It’s common knowledge that air pollution is a major problem in our world today, with many sources contributing to its presence in the environment. While most people are aware of the sources of outdoor air pollution, such as cars, trucks, and industry, many are unaware that the air quality inside their own homes or workplaces could be worse than that of a bustling metropolis.
Indoor air quality is a major concern, especially in urban areas where the majority of the population spends the majority of their time indoors. However, measuring indoor air quality has always been a challenge due to the complex equipment required for accurate assessments. Fortunately, researchers at York University have come up with a groundbreaking solution that could change the game.
The tNr instrument, developed by York University’s Assistant Professor Trevor VandenBoer and former Postdoctoral researcher Leigh Crilley, is a compact, yet powerful device designed to assess indoor air pollution levels in homes and businesses. Unlike traditional equipment, the tNr instrument uses an oven to measure a variety of chemicals that make up indoor air pollution, allowing it to accurately identify emissions from cooking and cleaning activities that have a significant impact on air quality.
The device’s small size, about that of a small bookcase on wheels, makes it easy to move around, and it could be loaded onto a truck and transported to different locations. It can be navigated through the doorways of homes and businesses to measure reactive nitrogen species in the air in different parts of the building, from the kitchen to the bedroom or basement. This makes it an ideal solution for measuring indoor air quality in various environments.
According to VandenBoer, managing indoor air quality involves more than just using the range hood over your gas stove. The tNr instrument is designed to target specific emissions that have a significant impact on indoor air quality. By identifying and measuring these pollutants, researchers and professionals can work together to develop effective strategies to improve indoor air quality and protect the health of individuals living and working in these environments.
The sources of indoor air pollution are numerous, and many of them are often overlooked or underestimated. While cooking and burning candles are well-known sources of indoor pollutants, there are many other sources that can have a significant impact on air quality, such as stoves, furnaces, fireplaces, and even building materials.
According to the researchers at York University, cooking can have a large impact on indoor air quality due to the emissions of reactive nitrogen species such as ammonia and amines. Even the type of stove used can make a difference, with gas stoves emitting much higher levels of chemicals than electric hot plates, including gas-phase nitrous acid, nitrogen oxide, and nitrogen dioxide.
Cleaning products are also a major source of indoor air pollution, with staples such as hydrogen peroxide and bleach creating high emissions that can lead to significantly worse air quality. Even human breath and skin emissions can contribute to indoor air pollution, especially in enclosed spaces with poor ventilation.
Overall, the tNr instrument developed by York University offers a unique and effective solution to the problem of measuring indoor air quality. By identifying the sources of indoor air pollution and accurately measuring their impact, researchers and professionals can work together to develop effective strategies to improve air quality and protect the health of individuals living and working in these environments.
“There is a need for this kind of tool to measure indoor air quality, especially given the detriments to health associated with high levels of reactive nitrogen oxides,” says Crilley. “Typically, there has been no good way to measure the average home’s indoor air quality and this instrument could provide an unobtrusive way to do that.”
The tNr instrument developed by York University has been put to the test in a commercial kitchen, a complex environment known for rapidly changing levels of pollutants. Compared to the more passive method for testing indoor air pollution, the tNr instrument was able to detect approximately 82% of reactive nitrogen species. This impressive level of accuracy highlights the potential of the instrument to provide businesses and individuals with a better understanding of their indoor air quality and take steps to address any issues.
Although the tNr instrument is not immediately available for use, the researchers are optimistic about its potential impact on indoor air quality. By providing accurate measurements of indoor pollution levels, the instrument could help businesses and individuals identify the sources of indoor air pollution and take appropriate steps to reduce exposure and improve overall air quality.
The idea for designing the open-source components of the instrument came from an earlier study conducted by the researchers, where they measured the indoor air quality of a home in New York and found unexpectedly high pollution levels. This discovery led them to develop a more accurate and accessible method for measuring indoor air quality, resulting in the creation of the tNr instrument. With further research and development, this innovative solution has the potential to revolutionize the way we measure and manage indoor air quality.
“We realized we really needed new instruments to study the pollution in these spaces,” says VandenBoer. “There are still a lot of outstanding questions. For example, is the air in your indoor space safe for you to breathe? What makes indoor air good or bad? Could there be simple things we could do? These are questions that atmospheric chemists are just beginning to turn their attention to.”
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