Washington, Sep 23 (Inditop.com) Worried about dust from a nearby construction zone that could harm your family’s health? A new tool could either confirm your suspicions or better yet, set your mind at rest.
Eyal Ben-Dor, professor at Tel Aviv University (TAU) and his student Sandra Chudnovsky, have developed a sensor called ‘Dust Alert’ – the first of its kind – to help families and authorities monitor the quality of the air they breathe.
Like an ozone gas or carbon monoxide meter, it measures the concentration of small particles that may contaminate the air in your home.
“It works just like an ozone meter would,” says Ben-Dor. “You put it in your home or office for three weeks, and it can give you real-time contamination levels in terms of dust, pollen and toxins.”
‘Dust Alert’ fills an important need, because polluted air, breathed in for weeks, months and sometimes years, can have fatal consequences, leading to asthma, bronchitis and lung cancer.
Using the measurements, Ben-Dor can sometimes find a quick remedy for a dusty or pollen-filled home. The solution could be as easy as keeping a window open, he says.
Based on a portable chemical analyser called a spectrophotometer, the invention can be installed and begin to collect data within minutes, although several weeks’ worth of samples produce the best assessment of air quality.
Ben-Dor’s device may be most useful in the aftermath of disasters, such as chemical fires, heavy dust storms, hurricanes or tragedies like 9/11.
These findings appeared in the journal Science of the Total Environment, Urban Air Pollution: Problems, Control Technologies and Management Practices.
