How does Air Quality affect our Health?

Air quality can affect a number of parameters in everyday life. From crop yield to water quality and buildings. It has a profound effect on our lives. But how does air quality affect our health? Find out more in our short blog.

There are many reasons to make air quality monitoring a top priority. Research has shown that poor air quality can have a significant effect on our health. It’s been reported by the WHO that nine out of ten people now breathe polluted air, this contributes to the death of around 7 million people each year1.

These alarming figures illustrate the seriousness of the situation and the stark reality that poor air quality is hard to escape.

How does outdoor air quality affect our health?

Outdoor air quality is closely linked to climate change and the effects of our use of fossil fuels.

Cancer Research recently published their findings on how air pollution can cause lung cancer in people who have never smoked2. As part of the TRACERx Lung Study. The programme found that exposure to air pollution promotes the growth of cells carrying cancer-causing mutations in the Lungs. Particulate Matter, particularly PM2.5 (tiny pollutant particles) have been identified as causing inflammation to the lungs which can lead to cancer.

This isn’t the only potential health implication which can arise as a result of outdoor air pollution. Other conditions that can be caused by this include; Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), heart disease and Dementia.

While there are lots of contributing factors to outdoor air quality, many of which are outside an individual’s control, monitoring PM levels with low cost LPWAN sensors can be a good place to start assessing outdoor air quality. Through careful monitoring, information recorded by deployed sensors can be used to identify trends and build up data to allow you to make more informed decisions as to how you can improve outdoor air quality. In order to maximise your project’s effectiveness, it is essential for data to be monitored before and after measures are put in place.

How does indoor air quality affect our health?

Indoor air quality on the other hand is more within our own control. We’ve outlined some potential implications which can come as a result of poor indoor air quality.

Mould & Dampness

Not only is mould unsightly, it can also cause harm to your health. Following the tragic news of the death of 2 year old Awaab Ishak, the implications of mould exposure are sadly very real.

The increased cost of energy is likely to increase the risk of mould inside buildings too. With cold weather comes condensation. Ordinarily putting the heating on would help to dry out the air indoors, but with significant rises to the cost of energy, more and more people are turning their backs on their thermostat.

The most common causes of mould are:

  • Humidity
  • Condensation
  • Rising damp
  • Poor ventilation

Caused by excess moisture, moulds emit spores which can cause a variety of health issues. For babies, young children and those with underlying health conditions including allergies or respiratory conditions such as asthma, these spores can be even more harmful. Monitoring indoor air quality is a simple, yet effective way to alert Landlords, Housing Associations and homeowners of high moisture/humidity levels which can be used to identify the dew point and the need for ventilation.

How does air quality affect our health in the office and schools?

The WELL building standard has helped to transform health and wellbeing in buildings. It’s estimated we spend around 90% of our time in enclosed spaces. During this time, we inhale pollutants which can be detrimental to our health and wellbeing. Elements such as Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), Carbon Dioxide, Carbon Monoxide and Nitrogen Dioxide can all contribute to the overall indoor air quality.

We recently completed a project installing CO2 sensors throughout schools in Scotland. There have been numerous studies over the years about the effect CO2 levels has on our cognitivie performance. Read more about how using LoRaWAN® technology has helped to transform the overall performance and wellbeing in the classroom.

Why use IoT to monitor air quality?

LPWAN devices are ideal for monitoring air quality. With a long battery life of 5+ years, once deployed you can access recorded data from wherever you may be. Devices can be configured to your parameters. If readings fall outside of your set parameters an automated alert will be triggered from your software platform to notify you that an action needs to be taken i.e. open a window to improve ventilation. Data recorded by deployed devices can also be used as evidence of regulation compliance.

How can Alliot help?

While the impact of air quality can be serious for our health, IoT devices can be used to minimise the long-term effects and empower us with more intelligent data to make better decisions. Alliot offer a wide variety of indoor and outdoor air quality sensors and associated software. Whatever parameters you are looking to monitor, we can help you deliver projects of all sizes and locations. Whether you’re looking to monitor indoor air quality conditions in Social Housing across the country or optimise your office environments to improve staff wellbeing and productivity, our expert team are here to help. Contact us today to discuss your air quality monitoring requirements.

1 World Health Organisation 2018, How air pollution is detroying our health, accessed 30th November 2022, <https://www.who.int/news-room/spotlight/how-air-pollution-is-destroying-our-health>

2 Cancer Research UK 2022, Scientists reveal how air pollution can cause lung cancer in people who have never smoked, accessed 30th November 2022, <https://news.cancerresearchuk.org/2022/09/10/scientists-reveal-how-air-pollution-can-cause-lung-cancer-in-people-who-have-never-smoked/>

[LIVE EVENT] Plug & Play Indoor Air Quality Monitoring

You’re invited to join our exclusive live event! Discover plug & play indoor air quality monitoring in the Alliot powered by myDevices live event with Synetica.

Air quality has become increasingly important in areas such as schools, offices, buildings and other high-risk environments. Join us on 22nd February at 4 pm GMT | 8 am PT to discover how our plug & play solutions enable you to monitor and report on the critical air quality parameters such as temperature, humidity, particulate matters and VOCs.

Throughout this interactive session we’ll be taking a look at Synetica‘s Enlink indoor and outdoor air quality sensors and how you can quickly deploy commercial solutions with Alliot powered by myDevices.

You’ll see first-hand popular use case applications across various industries and get a feel for the powerful myDevices platform through a live demo. You won’t want to miss it!

Can’t wait? Get in touch to discuss your indoor air quality monitoring requirements today.

How can IoT help with Ventilation in the Workplace?

Ventilation in the workplace with Alliot Technologies

Ventilation has long been a requirement in the workplace. Now, as we head into winter ventilation is more important than ever in helping to create a COVID-secure workplace. We’ve taken a look at the latest guidance and how LoRaWAN air quality sensors could help.

It’s outlined by the HSE that all workplaces need an adequate supply of fresh air. This is often achieved naturally from doors and windows, or can be controlled through HVAC systems. But, as we enter into the colder months, having windows and doors open is not always practical (least not in the UK!). What’s more, with the added complication of COVID-19, there’s now even more reason to ensure air flow rates are maintained at the recommended rate.

The WHO has reported that HVAC systems can both positively and negatively affect the risk of pathogen spread. Re-circulation of air is not recommended. If air is being circulated, it is recommended that filters are cleaned regularly. This is where IoT can come in.

Meet the enLink Status-AF

Monitor ventilation in the workplace with the enLink Status-AF

The enLink Status-AF LoRaWAN air flow sensor is specially designed to monitor and ensure recommended air flow rates. It can be easily installed into the area you wish to monitor, with no interference to any existing equipment you may have running. Recorded data is then transmitted to your chosen dashboard via a LoRaWAN gateway. Alerts can be pre-configured to be automatically raised if ari flow rates are outside of your set parameters, enabling you to take quick action if it’s required.

Protection Against Your Investment

Despite its importance right now, ventilation in the workplace is here to stay. Using IoT in monitoring your air flow rates can help to create a COVID-secure workplace, but it can also be useful to:

Stay Alert with IoT

As we continue to adjust to the ‘new normal’ we’ve been taking a look at hos IoT can help us all to stay alert and reduce the spread of COVID-19.

With social distancing still remaining a key focus in reducing the transmission of COVID-19, many businesses have now implemented robust procedures to help protect both staff and visitors. These new conditions can be time consuming to maintain and add additional pressure to staff. The beauty of IoT means that some processes can be remotely monitored and help to raise alerts if results are outside of the set parameters.

We recently took a look at three ways to kickstart your new normal using IoT. In this blog, we’ll be taking a look at some of the more specialist products and how they could be beneficial to areas such as retail, theatres and cinemas.

Smart Retail

Netvox R718PQA Toilet Occupancy Sensor

Netvox’s R718PQA toilet occupancy sensor can be useful in maintaining a one-in-one-out system in toilets. It can also be used to monitor changing rooms in smart retail environments.

Utilising a PIR sensor, this smart device differentiates between body heat and heat from other sources to monitor whether changing rooms are in use. This can help to maintain social distancing and paired with a visual signal it can simplify the availability of changing rooms.

Get in touch with a member of our expert team to discover how you can configure the Netvox R718PQA with a visual alert device.

Smart Seating Solutions for Theatres and Cinemas

Netvox R311WA Seat Occupancy Sensor

Based on advice provided by the UK Cinema Association, cinemas should maintain social distancing of customers in cinema auditoriums wherever possible and particularly while seated. The Netvox R311WA seat occupancy sensor could prove particularly useful in adhering to the current guidelines. Offering a flexible two-way solution, the R311WA enables you to set pre-configured alerts to your preferred platform. This could be to alert you to seats that are occupied which shouldn’t be helping you to virtually assess safe distancing between visitors.

IoT devices can offer some incredible advantages in helping to support the transition to the new normal. Regardless of your application, we provide a wide range of sensors which enable you to remotely monitor a variety of factors. Discover the power of IoT with Alliot today.

COVID-19 IoT Solutions
Find out more

Smart Capacity Monitoring with Parametric

The UK Government announced some of the biggest changes to lockdown restrictions in England since March yesterday. With many premises now set to reopen on 4th July, we’ve taken a look at how the new Parametric smart capacity monitoring solution can help monitor capacity and ensure customer safety going forward.

Over the last three months, we’ve all become accustomed to the 2 metre social distancing guidelines. As we approach stage 3 of England’s lockdown exit strategy social distancing is due to be lowered to 1 metre+ in areas such as bars, hotels and restaurants where the 2m rule is more difficult to apply.

Based on the latest Government guidelines (dated 23/06/2020), Restaurants, pubs, bars and shops should all calculate the maximum number of customers they can accommodate to reasonably follow social distancing. This is where the Parametric smart capacity monitoring solution can help!

Meet the Parametric PCR2-XIO

Smart Capacity Monitoring Post Lockdown

Paired with the new specially designed light pole, the Parametric outdoor people counter sensor can be configured to your capacity numbers to display a green or red light based on whether it’s safe to enter or not. This compact device can sit neatly in your venues entrance to help manage queues.

What does it do?

The Parametric PCR2-XIO is a bidirectional counting sensor which uses radar signals to monitor the number of people entering and leaving your premises. With an XIO extension board for digital outputs, the sensor can be configured to work alongside other devices to control equipment, lamps and/or access control systems.

We’re here to help

We have a wide range of sensors available to support businesses adjusting to the ‘new normal’. Get in touch to discuss your requirements with one of our experts today.

Kentix SmartXcan Fever Screener Review

We’ve been busy testing the new Kentix SmartXcan Fever Screening device, throughout this blog we’ll be sharing our findings and thoughts in our Kentix SmartXcan Review.

The Kentix SmartXcan (which we pronounce Smart Scan) is designed to quickly take a reading of human body temperature for the purpose of fever screening.

What is it?

The idea is that you have the device inside the entrance to your building and any visitors, staff etc. will scan themselves on entry before proceeding further. If their body temperature is above a certain threshold then a visual and audible alarm sounds and that person must then leave (and would probably be recommended to self-isolate).

I feel that this will play an important part in controlling the spread of COVID-19 as we learn to live with the virus in the longer term. I also feel that people’s attitudes towards the spread of illness will change forever and people will be more aware of bringing any illness into a workplace such as influenza.

The device is a compact unit in plastic casing, there are no buttons on it for normal usage so it is designed to be zero touch to avoid spreading germs. It contains a number of sensors used to take a reading. The main component is a thermal imaging sensor, there are also a distance sensor, ambient temperature and humidity sensors.

How it works…

How it works is, you hold your head roughly 30cm in front of the device, the distance sensor then activates the thermal imaging sensor and a thermal reading is taken. So there is no need for anyone to touch the device in operation at all. This is combined with the ambient temperature & humidity and ran through Kentix’s algorithms to work out a body temperature. It recognises the area around the eyes to do this so it is getting a body temperature rather than a skin surface temperature. In my testing, it is very accurate when compared with a digital mouth thermometer.

If the reading is below a certain pre-set temperature, then the LEDs on the front of the device light up green and a single loud beep sounds, you are OK to go. If the temperature is slightly above this level, some red LEDs will appear along with a prolonged and repeating beeping, if the temperature is above the highest set threshold then the alarm is more insistent. The device comes with sensible default settings for these levels but they are fully adjustable.

This is an image of my head from the Kentix SmartXcan web interface, looks like I don’t have a fever today

Installing the Kentix SmartXcan

To use the scanner stand-alone there’s nothing you need to do other than power it on. It is powered by standard 802.3af 15.4W PoE (Power-over-Ethernet) so can either be connected to a PoE enabled network, or an injector can be used (which we can also supply if needed). When powered on, the thermal sensor needs time to warm up which takes ten to fifteen minutes, the LEDs around the sensor will flash red until it is ready to use, so bear that in mind when testing, you do need to wait for it to warm up.

Going further, the device has a built-in API which you can use to remote control it and it can integrate with other systems using webhooks, either for logging activity (such as anonymous temperature readings, or non-anonymous if using the RFID version with tags for your staff), or integration with access control systems to actually stop people with fevers and high temperatures from going further into your building.

One thing to note is that the device must be used indoors, because it needs to be able to take an accurate temperature reading, direct sunlight and variable temperatures experienced outside will affect it’s performance.

The Verdict…

I have scanned myself with it many times and fortunately I appear to have never have had a fever. Amusingly though, my cat jumped on to my desk (since I’m currently working from home still) and looked at the scanner. It took a reading and decided my cat had a slight fever with a temperature of 38.5 degrees. This did worry me slightly but after a web search, I discovered that a cat’s normal body temperature is between 38 and 39 degrees. So it would seem it accurately read my cat’s temperature too!

A nuisance but fever free

I don’t think fever/temperature screening is the be-all and end-all of protecting work places and public places from COVID-19 but I do feel that it is an important part of it and this device when coupled with other measures can help us get back to some level of normality.

I know there are concerns with any device that is taking any kind of image of people, however this is fully GDPR compliant in that it is not obtaining any identifying information at all. That is unless you are using the RFID version and intentionally logging temperatures of staff, it is then up to you to handle that data correctly. It’s worth mentioning that the device doesn’t actually store the thermal images, it just displays them temporarily in the web interface. As you can see from above, it is not possible to identify a person from these.

We will have stock in very soon so please get in touch to find out more.