1Running head: AIR

QUALITY

Air Quality Sensor

Aysia Gandy
ENVL 3241: Pollution and Regulation
Stockton University

ABSTRACT
Stockton University has a large campus constantly emitting pollution each and
every day. This is the prime ingredient needed to conduct the data for air quality. Air pollution
are made of 6 criteria pollutants called carbon monoxide, ground level ozone, sulfur dioxide,
nitrogen oxide, particulate matter, and lead. By conducting this experiment using the Graywolf
indoor air quality sensor, the quality of air in parameters of nitrogen monoxide, carbon
monoxide, and carbon dioxide were able to be collected from 9 different locations. A box and
whisker plot was able to be conducted using the excel data which showed the wide range of air
pollution when comparing each location. An understanding of the status of indoor and outdoor
air quality was able to be conjured as a result.

Table of Content
Abstract...Pg. 2
Introduction.........Pg. 4
6 Criteria Pollutants.............Pg. 4 - 5
Box and Whisker Plots. ..Pg. 5 6
DiscussionPg. 6 - 7
Conclusion....Pg. 7
Reference..Pg. 7

Air pollutants can be colorless, odorless, irritating to specific body parts, or even deadly
but one thing that they have in common is that no matter where you go there is no getting away
from them. Using the Graywolf indoor air quality sensor, determining the parameters of carbon
monoxide, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide became an easy task. By setting the device in
specific locations around campus, results of those parameter were calculated over a period of 3
minutes. Through this experiment, the status of indoor and outdoor air quality were ordained.

Our world has evolved into a polluting machine. Through combustion alone, especially
fossil fuel, all 6 criteria pollutants are produced. According Ipekci, Katsakoglou, and Topacoglu
especially in large cities, it was shown that air pollution from motor vehicle emissions account
for about 70% and this amount is more than double of the air pollution due to heating sources
(Ipekci, Katsakoglou, & Topacoglu,2014). Even though human actions are causing alarming
amounts of pollution natural processes cause air pollution as well as.

6 Criteria Pollutants

Found all over the United States and are regulated under the Clean Air Act.

Carbon Monoxide: Produced by the incomplete combustion of burning carbon containing

material.

Human health Effect: heart problems: up to 11% of elderly people are

admitted into the hospital because of congested heart failure. This is
caused by less oxygen getting to the heart and due to CO because a
supplement to oxygen.

Environmental Effect: CO contributes to CO2 in the atmosphere creating

greenhouse gases causing global warming.

Ground-Level Ozone: Produced by sunlight and heat creates a chemical reaction with

volatile organic compounds (VOC), oxides of nitrogen (NOx), and oxygen.

Human Effect: Eyes, nose, throat, and decrease in function of lungs due to
irritation.

Environmental Effect: the oxidation and reaction of substances such as

trees takes away the nutrients they need.

Sulfur Dioxide: Produced by burning coal, gas crude oil, as well as produced from natural
resources such as sea water, plants, and geothermal emissions.

Human Effect: forms strong irritating acid when reacting with moisture in
the lungs, eyes, and other mucous membranes.

Environmental Effect: sulfuric acid and solid particulates are created and
this will affect the lakes and create corrosion.

Nitrogen Oxides: Produced by atmospheric nitrogen and oxygen reacting with high
temperatures (burning of fossil fuels), volcanoes, lightening, and decomposed vegetation due
to microorganisms.

Human Effect: lowers the ability for the body to resist

infection, aggravates asthma, and irritates the lungs.

Environmental Effect: causes of its ability to convert into nitrate and

nitric acid it results in acid rain, climate change, and stratospheric
ozone depletion.

Particulate Matter: Produced by the burning of any materials or dust generating activity.

Human Effect: development of silicosis, black lungs, asbestosis,

lung cancer, and mesothelioma.

Environmental Effect: the depletion of nutrients in soil.

Lead: Produced by emitting particulates while metal mining and processing as

well as fossil fuel combustion, volcanoes, forest fires, sea spray, and incinerators.
Exposure to lead can be due to paint, soil, it can be airborne, and lead acid
batteries.

Human Effect: subtle effects on the nervous system, lowing of

intelligence quotient, high blood pressure, damage of kidneys, deficits
in memory as well as learning ability.

Environmental Effect: infiltrates the ground and bioaccumulates as

well as causes biomagnification throughout the food chain.

The following 3 charts display a box and whisker plot of the data gathered for each
location: BMW 5281 inside and outside, gazebo, Nissan Altima inside and outside, outside
of the shuttle, under trees, in the Unified Science Building 213 and 240, and of the 3

parameters: carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen oxide.

Carbon Monoxide
Outside Shuttle
Undertrees
USC213 USC240
Gazebo BMW 5281 outside BMW5281 Inside Nissan Alt. Inside Nissan Alt. Outside
-1

11

13

Carbon Dioxide
Outside Shuttle
Undertrees
USC213 USC240
Gazebo BMW 5281 Inside BMW5281 Inside Nissan Alt. Outside
Nissan Alt. Inside

200

400

600

800

1000120014001600180020002200

Nitrogen Dioxide
Nissan Alt. Inside
Outside Shuttle
Undertrees
USC213 USC240
Gazebo BMW5281 Outside BMW 5281 Inside
Nissan Alt. Outside

0.02

0.04

0.06

0.08

Discussion
The collected data from the BMW and the Nissan Altima showed similar results when it
came to nitrogen dioxide and carbon dioxide but when it came to carbon monoxide there were
contrasting results. The data from the carbon monoxide in the BMW showed drastically lower
results with an average of 0.6mg/m while the Nissan Altima showed an average of 9.3 mg/g.
Carbon monoxide is a very common gas to have polluting in the air but not is dangerous to have
dispersed into the air especially in a confined compact place such as a car.

0.1

When looking at the data about room 213 and 240 of the United Science Building, there
is a dramatic difference in carbon dioxide. Room 240 showed a large amount of carbon dioxide
resulting from there being a constant amount of people breathing. Room 213 is not used every
day. Even though the room was smaller, human activities needed to be accounted for in order to
have the carbon dioxide.
Nitrogen dioxide has a number of was of being produced. Carbon combustion is one of
the major sources which is shown through the graph. The shuttle that makes multiple trips to and
from Stockton showed a high result. The shuttles run on diesel which is why the results were
drastically different from the other motor vehicles. The gazebo also has a decent amount of
carbon dioxide. The gazebo is a place for people to smoke cigarettes and it shows in the data.
Cigarettes are a provider of nitrogen dioxide. A study was done to evaluate the connection of
cigarette smoke and nitrogen dioxide proving that although nitrogen dioxide (NO2) has been
previously reported to be present in cigarette smoke, the concentration estimates were derived
from kinetic calculations or from measurements of aged smoke, where NO2 was formed
sometime after the puff was taken (Crawford, Gee, Nelson, Parrish, Shorter & Zahniser, 2006).
Even though the results for the gazebo are from outside the levels showed high results of
constant smoking over the years. The data collected from outside under the trees didnt show any
results of carbon dioxide.
Conclusion
Air pollution will constantly be emitted into the air. The results from the Graywolf indoor
air quality sensor provide proof that it doesnt matter where you are, you will always be
surrounded by pollution. Not only humans are effected but so is the environment. Will the
knowledge of how bad air pollution is worldwide result in a decrease of pollution in the future?
If the world doesnt change its way of production, then the sources that are creating pollution
will cause a major problem and it may be too late to make a difference.

References
Shorter, J. H., Nelson, D. D., Zahniser, M. S., Parrish, M. E., Crawford, D. R., & Gee, D. L.
(2006). Measurement of nitrogen dioxide in cigarette smoke using quantum cascade
tunable infrared laser differential absorption spectroscopy (TILDAS). Spectrochimica
Acta Part A: Molecular & Biomolecular Spectroscopy, 63(5), 994-1001.
doi:10.1016/j.saa.2005.11.005
Topacoglu, H., Katsakoglou, S., & Ipekci, A. (2014). Effect of exhaust emissions on carbon
monoxide levels in employees working at indoor car wash facilities. Hippokratia,
18(1), 37-39.