The IQAir AirVisual Pro air quality monitor is a laser air quality monitor which utilises artificial intelligence and a high accuracy PM2.5 laser sensor to measure air pollution in your home or place of work. The AirVisual Pro detects fine and ultra-fine particulate pollution (e.g. PM2.5), CO2, temperature and relative humidity levels in your environment. It features a bright 5” colour display and also has an accompanying app called “AirVisual” that provides you with air quality alerts. With the AirVisual Pro, you are also able to view how polluted the outdoor air is, and compare this to your own environment. World pollution levels can also be viewed due to a network of over 8000 monitoring stations.
The AirVisual Pro features an easy to read colour coded “traffic light system” so that you know at a glance what the air quality level is in your home or place of work. The AirVisual Pro has an internal battery which lasts about 5 hours, enabling you to take measurements in your car, office or even classroom to see how polluted the air is.
AirVisual compared the sensor in their Pro, to the ‘Beta Attenuation Monitor’ (BAM) which is used by the US embassy and the Chinese government to record pollution levels. Full study can be found here.
The AirVisual Pro combines the data from the detection of PM2.5, CO2, temperature and relative humidity to give you an air quality reading so that you know exactly how polluted the air is inside. Outside air quality readings are also displayed so that you know when to open or close your windows to maintain optimal air quality.
PM2.5
Particulate matter (PM) consists of airborne particles measuring 60 microns or less in size. PM2.5 is suspected to pose a serious health risk due to their microscopic size and this enables them to penetrate deep into the body once inhaled. Examples of outdoor sources of PM include but are not limited to combustion, wood burning, motors, cutting and traditional farming methods. PM levels in the home can increase, leading to a deterioration in air quality which is due to a number of factors. Vacuuming can lead to millions of particulates being released into the air, especially if you do not have a leakage free HEPA vacuum. The cooking process as well as fireplaces can also lead to a number of harmful particles being released into the air you breathe.
The AirVisual Pro measures particulate pollution in the range of 0.3 -10 microns. This includes bacteria (but not viruses), some tobacco smoke, pollen, house dust mite allergens, and pet dander for example.
What it does not measure for, is ultra-fine particulate pollution - such as some traffic related matter as it is very small, viruses, some tobacco smoke, and everything else that is smaller than 0.3 micron or bigger than 10 microns. It also does not measure for any gas or chemical contamination. Please find a pollution chart by size below.
CO2 Levels
CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) is a colourless, odourless gas which is released when we exhale. CO2 emissions can also be found in sources like coal, gas and oil, as well as fossil fuels. CO2 levels can be a concern if they become elevated. A lack of ventilation can lead to the air you are breathing becoming stale and lacking in oxygen. If this happens, you may experience symptoms which include but are not limited to drowsiness, fatigue, headaches or nausea. The AirVisual Pro makes it easy to see what your levels of CO2 are and enables you to take action by ventilating the area to increase oxygen levels. The unit has a gauge which fills up based on the level of CO2 in the air. The number in the middle of the gauge is the PPM (parts per million), this shows the CO2 concentration which is measured from 400 up to 10.000.
Temperature and Humidity levels
Relative Humidity (RH) is the measure of water vapour in the air relative to the ambient temperature. Similarly to CO2 levels, too high relative humidity levels can lead to mould forming on surfaces and generally people feeling more uncomfortable in the home. With the AirVisual Pro, you can see what the humidity levels are and act accordingly so that you can keep your air quality at its optimum in your environment.
VOC's
While AirVisual recognise VOC’s are a health concern, they have decided not to include a VOC sensor in the unit as they feel there is no low cost VOC sensor currently available that is able to provide accurate values. Accurate VOC sensors cost over $500 and this would be cost prohibited in a device as the AirVisual Pro. AirVisual are continually monitoring the development of VOC sensor technology and feel a breakthrough in this price range could occur very soon.
Side by side indoor and outdoor air quality display
The AirVisual Pro is able to display air quality readings side by side so that you can compare your air quality inside to that of the outside. The unit will compare the readings from the Pro’s sensor to that of the nearest official monitoring station so that users know when to ventilate. The AirVisual Pro features an air quality index scale of 0-500 which represents the levels of air pollution presented in an easy to read format. The colour coded icons with the air quality scale allow you to see quickly what your air quality is like.
Provides recommendations
The AirVisual pro is able to connect to AirVisual networks via the Air Quality app and online to provide you with health recommendations which enable you to make
informative decisions on how to lower potential health risks. Air pollution community news is also accessible so that you can keep up to date with air pollution news and medical findings.
3 Day air quality and weather forecast
The AirVisual app is able to provide a 3 day air pollution and weather forecast in more than 5000 cities around the world. AirVisual uses “machine learning” which is a subset of artificial intelligence to predict pollution and weather forecast which is then displayed within the app. The pollution and weather forecast is displayed in 3 hour increments with temperature, humidity and wind speed being shown as well.
Air Quality app
With the Air quality App you can keep up to date with all the changes that are happening in your environment and around the world. The world network of over 8000 monitoring stations lets you stay up to date on any change in world pollution levels. The app has an easy to use layout and intuitive system which makes navigating and using the functions easy. You can see AQI and PM2.5 readings along with a data history chart which tracks changes in pollution levels. The app also provides AQI readings around the world as well as providing air pollution news and statistics.
