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tado° app update: Do you know the quality of the air you breathe?

September 6, 2019

by tado°

The quality of the air around your home can have a big impact on your health and well-being. To make sure you’re always in the know, the tado° app now offers you even more information about the current air quality in your street.

Pollution and air quality in and outside the home have become a global concern as the health effects of poor air are more widely known. Over 90 percent of the world’s population lives with toxic air, which has led the World Health Organization to declare the issue a global ‘public health emergency’.*

tado° doubles down on clean air with new app release:

tado° reveals the most significant pollutants in your environment:

Outside air pollutants:

PM 2.5 Part. matter PM 10 Part. matter O3 Ozone NO2 Nitr. dioxide CO Carbon monoxide SO2 Sulfur dioxide

PM 2.5 – Particulate matter (fine)

Sources

Combustion processes (e.g. power plants, indoor heating, car exhausts, wildfires), mechanical processes (e.g. construction, mineral dust) and biological particles (e.g. bacteria, viruses).

Limit

A European directive limits the concentration at 25 µg/m3 as a yearly average. In busy urban areas with a lot of traffic, this limit might be exceeded. When the concentration of PM 2.5 is rising, try to reduce outdoor activities.

Effects

Fine particles can penetrate into the lungs and bloodstream. Short-term exposure can cause irritation of the airways, coughing and aggravation of heart and lung diseases, expressed as difficulty in breathing or heart attacks.

PM 10 – Particulate matter (inhalable)

Sources

Combustion processes (e.g. indoor heating, wildfires), mechanical processes (e.g. construction, mineral dust, agriculture) and biological particles (e.g. pollen, bacteria, mold).

Limit

A European directive limits the concentration at an average of 50 µg/m3 per day. This concentration may only be exceeded maximum 35 times per year. Particularly in busy urban areas with a lot of traffic and dry conditions, this limit is likely to be exceeded. On days with higher concentration of PM 10, try to reduce outdoor activities.

Effects

Inhalable particles can penetrate into the lungs. Short-term exposure can cause irritation of the airways, coughing, and aggravation of heart and lung diseases expressed as difficulty in breathing, heart attacks and even premature death.

O3 – Ozone

Sources

Ozone is created in a chemical reaction between atmospheric oxygen, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide and organic compounds, in the presence of sunlight.

Limit

A concentration of 90 ppb (180 µg/m3) and more of ozone in the air can have negative effects on your health. It is recommended that you stay indoors and reduce outdoor activities as the concentration gets higher.

Effects

Ozone can irritate the airways and cause coughing, a burning sensation, wheezing and shortness of breath. Additionally, ozone is one of the major components of photochemical smog.

NO2 – Nitrogen dioxide

Sources

Fuel burning processes, such as those used in industry and transportation.

Limit

Concentrations of 210 ppb (400 µg/m3) and more are harmful to your health. Try to stay indoors at these concentration levels. The maximum average concentration per year is 16 ppb (30 µg/m3).

Effects

Exposure may cause increased bronchial reactivity in patients with asthma, lung function decline in patients with COPD, and increased risk of respiratory infections, especially in young children.

CO – Carbon monoxide

Sources

Typically originates from incomplete combustion of carbon fuels such as those found in car engines and power plants.

Limit

As per a European directive, CO levels must not exceed 8700 ppb (10 mg/m3) on an average over eight hours.

Effects

When inhaled, carbon monoxide can prevent the blood from carrying oxygen. Exposure may cause dizziness, nausea and headaches. Exposure to extreme concentrations can lead to loss of consciousness.

SO2 – Sulfur dioxide

Sources

Burning processes of sulphur-containing fuel in industry, transportation and power plants.

Limit

Concentrations of 190 ppb (500 µg/m3) and more are harmful to your health. Try to stay indoors at these concentration levels. The maximum 1-hour average concentration is 130 ppb (350 µg/m3) and should not be exceeded more than 24 times per year according to a European directive.

Effects

Exposure causes irritation of the respiratory tract, coughing and local inflammatory reactions. These, in turn, may aggravate lung diseases.

Giving real-time and predictive data as well as insights on air quality can help people reduce the bad air that they are breathing. tado° users will see the Air Quality Index (AQI) score outside their home and can use the information to act upon. Want to know what’s in the air you are breathing? No problem, tado° reveals the most significant pollutants in your environment. Moreover, tado° presents pollen forecasts on grasses, weeds, and trees to help residents manage their day.

“Our users, like the wider public, are concerned over what kind of air they are breathing,” explains tado° Co-founder and CPO Christian Deilmann. “Our Smart Thermostats, apps and software are dedicated to delivering the perfect climate at home – comfortable, energy efficient, and of course healthy.”

The new features expand upon the tado° Air Comfort Skill which brings outdoor and indoor air data together without the need to purchase new hardware. Users can see room-by-room humidity levels, and receive tips and tricks on how to improve indoor air comfort. tado° integrates numerous data points into clear visualisations to make air quality much more simple to understand and act upon.

Learn more:

Why we care about the Air in your home.

* Air pollution is the ‘new tobacco’, warns WHO head