The library has 12 Speck air quality monitors available to check out.
What is Speck?
The Speck detects fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in your indoor environment and informs you about changes and trends in particle concentration. It helps make the invisible visible, and empowers you to make informed decisions about how to improve your personal air quality. Use Speck to test whether your vacuum exudes particles, whether your cleaning products are making you cough, whether your kitchen range hood exhausts to your child’s bedroom and more.
View this 45 second video to learn about how you can use the Speck monitor.
How does it work?
Plug it in and it will immediately start measuring fine particulates in the air. The color coded monitor indicates the level of particulates from good to very high. Visit Speck’s getting started page for quick and easy directions.
What does it measure?
It measures fine particulate matter. Fine particles that are between 0.5 microns and 3.0 microns in size. It then uses this information to estimate PM2.5 levels in the air and reports on these particle concentrations. PM2.5 is directly linked to asthma, cardiovascular disease, arrhythmia and many other adverse health effects. It does not measure radon, carbon dioxide or other VOCs.
Important Links/Recommended Reading
Speck sensor website. Get help with:
- Getting started with your Speck monitor
- Speck FAQ – get many of your questions answered here
- Fine Particles: learn about particles such as their sources, general strategies to improve your indoor air quality, experiments to test your ideas for ways to improve the air you breathe and other resources to help you improve your air quality.
- Sample experiments to try and book recommendations (pdf)
Speck Training Videos. Includes 8 short videos, almost all about 2-3 minutes each.
If you have concerns about your indoor air quality, there are things you can do to try to improve it. If you feel the problem is more serious, contact a professional indoor air quality investigator or industrial hygienist for a consultation.
- The Indoor Air Quality Association (IAQA) provides a search option to find an “IAQA pro.”
- American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) has a nice page on how to select an indoor air quality consultant.