What does good indoor air contain?

Loopshore’s Loop One, Delta and Zero measurements monitor these variables. Read more below about the factors that affect indoor conditions and how you can improve indoor air quality yourself.

TEMPERATURE

An ideal indoor temperature feels pleasant. Indoor temperature also affects energy consumption. During the heating season, lowering the temperature by one degree typically saves about 5% of heating energy.

How does temperature affect people and the environment?

When it is too cold, air currents feel like a draught. Room air that is too warm wastes energy and can make the air feel stuffy.

By ticking the dew point temperature box in the Loopshore air quality service, you can see the dew point temperature in the same graph as the temperature.

The dew point is the temperature below which the moisture in the air starts to condense on surfaces. In other words, the dew point tells you about the state of humidity. As the amount of moisture rises, the dew point approaches the ambient temperature.

Too hot? Here’s what to do:

If the heat comes from the sun, get awnings. They are the most effective way to keep heat radiation from entering through the windows. Curtains, blinds or solar control film also help. Get a fan: it makes the air feel cooler by circulating it in the room. A cooling air source heat pump lowers the temperature and removes moisture. Check that the level of mechanical ventilation matches how the space is used. Air the room with a cross draught. Make sure the supply and exhaust air vents are clean. Cool off now and then with a dip in a lake. 🙂

Too cold? Here’s what to do:

Check that radiators are not hidden behind, for example, long curtains or office furniture. Window seals may also need maintenance. Take the ventilation settings and any summer and winter modes into account.

RELATIVE HUMIDITY

Indoor humidity is mostly affected by outdoor conditions and their changes. In summer, relative humidity can briefly exceed 60%. In winter the air in Finland is drier, but indoor relative humidity should still not drop below 20%.

How does humidity affect people and the environment?

Optimal humidity helps keep people well and buildings healthy. Excess humidity over a long time can, at worst, cause microbial growth and thus damage to the building. Air that is too dry feels unpleasant to breathe and increases the risk of infections.

Air too dry? Here’s what to do:

Get a good-quality humidifier and follow the changes by measuring too. Lower the room temperature slightly and relative humidity will rise. Doing laundry and washing dishes, among other things, also add moisture to the room air. Note that air coming in from outside in freezing weather is dry. Properly adjusted ventilation does not dry out indoor air unnecessarily.

Air too humid? Here’s what to do:

Close the doors to wet rooms and squeegee the water off the floor after showering. Make sure the air in washrooms and changing rooms is always exchanged after use. Air the rooms in the evening and in cool weather. Make sure ventilation is adjusted correctly: turning the ventilation up reduces humidity.

The Loopshore air quality service also shows absolute humidity. It tells you how many grams of water vapour a cubic metre of air contains. The value is calculated from the temperature and relative humidity measurements.

CARBON DIOXIDE (CO2)

When it feels like you’re “running out of oxygen” and the air is stuffy, the cause is often a carbon dioxide concentration that is too high.

When you know the carbon dioxide level, you can often make the necessary changes to the space in time, quickly and easily.

How does CO2 affect people and the environment?

A high carbon dioxide concentration impairs performance. Research shows that reasoning (cognitive performance) weakens and learning outcomes decline. People and pets are the biggest source of carbon dioxide indoors.

When the carbon dioxide level rises, here’s what to do:

The air simply needs to be exchanged better! So adjust any mechanical ventilation, open windows and reduce the number of people in the space if possible. When there are briefly more people than usual in the space, this can show up as quite a high carbon dioxide peak. If CO2 stays elevated for several hours at a time, or remains high for a long time even after people have left, we recommend measures that improve the conditions permanently.

Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs

VOCs are gaseous, volatile organic compounds. The total concentration of these compounds is called TVOC (total volatile organic compounds). The TVOC measurement of the Loop One sensor shows the total concentration of VOCs. It is also worth noting that not all volatile organic compounds are necessarily harmful. Measuring VOCs is challenging with current technology. Although changes in concentration can be measured, sensors cannot identify which specific VOC is present. The measurement therefore cannot be read in the same way as, for example, temperature.

Short-term increases in the results can be caused by, for example, perfumes, hand sanitiser and new textiles, or the breakdown and wear of older materials. Volatile organic compounds also end up in room air from building materials or furnishings, among other things. Cooking, renovation and cleaning can also briefly raise concentrations.

The Loop One sensor shows the VOC emissions it detects in one graph. VOCs can come from many different sources, and concentrations can vary a great deal. The effect on air quality and on people depends on the exact composition of the VOCs, their concentrations and the exposure time.

Continuous devices such as Loop One provide real-time VOC monitoring, but the results cannot be directly compared with sampling-based study methods or the limit values of the Finnish housing health decree.

Continuous VOC measurement with a sensor is best used as an indicative measurement – for example as an indication of whether an expert should carry out more detailed, laboratory-verified VOC studies. The measurement is useful as a complement to other values and as part of the whole picture when looking at long-term changes.

How do VOCs affect people and the environment?

Research shows that long-term exposure to harmful VOCs can damage, for example, the central nervous system. A short-term rise in concentration can sometimes be smelled, or noticed as itchy eyes or other irritation symptoms.

When TVOC rises, here’s what to do:

Single peaks are usually not a cause for concern. If high peaks of volatile organic compounds occur but the reading quickly returns to the baseline, you can conclude that the ventilation works as intended. A TVOC value that stays elevated is always a reason for closer investigation.

PARTICLES

Loop One measures the concentration of PM1 and PM2.5 particles and uses algorithms to calculate PM4 and PM10 concentrations from the size distribution of the measured particles.

Particles include viruses and bacteria, pollen, spores and combustion particles. Particles can be harmless dust, but they can also contain substances that are dangerous to health, such as heavy metals produced by traffic, among other things. Fine particles are those with a diameter of less than 2.5 µm. Because of their small size, they can travel with the air into the lower airways, that is, the lungs.

Studies have found indications that 1 μm particles may be even more harmful to health than 2.5 μm fine particles. This research is ongoing (2023), and health recommendations, for example, do not yet address 1 μm particle concentrations. Official limit values for particles may become possible in the future once there is enough research data.

How do fine particles affect people and the environment?

Short concentration peaks can occur in everyday life, for example when cleaning or burning candles or a fireplace. If the measurement consistently shows fine particle levels that are too high, the cause should be investigated further. The smallest particles can travel all the way into the bloodstream and are a proven long-term health risk.

When the particle concentration rises, here’s what to do:

Try to find out where the particle emissions come from. For example, particles from industrial production areas can end up in other spaces people use. Particles released from a fireplace can end up indoors, or smoking near a fresh air intake can bring particles into indoor air. If you have a supply air filter, change it regularly. Ventilation ducts should also be cleaned at regular intervals. Clean surfaces with a damp cloth instead of a feather duster. You can have an expert investigate leaks in the structures. A good-quality air purifier also removes fine particles. Make sure the ventilation works.

NOISE

Sound level is one component of a pleasant environment. How noise is experienced is individual. Continuous noise measurement not only brings interesting general information within reach of everyone using the space, but also helps interpret the other measured quantities. From noise you can tell, for example, whether a loud device such as air conditioning has been on.

In the Loopshore air quality service, the average noise level measures general noise and its duration. The minimum noise level describes background noise, such as the hum of air conditioning, machinery or traffic. The maximum noise level measurement shows the peaks of individual loud sounds.

How does noise affect people and the environment?

Noise level affects, among other things, wellbeing at work. A noisy environment is unpleasant when disturbing sounds make it harder to concentrate and increase perceived stress. At worst, noise causes tinnitus and hearing loss.

Too much noise? Here’s what to do:

Improve the acoustics of the space. Depending on the space, this can be done with textiles or acoustic panels, for example. Protect your hearing. Take other measures that suit the space and its purpose.

ILLUMINANCE

The right amount of light is not only a matter of comfort but also a basis for efficient work. On the other hand, storing certain objects, for example, requires a space that is dark enough. What matters is the right amount of light for the purpose of the space.

The Loop One measurement shows how much light reaches the device’s light sensor. The light sensor is at the bottom edge of the device. The result is affected by the position of the light source relative to the device and by the material the device sits on.

Reference values:

Full moon on a clear night: 0.05 – 0.36 lux.
Direct sunlight: 32,000 – 100,000 lux.

How does light affect people and the environment?

Daylight coming in through the windows is often felt to be the most pleasant light source. Enough light makes work more efficient. The right amount of light depends on what the space is being used for at the time. Lighting that is optimal for the situation and purpose is a goal worth checking by measuring. For example, a good amount of light for reading is about 300 – 500 lux.

AIR PRESSURE

Air pressure is the pressure caused by the mass of air above. Roughly speaking, fine weather means high pressure and vice versa. Indoor air pressure is either negative or positive depending on the airtightness of the building, the wind and the amount of make-up air.

How does air pressure affect people and the environment?

Even fairly small changes in air flows and pressures can have a considerable effect on indoor air quality and structures. The Loop One meter uses air pressure data mainly internally, together with the other quantities, in data analytics.

How does air pressure affect the environment?
When the air pressure rises, watch out: is a beautiful, dry and warm day on its way? : )

PRESSURE DIFFERENCE

The indoor pressure difference of a building directly affects how ventilation works, indoor air quality and energy efficiency. Measuring the pressure difference helps ensure that ventilation works as designed and that the air flow directions are under control.

Why measure the pressure difference?

The pressure difference can reveal, for example, excessive negative pressure, which can draw impurities or moisture into structures or indoor spaces. Excessive positive pressure, in turn, can lead to uncontrolled air leakage, excessive moisture in and deterioration of structures, and energy losses. The right pressure difference prevents draughts, improves indoor air quality and saves you from trouble and unexpected costs.

How is the pressure difference adjusted?

The pressure difference can be adjusted by balancing the supply and exhaust air volumes in the ventilation system. Increasing supply air or reducing exhaust air increases positive pressure indoors, while increasing exhaust air or reducing supply air increases negative pressure. Precise adjustment requires continuous measurement and monitoring so that ventilation can be optimised for different seasons and situations.

The Loop Delta device enables continuous monitoring of the pressure difference and helps adjust ventilation as needed, which improves energy efficiency and indoor air quality.

DEVICE MOVEMENT

The measurement tells you whether the device has moved, has been relocated or has been attached to, for example, a moving object.

Device movement is shown as a bar: 0 = no movement, 1 = movement. The bar appears when the measurement interval (for example 10 minutes) ends, so one bar represents the movement within each interval.

Movement measurement can be used to observe, for example, G-forces during freight transport.

Indoor air quality is a whole

Indoor air quality is always a whole made up of all the measured quantities. It is worth noting that each measurement should always be viewed in relation to how the space is used and the needs of its users. An office meeting room, a cold cellar, a museum exhibition space or a daycare playroom each need their own optimal conditions for the space to work as well as possible.

Our smart analysis compares the measurements with limit values based on official recommendations and also uses exposure time data from research, among other things. You can use the air quality service with these defaults or change the limit values yourself if you wish.

We are happy to give you more detailed information when needed.

You can monitor all of these variables with our Loop One service. Ask us more!

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