Carbon Dioxide monitors have long been a plausible method of monitoring air quality in public environments such as offices, schools, factories, and hospitals to name a few.
A recent report by the UK Government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), suggested that ventilation plays a considerable role in keeping coronavirus at bay indoors, and that ventilation could be tested using CO2 monitors.
The group concluded that measuring CO2 levels would be an effective way to observe whether air quality levels have reached a level where COVID-19 is more likely to circulate through aerosol transmission.
“Continuous CO2 monitoring is not likely to be a reliable proxy for transmission risk in most environments,” the report informs.
“However preliminary research suggests that in spaces where the same group of people regularly attend, for example schools, universities and offices, continuous monitoring may be possible to use as a transmission risk indicator.”
The report indicates that a space with 20 people would a pose significant risk once it reached carbon dioxide levels greater than 1000ppm (parts per million).
There are a couple of methods of monitoring CO2 levels within an environment; a handheld instrument designed to take spot measurements, or a wall/desk mounted device designed to continuously display CO2 levels in live time.
Test-meter.co.uk stock and supply CO2 Monitors from manufacturers such as Extech, Kane, Testo, TPI, Anton, TSI and Tenmars. If you would like to discuss monitoring CO2 in your workplace as a method to help reduce the aerosol transmission of viruses such as COVID, please contact us today on 0113 248 99 66.
Source: Role of Ventilation in Controlling SARS-CoV-2 Transmission SAGE-EMG