pro, PocketLab Air, PurpleAir PA-II-SD and uRAD Monitor A3) were selected for both qualitative and performance evaluations. Field tests were conducted in six indoor microenvironments within a nursery and a primary school. The low-cost devices were co- located with research-grade instruments to obtain reference concentrations of PM1, 1 , PM2.5, 2.5 , PM10, 10 , CO2, 2 , VOC, formaldehyde and O3. 3 . The qualitative evaluation revealed limitations, including data loss, negative or erratic values, inconsistent timestamps, and connectivity issues. PM low-cost devices exhibited better performance during non-occupancy periods but faced challenges during periods of occupancy. All devices tended to underestimate measurements compared to reference data, although AirVisual Pro performed better for PM 2.5 during occupancy. Furthermore, CO2 2 concentrations were slightly overestimated, showing improved accuracy during occupancy periods. While formaldehyde peaks were detected by the low-cost device, overall performance was weak for both formaldehyde and O3. 3 . The results indicated that AirVisual Pro demonstrated the best overall performance, and presents itself as a promising tool for IAQ monitoring in schools. However, performance evaluations should be tailored to specific microenvironments and occupancy periods. Despite some acceptable performance results, real-context use of the selected low-cost device should be preceded by a proper calibration. Additionally, long-term performance evaluation should be considered in future studies.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 17