Air Quality Sensor Readings
Understand Verkada Air Quality Sensor readings
Verkada Air Quality Sensors contain a wide variety of sensors that are used to track information about your environment.
Sensor color readings
To make things easy to view at a glance, Verkada’s sensor readings are associated with different colors (except Air Quality Index, which follows the US AQI color scheme).
Green—Values are within an established range of recommended or safe levels.
Yellow—Values are slightly outside the range of recommended or safe values.
Orange—Values are significantly outside the range of recommended or safe values.
Red—Values are dramatically outside the range of recommended or safe values, often requiring immediate attention.
Purple—Values detected are potentially fatal. The area should be evacuated if not resolved immediately. (This does not apply to Air Quality Index, which follows the US AQI color scheme.)
Verkada SV20 series sensors can be mounted in several different configurations. The specific configuration depends on your installation constraints and which sensor readings you find most meaningful. See the datasheet for more information.
Event types
For each event type noted below, any measurement outside of the green zone may require attention, if unexpected or outside of the normal range for the sensor location. In the case of TVOC Index: A VOC index outside of the green zone may require attention, such as increasing ventilation with clean air, if the change is unexpected for this sensor location.
Air Quality Index
Ambient Light
Ambient light is a measure of how much natural (sunlight, moonlight) and artificial (lamps, interior lighting) light is in a given area.
The amount of light an individual is exposed to could cause physical discomfort. Knowing ambient light levels in a space can help point out energy inefficiencies and improve overall energy consumption.
The lux value is a measure of illuminance; the total amount of light that falls on a surface. It is a standardized unit of measurement of light level intensity. However, the lux value varies based on the device’s mount position (wall, ceiling, etc.) and the environment the device is installed in. For example, lux readings on a sensor installed on an office wall will drastically differ from a sensor installed on the office ceiling.
Lux can be understood with these reference descriptors; however, light is perceived by people differently.
0 lux—Dark room
25 lux—Candlelight
50 lux—Moonlight
100 lux—Reading light on a plane
300 lux—Dimly lit room
600 lux—Well lit room
1K lux—Brightly lit room
2K lux—Art gallery lighting
5K lux— Need sunglasses to see
0–6,000 lux
Barometric pressure
Barometric pressure is the measurement of air pressure in the atmosphere. Specifically, the measurement of the weight exerted by air molecules at a given point on Earth.
Barometric pressure changes constantly and is always different, depending on where the reading takes place, specifically with regard to altitude. For example:
At sea level, barometric pressure ranges between 100,000 Pa (29Hg) and 101,325 Pa (31 Hg).
In a place like Denver, which is one mile above sea level, barometric pressure ranges between 51,350 Pa (15.16 Hg) and 83,000 Pa (24.5 Hg).
On the other hand, the lower the altitude, the higher the barometric pressure. For example, the Dead Sea, the lowest point on Earth, can reach levels of 101,658 Pa (31.45 Hg)
300–1,250 hPa
Carbon Dioxide (C02)
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a colorless and odorless gas that’s produced both naturally, like people breathing and through human activities, such as burning gasoline, wood, or oil. Indoor CO2 levels are dependent on factors, such as the number of people present, the amount of time an area has been occupied, the amount of fresh air entering the space, the size of the room, and nearby combustion by-products.
At or under 1,200 ppm, the CO2 levels are within a healthy range and are typical of spaces with good ventilation and air exchanges.
At over 1,200 ppm, occupants may start to experience mild drowsiness if exposed for an extended period of time.
At over 2,000 ppm, occupants may feel sleepiness or nausea.
Readings over 5,000 ppm indicate that the space is at a hazardous level and should be evacuated/ventilated immediately.
0–6,000 ppm
Carbon Monoxide (CO)
⚠️ If the live reading is currently over 200 ppm as you are reading this, contact emergency services immediately.
The SV25 is not a life safety device and does not satisfy the requirements to be used as an emergency CO detector.
Alerts sent from Verkada will not provide a sufficiently timely warning given the threat to health and safety CO may pose and should not be solely relied on.
Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless, colorless, and toxic gas. Because it is impossible to see, taste, or smell the toxic fumes, CO can be deadly and the presence in a building can be unknown.
The effects of CO exposure can vary greatly from person to person, depending on age, overall health, and the concentration and length of exposure. Examples sources of CO can include automobile exhaust, gas stoves, leaking chimneys, water heaters, and furnaces.
CO inhibits your blood from carrying oxygen even after getting to fresh air. The presence of any level of CO may warrant some investigation.
Values over 35 ppm (with no sign of decline) may indicate an issue that requires evacuation.
Values over 200 ppm (with no sign of decline) may indicate an emergency or life-threatening situation.
Learn more about how to Detect and Understand Carbon Monoxide.
0–1,000 ppm
Dew Point
The dew point is the temperature to which air must be cooled, at constant pressure, for the air to reach 100% relative humidity, meaning the air becomes saturated with water vapor. If the air cools further, condensation occurs. The dew point provides a more accurate measure of how humid the air feels compared to relative humidity, as a higher dew point indicates more moisture in the air.
Derived from Temperature & Humidity Readings.
23 °F to 122 °F (-5 °C to 50 °C)
Formaldehyde (CH2O)
Formaldehyde is a colorless, flammable gas at room temperature, and has an extremely strong odor.
Long-term exposure and high concentrated exposure (over 1,000 ppb) to formaldehyde may cause adverse health effects. Increased formaldehyde levels can be a result of the resins used to manufacture composite wood products, building materials, insulation, household products such as flues, paints, lacquers, smoking tobacco, fertilizers, and pesticides. If in the presence of high concentrations, get to fresh air.
0–5,000 ppb
Unlike most other sensors that are measured in ppm, CH2O is measured in parts per billion (ppb).
Humidex
Humidex measures how hot we feel in hot, humid weather. It is a parameter intended for the general public to express how the combined effects of warm temperatures and humidity are perceived. It provides a number that describes how hot people feel.
Color-coded relative Humidex ranges are aligned to healthy indoor air guidelines set by the government and industry standards.
Derived from Temperature & Humidity Readings
Range: 0–50
Recommended: 0–15
Humidity
Heat Index
The heat index is what the temperature feels like to the human body when relative humidity is combined with the temperature. This is important for understanding human comfort.
When the body overheats, it sweats to cool down. Evaporation of sweat helps lower body temperature since it’s a cooling process. However, sweat evaporates more slowly when high humidity makes it feel warmer because the body struggles to cool itself. In contrast, sweat evaporates more quickly when humidity is low, so the body feels cooler in dry conditions. The heat index increases as air temperature and humidity rise and decreases as they drop.
Derived from Temperature & Humidity Readings.
23 °F to 160 °F (-5 °C to 71 °C)
Mold Risk Index
The Mold Risk Index assesses the likelihood of mold growth in confined, unventilated spaces based on temperature and humidity levels. Higher temperatures combined with elevated humidity create ideal conditions for mold spores to thrive, making these factors key indicators of potential mold growth. This index helps to identify when conditions may reach critical levels, allowing for timely interventions to prevent mold development.
0 (Green) – Little to no risk for mold growth.
1 (Yellow) – Warning! Moderate mold risk. Mold will start to grow after 8 or more weeks, especially on vulnerable materials in the current environment.
2 (Orange) – Danger! High mold risk. Mold will start to grow in 4 to 8 weeks on all kinds of materials.
3 (Red) – Red Alert! Extreme and imminent mold risk. Mold will start to grow in less than 4 weeks.
Derived from Temperature & Humidity Readings.
0–3 Index
Motion
A measure of changes in infrared light absorption caused by the motion of warm bodies, as measured by a passive infrared sensor.
Powered by the same technology as motion sensors for intrusion detection, a "Yes" motion event indicates human/animal motion or other large changes in heat or infrared activity.
Binary - motion detected as "Yes" or "No"
Noise Level
A measure of the total noise level at the sensor.
Color-coded noise level ranges are aligned to safe noise level guidelines set by OSHA and other government and industry standards.
OSHA regulations state that noise levels cannot exceed 90 dB over an 8-hour period or 95 dB over a 4-hour period.
20–120 dB SPL (A-Weighted)
PM 2.5, PM 4, PM 10
Particulate Matter (PM) refers to tiny inhalable particles or droplets in the air that are less than 2.5, 4, or 10 microns in width, respectively. These particles can have negative health effects and are caused by dust, vehicle exhaust, burning fuels, cooking, smoking, and vaping.
Color-coded PM ranges are aligned to healthy indoor air guidelines set by the government and industry standards.
0–1,000 μg/m3
RESET® Viral Index
The RESET® Viral Index is designed to assess the likelihood of airborne virus transmission in indoor spaces, using research on virus transmission and applying it to continuous monitoring. It consolidates research and data on factors like virus survivability, impacts on immune system health, and exposure levels to calculate infection potential, providing valuable insights into the outcomes of operational decisions.
0 – 20 (Purple) – Poor. Maximum likelihood of indoor airborne virus transmission.
20 - 40 (Red) – Unsatisfactory. Very high likelihood of indoor airborne virus transmission.
40 – 55 (Orange) – Needs Improvement. High likelihood of indoor airborne virus transmission.
55 – 70 (Yellow) – Fair. Moderate likelihood of indoor airborne virus transmission.
70 – 100 (Green) – Good. Low likelihood of indoor airborne virus transmission. Over >85% is excellent, with little to no indoor airborne virus transmission risk.
For more information on the RESET® Viral Index, please refer to their resource page.
Derived from Temperature, Humidity, PM2.5, and CO2 Readings.
0–100 % Index
Temperature
TVOC Index
VOCs are chemicals that evaporate into the air and are emitted by cleaners, paints, varnishes, fragrances, and hundreds of other products. Examples: benzene, ethylene glycol, and formaldehyde.
The VOC Index describes the current VOC status in a room relative to the sensor’s recent history. In this way, the VOC Index behaves like a human nose as it can detect relative intensity, duration, and frequency of VOC events. The value "100" refers to the typical indoor gas composition over the past 24 hours. While values between 100 and 500 indicate a deterioration, values between 0 and 100 inform about improvement of the air quality.
VOCs are measured as a group because of their cumulative effects, with a high VOC index associated with negative health impacts.
Color-coded VOC index ranges are aligned to healthy indoor air guidelines set by government and industry standards.
0–500 Index
TVOC (ppb)
A Total Measure of Volatile Organic Compounds (TVOC) are chemicals that evaporate into the air and are emitted by cleaners, paints, varnishes, fragrances, and hundreds of other products. Examples: benzene, ethylene glycol, and formaldehyde
VOCs are measured as a group because of their cumulative effects, with high TVOC values associated with negative health impacts.
Color-coded TVOC ranges are aligned to healthy indoor air guidelines set by the government and industry standards.
0–60,000 ppb
Vape Index
A score derived from multiple sensors is strongly correlated with vaping and/or smoking activity.
Vape Index measurements outside of the green zone indicate suspected vaping/smoking activity, but could also reflect smoke or fumes from other sources. In particular, smoke from cooking, burning fuel, wildfires, etc. may register highly on the Vape Index.
0–100 Index
Need more help? Contact Verkada Support.
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