Something in the Air
Something in the Air
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Experiment |
Indoor air quality is essential to your good health, let’s explore!
Overview
Grades:
Time:
Subject:
5-8
20-30 minutes
Environmental Science
databot™ leads an investigation of indoor air quality attributes in a quest to make the world a little bit safer and healthier!
Background
Good indoor air quality has a number of attributes – low VOCs, normal levels of CO2, correct temperature, and humidity are all factors for assessing air quality. The air that you breathe has a profound impact on your health, so you should be aware of what you’re breathing!
Your home or classroom is a good place to start an air quality investigation. You will be looking for unhealthy sources of offgassing, levels of CO2 that might indicate poor ventilation (HVAC), levels of humidity that might contribute to mold growth, and inappropriate temperatures.
Once you complete your investigation, create an action plan and share it with your family, or work towards a classroom or school implementation that will improve your environment and help keep your family and friends healthier and happier!
Let’s explore further with databot™!
Objectives
By completing this experiment and conducting the scientific observations associated with it you will master the following knowledge! Good luck science explorer!
- Indoor air quality can affect your health and your ability to concentrate.
- Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is:
- An invisible and odorless gas.
- Exhaled by human beings in the process of respiration.
- Is maintained at a healthy level in buildings through well designed ventilation (HVAC) systems.
- Excessive levels of humidity in your indoor air (above 60% RH) can stimulate microbial activity and contribute to poor air quality.
- Volatile Organic Compounds are emitted by a variety of chemicals into the air and can have an adverse affect on your health.
- You can make your home and work environment safer by understanding the sources of VOCs and reducing your exposure to them.
- Scientific sensors allow us to measure the scientific world around us with better precision and accuracy.
What You'll Need
- IOS or Android smart device with Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) to connect to databot™
- databot™ + Phypox App installed on your IOS or Android device
- databot™ temperature probe
Important Terms
Air Quality: The levels of pollutants in your surrounding air determines your air quality. High levels of pollution, dust, or smoke would be examples of poor air quality.
Baking Soda: Sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO₃) is an alkaline salt, a base, that can absorb VOCs.
Carbon Dioxide (CO2): A colorless, odorless gas naturally present in the air you breathe and is absorbed by plants in photosynthesis. There would be no animal life or green plants without carbon dioxide. Green plants use energy from the sun plus carbon dioxide and water to produce carbohydrates and oxygen.
Relative Humidity: Humidity refers to the amount of moisture in the air. High levels of humidity indoors can contribute to microbial activity which can affect indoor air quality.
HVAC: Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) refers to the technology of maintaining clean and comfortable environmental conditions in buildings and vehicles.
Indoor Air Quality: The quality of the air inside and nearby buildings that includes humidity and gas levels.
Outgassing: Giving off or releasing gases such as from paint drying and curing.
Vinegar: A mixture of acetic acid (CH₃COOH) and water (H20) that gives off VOCs.
Volatile Organic Compounds: Chemicals that evaporate at room temperature and are emitted by substances like cleaners, paint thinner, and paints. Levels that are too high can be harmful to your body and cause health problems.
Volume: The amount of space a substance takes up.
Prep (5 Mins]
- Make sure databot™ has a full charge as you will be conducting a full survey of your building.
- Check your connection to databot™ with Phyphox, you will want to be ready to record data when you begin the experiment!
- Plug in databot™’s temperature probe and test it with Phyphox.
- Review the Important Terms.
- Print out your Air Quality Investigation Worksheet.
Experiment (15-25 Mins)
Procedure
- Using the provided worksheet below (click on it to download a PDF for printing), write in the names of the rooms you will be investigating.
- Begin your survey of your building and record your findings for each room. Use the notes area to comment on specific areas in the room you found potential issues.
- Note: You should do each room several times at different times during the day as provided in your worksheet to see if the time has any impact on your findings.
- Good luck in your quest for clean air!
- Connect to databot™ with Phyphox and select the IAQ Investigation (IAQ=Indoor Air Quality) experiment from your CO2 Science menu. Your device will be displaying CO2, VOCs, Temperature, and Humidity.
Deep Thoughts with databot™
- Review your data carefully after your investigation. Were you surprised by anything as you explored?
- HVAC systems in your building are carefully planned to manage air exchange and keep your air fresh. High CO2 levels might indiciate you need to have your HVAC investigated.
- Were air ducts blocked or closed?
- Did you notice if air returns and ducts are dusty or clogged?
- Did you identify any sources of VOCs of concern?
- Did you note if there are plants to aid with air purification?
- How was your temperature and humidity levels throughout the building?
- Mold and mildew love warm, moist environments. Once they start to grow they can be very difficult to contain. Did you notice any areas with high humidity that might be at risk?
Take Action!
Now that you have finished your investigation prepare a report for your fellow building dwellers to let them know what you have learned and to make some suggestions for improving safety and health in the building. Here are a few tips for presenting your findings.
- Be organized with your data.
- Use visuals – demonstrate how you gathered data and what you discovered.
- Provide enough background on issues like volatile organic compounds so your findings are understood.
- Conclude with some suggestions on how to improve the building’s indoor air quality if necessary. Here are a few ideas – can you think of any others?
- Adding plants
- Improving ventilation
- Moving chemicals that are outgassing
Good job! By taking action to improve air quality in your building you are helping to make the world a little bit safer and healthier!
You’ve mastered some great challenges in this module.
Great job! Now for a new kind of adventure, the next stop is a challenge. Go forth and explore.
Next Step, Challenge!
Educator Info
Educator Info
- Read through the background information on this module and review PDQ 1 and 2.
- Conduct the experiment yourself and consider challenges or learning opportunities your students will encounter.
- Recommended additional reading is in the Additional Resources section.
Understand:
- Indoor air quality can affect your health and your ability to concentrate.
- Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is:
- An invisible and odorless gas.
- Exhaled by human beings in the process of respiration.
- Is maintained at a healthy level in buildings through well designed ventilation (HVAC) systems.
- Excessive levels of humidity in your indoor air (above 60% RH) can stimulate microbial activity and contribute to poor air quality.
- Volatile Organic Compounds are emitted by a variety of chemicals into the air and can have an adverse affect on your health.
- You can make your home and work environment safer by understanding the sources of VOCs and reducing your exposure to them.
- Scientific sensors allow us to measure the scientific world around us with better precision and accuracy.
Ventilation Photo by Bogomil Mihaylov on Unsplash
Something in the Air by Robert O. Grover & Team databot™ is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at databot.us.com/contact.
