Guidance on choosing low-cost sensors to monitor indoor and outdoor air pollution
Understanding air pollution levels can help you address potential health risks by taking action to reduce your exposure. This website aims to help Australians choose low-cost sensors to monitor indoor or outdoor air by providing:
- detailed guidance for households, community groups, schools, local governments and researchers on what to consider when looking for a monitor
- a selection tool (below) to help you choose a suitable product.
This guidance does not cover indoor carbon dioxide (CO2) monitors, often used to check whether indoor ventilation is adequate. Learn more about CO2 monitors and ways to improve indoor air quality at Clean Air Stars.
How to use this tool
Make your selections below, then browse the list to find the right monitor for your project. (Read more about these categories and numbers.)
- Decide whether you need an indoor or outdoor (stationary) device. A small subset of products can be used both indoors and outdoors. There’s also a growing number of hand-held portable devices.
- Decide on your budget. This tool only covers devices less than AUD$10,000.*
- Decide which pollutants you’d like to measure. PM2.5 is a key polluting particle. Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is a commonly-measured polluting gas.
*Prices given are a rough guide only. Contact sellers for accurate, up-to-date pricing.
Indicative price is for a base model unit with sensors for NO2 and PM2.5. Devices are customisable with the option to choose up to 4 sensors per unit. Sensors can be replaced.
Units are available on a subscription basis. The indicative price given here is for 2 years’ subscription.
Units are available on a subscription basis. The indicative price given here is for 2 years’ subscription.
Price is for base model unit to monitor PM only. It does not include a cloud subscription fee for data. This hand-held monitor can be used with a wide range of sensor heads to measure up to 30 different pollutants.
Lower cost variants of this model are also available. Price does not include data transmission fee.
By Wicked Device. Units for this curriculum-oriented product are available on a subscription basis. Indicative price is for 2 years’ subscription for the base 2022 model with PM and NO2 sensors (buyers can choose from a variety of additional sensor types). Organisational subscriptions available. Indoor and outdoor versions available.
A weather-resistant monitor that can be used for stationary or mobile applications.
Sensor modules are replaceable. Available in 2 different air quality sensor configurations: AirVisual Outdoor (2-PM) and AirVisual Outdoor (3-PM/CO2).
This device has replaceable gas sensor cartridges and measures up to 5 gases in addition to particulate matter. Buyers can choose between sensor geared to measure low or high levels of pollutants.
This device has replaceable gas sensor cartridges and measures up to 2 gases in addition to particulate matter (PM). Indicative price is for base unit with PM sensor. Buyers can choose between sensors geared to measure low or high levels of pollutants.
Also known as PA-II-FLEX. Users can replace the particular matter (PM) sensors on this device. This product does not come with a power adaptor.
Indicative price is for a base model with PM2.5, PM10 and NO2 sensors. This is a modular device that can be configured to monitor additional air pollutants. It can also be paired with a Vaisala Beacon Weather Station.
This outdoor monitor can be mounted on a vehicle for mobile monitoring. Indicative price is for base model unit with PM and NO2 sensors. Devices are customisable with the option to choose up to 5 sensors per unit. Sensors can be replaced.
Indicative price is for base model with PM and NO2 sensors. Devices are customisable with the option to choose up to 6 sensors per unit. Sensors can be replaced.
Can be paired with the Davis Instruments weather station. Optional device cover is available for outdoor use.
Factory-calibrated sensors can be swapped into a device if new sensor is needed.
Factory-calibrated sensors can be swapped into a device if new sensor is needed.
Users must create an enclosure if they wish to use this device for extended outdoor monitoring.