According to [Dr. Tom Lehrer’s] Song Pollution: “Wear a gas mask and veil. Then you can breathe as long as you don’t breathe in! “While air quality has not gotten that bad in most of the world, there are major concerns about long-term exposure to airborne particles that cause health problems. [Ashish Choudhary] married an Arduino with a display and a pollution sensor to measure PM2.5 and PM10 levels in the air.
The sensor uses a laser diode and a photodiode to detect and count particles as a fan moves air through the system. If you are unfamiliar with pollution metrics, PM2.5 is a count of very fine particles (under 2.5 microns) and PM10 is a count of particles per 10 microns. You can find a data sheet for the device online.
Continue reading “Ooohhh, that smell: Arduino monitors air quality”