Indoor Air Quality Assessment using IoT-based Sensors in Nursing Homes

Abstract

Many of us spend large amounts of time indoors, so indoor air quality (IAQ) improves our quality of life. IAQ is affected by contextual, occupant, and building-related (COB) factors. We know little of the effects of IAQ on comfort and wellbeing in the elderly and there is almost no data on air quality measured in residential nursing homes. Technological advances in ambient assisted living and the Internet of Things (IoT), make it possible to build objects with the capacity to monitor IAQ in real time. In this study, we used IoT-based sensors in two nursing homes to assess IAQ by monitoring CO2, temperature, and humidity during the Summer of 2022, taking into account the outdoor weather conditions and the need for thermal appliances or the airflow from windows. The presence of residents and workers in communal areas raised CO2 levels with windows closed, whilst opening them improves the air quality. Our results show how opening windows in communal spaces in elderly care environments can help preserve indoor air quality (IAQ) when occupancy is high. These “simple” solutions to raising IAQ rely on overcoming behavioural, technical and data-related challenges - which we discuss.