Air quality monitor selection tool

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:

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.)

  1. 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.
  2. Decide on your budget. This tool only covers devices less than AUD$10,000.*
  3. 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.


Aeroqual S-500 PM

$2800

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.

Category: Portable
Monitors these particle sizes: PM2.5,PM10
Monitors these gases: NO2,O3,SO2,CO
Data transmission: RS-232 to USB
Data display: Computer (software supplied)
Data storage: Local,Cloud
Calibration: Can be field calibrated
Size: 195 x 122 x 54mm
Weight: 460g
Power options: Plug-in, battery
Sensor accuracy (R2 value):
  • PM2.5: 0.65-0.77
  • PM10: 0.20-0.33

Source: South Coast AQMD