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Air Quality Sensor Readings

Understand Verkada Air Quality Sensor readings

Updated over a week ago

Verkada Air Quality Sensors contain a wide variety of sensors that are used to track information about your environment.

Verkada creates recommended sensor value ranges based on data from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the World Health Organization (WHO), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), and more.

Sensor color readings

To make things easy to view at a glance, Verkada's sensors readings are associates 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.)

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

Description

Measurement Range

Compatible Sensors

The U.S. Air Quality Index (AQI) measures total air pollution and provides benchmarks for healthy values. When AQI exceeds 100, air quality is unhealthy: at first for certain sensitive groups of people, then for everyone as AQI values get higher.

0–500 (unbounded)

Ambient Light

Description

Measurement Range

Compatible Sensors

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

Description

Measurement Range

Compatible Sensors

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)

Recommended. We recommend to investigate better air quality management for most workplaces when the exposure limits are 5,000 ppm within an 8-hour period.

Description

Measurement Range

Compatible Sensors

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.

Description

Measurement Range

Compatible Sensors

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

Formaldehyde (CH2O)

Description

Measurement Range

Compatible Sensors

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).

Humidity

Description

Measurement Range

Compatible Sensors

The relative humidity is the amount of moisture in the air compared to what the air can hold at that temperature.

Color-coded relative humidity ranges are aligned to healthy indoor air guidelines set by the government and industry standards.

Range:
0–100%

Recommended:
20–80%

Motion

Description

Measurement Range

Compatible Sensors

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

Description

Measurement Range

Compatible Sensors

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

Description

Measurement Range

Compatible Sensors

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

Temperature

Description

Measurement Range

Compatible Sensors

Color-coded temperature ranges are aligned to healthy indoor air temperatures set by the government and industry standards.

23 °F to 122 °F
(-5 °C to 50 °C)

TVOC Index

Description

Measurement Range

Compatible Sensors

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)

Description

Measurement Range

Compatible Sensors

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

Description

Measurement Range

Compatible Sensors

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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