Indoor air quality is a significantly important factor in protecting the health of occupants in a home. Cigarette smoke can majorly contribute to indoor air pollution and cave serious health consequences for those breathing secondhand smoke. While air quality monitors are a valuable tool for measuring the levels of particulate matter in the air, it doesn’t say if they can specifically detect cigarette smoke.
Can I Detect Cigarette Smoke With An Air Quality Monitor?
Yes and no. While indoor air quality monitors can measure the levels of particulate matter in the air, not all are capable of explicitly detecting tobacco smoke. However, some monitors on the market are designed to do just that.
Unlike particulate matter and other environmental exposures, tobacco smoke comprises different chemicals, including particulate matter (PM), carbon monoxide, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Particulate matter is the solid or liquid particles suspended in the air. Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas produced when tobacco burns. Volatile organic compounds are chemicals that quickly become vapors or gases.
High-end air quality monitors can pick up carbon dioxide and carcinogens, but they cannot confirm the presence of cigarette smoke. Typically, they will sound an alarm and flash a warning LED light when diesel fumes, volatile organic gases, tobacco smoke, and hydrocarbon gases are detected.
So, if you have a regular air quality monitor, it won’t be able to tell you definitively if there’s secondhand tobacco smoke in the air. However, suppose you have one of the advanced monitors that can detect carbon dioxide, carcinogens, and other chemicals. In that case, it will likely be able to pick up secondhand tobacco smoke.
What Are Air Quality Monitors?
An air quality monitor is a device that checks the air for air pollution. It measures and displays the concentration of particulate matter in the air, including cooking emissions. Particulate matter (PM) is a type of pollution that consists of tiny particles of dust, smoke, and other solid or liquid matter suspended in the air.
Most air quality monitors measure the mass concentration of PM in the air, which is the weight of particulate matter per unit volume of air. Air quality monitors may also measure the number concentration of particles, which is the number of particles per unit volume of air.
Air quality monitors work by drawing in a sample of air and then measuring the concentration of particulate matter in that sample. The most common type of air quality monitor is the tapered element oscillating microbalance (TEOM), which uses a filter to collect particulate matter on a tapered element.
As particulate matter collects on the element, it changes the oscillation frequency. This change in frequency is proportional to the mass of particulate matter collected. TEOMs are often used in conjunction with other air quality monitors, such as those that measure the number of particles in a sample (Particle Counters) or the size of particles (Particle Size Monitors).
Some air quality monitoring systems also take air nicotine measurements and provide air quality feedback, which is very useful in ensuring no tobacco smoke air pollution. If it senses secondhand or thirdhand smoke, it will sound an alarm and light an LED to warn you.
Best Way To Detect Cigarette Smoke
Even though some general air quality monitors can detect particulate matter, tobacco smoke contains other harmful ultrafine particles like carbon monoxide and formaldehyde. So while they might give you general air quality feedback, they’re not the best way to specifically detect cigarette smoke.
Specialized air quality monitors, however, will check for air pollution and detect nicotine and other chemicals in tobacco smoke. Passive nicotine monitors are designed to measure the amount of nicotine in the air and can be used to see if smoking has occurred indoors. These monitors are often used in research studies about secondhand smoke exposure.
The FreshAir Sensor, for example, is a battery-powered device that attaches to the wall and uses light scattering to detect particulate matter in the air. It then sends this information to an app to see real-time readings of the indoor air quality in your home.
The Wynd Sentry and Macurco AQC-21 are two other examples of specialized air quality monitors that can detect cigarette smoke. These devices are more expensive than general air quality monitors, but they’re worth the investment if you’re looking for a way to precisely track the air quality in your home.
So, the best way to detect cigarette smoke is with a specialized air quality monitor that can precisely track the presence of nicotine and other harmful chemicals in the air. When buying one, ensure you check that it is specifically designed to detect cigarette smoke. This will give you the most accurate readings of your home’s indoor air quality.
Reasons to Monitor Smoking
Cigarette smoking and tobacco smoke pollution are the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, accounting for more than 480,000 deaths yearly. According to CDC, one in five deaths in the US is caused by smoking. Cigarette smoking is responsible for more than $300 billion in direct medical care and lost productivity each year. When there is mainstream smoke or sidestream smoke indoors, everyone in it is at risk of secondhand smoke exposure.
The worse is that secondhand smoke exposure can cause serious health problems in adults and children. It causes lung cancer, heart disease, stroke, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), and other diseases in people who have never smoked cigarettes. In pregnant women, secondhand smoke exposure is known to cause sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), low birth weight, and preterm delivery.
By monitoring smoke in our homes, we not only help avoid CO poisoning and other risks associated with smoking indoors, but we also set an example for our children and others who may be exposed to second hand smoke. Additionally, smoke-free policies help reduce the overall levels of secondhand tobacco smoke in our communities.
Air quality monitors capable of detecting cigarette smoke can be used to help individuals and families reduce their exposure to second hand smoke and work as a smoker behavior modification tool. These devices can also monitor smoking in public places and enforce smoking rules.
Monitoring the air for cigarette smoke is a great way to control the levels of exposure to secondhand smoke and reduce the risk of these health problems. You might not be a smoker, but if you live with or spend time around smokers, you’re probably exposed to secondhand tobacco smoke.
If you live in an apartment or condo, your landlord might be interested in installing an indoor air quality monitor to reduce the risk of liability from secondhand smoke exposure. You might also want one in your home to protect the children. It’s a great way to encourage parents to quit smoking tobacco or behavioral intervention to get them to smoke less.
Conclusion
Air quality monitors are excellent at detecting particulate matter, but if you’re specifically looking for a way to see cigarette smoke, you’ll need a specialized air quality monitor. Passive nicotine monitors are designed to track the presence of nicotine and other harmful chemicals in the air. These devices are more expensive than general indoor air quality monitors. Still, they’re worth the investment if you’re looking for a way to track the air quality in your home. When choosing an air quality monitor, check that it is specifically designed to detect cigarette smoke.