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Ask HN: Does anyone use something to monitor air quality in their workspace?

I was thinking of getting an oxygen monitor, or something like that, since I worry that my office does not have good ventilation. Maybe I'm paranoid... Does anyone else use things to measure air quality and oxygen levels where they work? What are things you use? Seems like its worth it since you spend 8 hours (nah, 12+ hours a day... this is hacker news) working in the office.

huhtenberg 15y ago
Let's say you measure and the air quality happens to be bad by whatever criteria. Then what?
- trailsix 15y ago
  Call OSHA
  - dangrossman 15y ago
    You wouldn't let someone know there's a problem and see if they open a window or call someone, before trying to put the company out of business over a minor problem no one was aware existed? That's really terrible.
- the_cat_kittles 15y ago
  change location, or get an air purifier, or get a bunch of plants, or...
warech 15y ago
I would recommend monitoring for specific hazards. To satisfy New York State Department of Health standards, my laboratory must perform biannual hazard exposure monitoring for all lab personnel. There are personal monitors that assay for a variety of hazardous chemicals: http://www.labsafety.com/personal-monitors_24532949/?searchterm=vapor%2bmonitors http://www.labsafety.com/personal-monitors_24532949/?searcht... These are submitted to a reference lab after completing a time-weighted exposure and the results come back within a week or so. Of course "air quality" is drastically different in an office versus a laboratory, but the process of eliminating potential threats rather than trying to quantify how "good" your ambient air is more practical and applicable.
polyfractal 15y ago
If you are worried about particulate, you can build one of these: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kH5APw_SLUU http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kH5APw_SLUU I built one for my room because my previous tenants had cats, which I'm allergic to. Even after steamcleaning our apartment I was chronically congested. Built one of those purifiers and a few days later most of my symptoms are gone. It's been about a month now and the filter is noticeably soiled.

huhtenberg 15y ago

Let's say you measure and the air quality happens to be bad by whatever criteria. Then what?

trailsix 15y ago
Call OSHA
- dangrossman 15y ago
  You wouldn't let someone know there's a problem and see if they open a window or call someone, before trying to put the company out of business over a minor problem no one was aware existed? That's really terrible.
the_cat_kittles 15y ago
change location, or get an air purifier, or get a bunch of plants, or...

warech 15y ago

I would recommend monitoring for specific hazards. To satisfy New York State Department of Health standards, my laboratory must perform biannual hazard exposure monitoring for all lab personnel. There are personal monitors that assay for a variety of hazardous chemicals: http://www.labsafety.com/personal-monitors_24532949/?searchterm=vapor%2bmonitors http://www.labsafety.com/personal-monitors_24532949/?searcht... These are submitted to a reference lab after completing a time-weighted exposure and the results come back within a week or so. Of course "air quality" is drastically different in an office versus a laboratory, but the process of eliminating potential threats rather than trying to quantify how "good" your ambient air is more practical and applicable.

polyfractal 15y ago

If you are worried about particulate, you can build one of these: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kH5APw_SLUU http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kH5APw_SLUU I built one for my room because my previous tenants had cats, which I'm allergic to. Even after steamcleaning our apartment I was chronically congested. Built one of those purifiers and a few days later most of my symptoms are gone. It's been about a month now and the filter is noticeably soiled.