Mississauga libraries now have air quality monitors you can borrow for free

Mississauga | Education | Health |

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Published October 18, 2022 at 9:47 am

co2 monitor mississauga
Mississauga Library photo

If you feel tired or have headaches, it could be your home’s air quality.

And Mississauga libraries now have CO2 monitors residents can borrow for free. The monitor measures indoor air quality.

“Knowing the CO2 levels can help you take steps to improve ventilation and lower the risk of airborne infections,” the library states.

High indoor CO2 levels can cause tiredness, headaches and other symptoms. And increasing CO2 levels show the space is not well ventilated. CO2 is different from CO or Carbon Monoxide.

Carbon Monoxide is a gas that is often called the silent killer because it contains no smell, colour, or taste and can cause illness or death. Burning coal, gasoline, natural gas, oil, propane, wood, or tobacco produces CO.

CO2 is another gas, but is mainly produced when people exhale. A high CO2 level could mean other indoor pollutants are in the air including respiratory particles and the viruses they carry.

“Poorly ventilated indoor spaces increase your risk of COVID-19,” a fact sheet from the library reads.

But the CO2 monitor is not a direct indicator of risk for COVID-19 — the CO2 readings will help determine if a home has poor ventilation. Opening a window or reducing the number of people in a room will help improve air quality.

There are currently 40 monitors available to borrow from libraries across Mississauga. To learn more and to reserve one, visit the website.

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