We recently received a phone call asking whether Loopshore's Loop One air quality meter can detect tobacco smoke. As we had never tried this before, we decided to carry out a measurement using a ready-made test jar.
Test set-up
The test used an airtight chamber made from a large IKEA storage jar fitted with a tap and a lead-through for a hose. This set-up made it possible to introduce and remove the smoke in a controlled way during the measurement. The jar also had room for:
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Two Loop One devices measuring the effects of the smoke inside the jar.
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A battery-powered fan to make sure the air in the chamber was well mixed.
At the same time, three Loop One devices measured the room air outside the test chamber, so that any effects of smoke spreading into the surrounding space could be monitored.
Results
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Unopened packet of cigarettes: TVOC concentration rose to 7,243 ppb.
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Burning cigarette: TVOC reached the device's maximum reading of 10,000 ppb.
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Fine particles (PM1): a concentration of approximately 7,800 µg/m³ was measured while the cigarette was burning.
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Room air measurement: even though effective local extraction was in use, TVOC readings from the devices in the same room rose from 20 ppb to 259 ppb during the test.
👉 Watch the full test video here: YouTube link
Conclusion
Loop One devices can detect tobacco smoke very clearly, both as gases (TVOC) and as fine particle concentrations, if smoking takes place in the same room. Measurement also works even when visible smoke does not reach the device directly, which is important, for example, when monitoring the general air quality of premises.