Toronto Public Library begins CO2 monitor lending program to measure indoor air quality

Toronto library card holders can now borrow carbon dioxide monitors for a week to check indoor air quality in their homes.

The Toronto Public Library (TPL) launched the program on Monday. The library system has 50 carbon dioxide monitors that members can borrow from its digital innovation hubs located in eight branches across the city.  

Each Aranet4 monitor comes with a "quick start" guide and a fact sheet on how to interpret the levels. Nearly half of the devices have been loaned out already.

"You can use a CO2 monitor to measure indoor air quality," TPL says on its website. "Knowing the CO2 levels can help you take steps to improve ventilation and lower the risk of airborne infections. Poor ventilation has been shown to cause symptoms such as tiredness and headaches."

TPL said it's important to remember that the devices are not carbon monoxide detectors designed to save lives. And although it says the program is part of its response to the pandemic, readings are not a direct indicator of COVID-19 risk.

The monitors, which are powered by batteries, can measure the CO2 level not only in homes, but also in offices or other indoor environments, and then display the data on a screen.

Ab Velasco, TPL's manager of innovation, said the program is intended to empower people with technology to help them to make safe choices. 

"A carbon dioxide monitor allows people to measure the indoor air quality of their indoor space and to get a sense of how well ventilated a space is because poorly ventilated space can lead to symptoms such as tiredness, headaches and can also increase the risk of airborne infections," he said.

Depending on the readings, people can take steps to protect themselves, such as opening a door or a window, he said.

Velasco said the program is part of TPL's tradition of providing Torontonians with access to expensive technology. There are no renewals and no holds allowed to ensure the monitors can be borrowed widely.

The fact sheet says: "When we exhale, we add CO2 (carbon dioxide) to the air. In fact, each breath from an average adult contains 35,000 parts per million (ppm) of CO2. As more people remain in a room, CO2 levels increase quickly if there is not enough fresh air coming into the space. Increasing CO2 levels show you that the space is not well ventilated."

Dr. Kashif Pirzada, an emergency physician in Toronto, said the monitors can make a difference and can be used in workplaces, malls and schools. 

"Overall, these monitors give us a good window into our spaces, making them healthier and safer, and it's a great advance for everybody."

In well-ventilated areas, people are less likely to catch airborne viruses, such as COVID-19, while in poor ventilated areas, where people are crowded together, there is less fresh air and airborne viruses are more likely to spread, he said. 

Pirzada said he is launching the CleanAir Map app, showing the locations of indoor places that have good quality ventilation, in the next week or two.

"Basically, users can log and report what CO2 levels they're seeing — so, your school, your workplace, the mall, a shop — and you can point to other people where the safe spots to go are," he said.

If the kits are lost or damaged, library card holders will have to pay $355, TPL says.