Wireless sensor node for indoor air quality monitoring system

The widespread of diseases associated with Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) generally referred to as Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) and Building Related Illness (BRI) has generated concern for technological approach in monitoring and analysis of the quality of air in confine environments. In line with “prevention is better than cure” mantra, such monitoring system is necessary for timely awareness of quality of surrounding air so as to take preventive action not only at the individual level, but also aid prompt diagnosis by the medical personnel. Motivated by the need for an affordable, simple and efficient indoor air quality device for general use at homes, offices and other related confine environment, a sensor node with capability for wireless sensor networking is presented in this study. The proposed device incorporates: sensors to measure major air quality indices: odor, carbon monoxide, dust, humidity, and temperature, LED indicators for prompt visual status alert, memory device (SD card) for off-line data access, and wireless capability for remote data transfer in applications such as web and mobile-apps interfacing. The performance of the system is evaluated in a laboratory scale indoor environment. The results show effectiveness of the system in capturing the air-quality status and providing timely information for proactive action.