Torontonians may soon be able to rent a carbon dioxide (CO2) monitor at the public library as part of the city’s response to the pandemic.
In April, the city of Peterborough became the first municipality in North America to facilitate such a program – providing CO2 monitors to residents for a week so they can determine the quality of air ventilation in a home, office or other indoor space.
The devices use a “brake light system,” officials said at the time. A green light means the air quality in the space is good, yellow means it is OK, and red means there is poor ventilation in the area.
The higher the CO2 levels in the space, the more recycled air a person will breathe.
“Good ventilation and filtration are important because they help reduce the risk of illness by reducing the levels of aerosols containing viruses and bacteria and other air quality concerns that can make us sick, including the virus that causes COVID-19. Dr Thomas Piggott, Peterborough’s chief medical officer, said in a statement released in April.
Piggott added that it was relatively easy to reduce CO2 levels if residents scored high. Actions such as opening windows, reducing the number of people in the room and using air filtration devices will help increase air ventilation. Wearing a mask will also help remove potential pollutants in the air.
Around the same time Peterborough’s program started, some residents approached the Toronto Public Library to ask if they had plans to do something similar. At the time, officials said on social media that they had contacted organizations interested in donating CO2 monitors and that updates would come at a later date.
Months later, a formal program appears to be underway.
In a tweet posted on July 2, the library said they plan to implement a CO2 monitoring program in mid-July, and more information is expected “in the coming weeks.”
In mid-July, we will introduce a CO2 Monitor credit program as a response to the pandemic. Stay tuned for more information in the coming weeks! -PC
— Toronto Public Library (@torontolibrary) July 2, 2022
CTV News Toronto has contacted the library for additional details.
CO2 monitors were widely used during the pandemic, although not consistently. In 2021, Quebec’s education minister said monitors will be installed in every classroom.
Yet when Ontario’s public health department tried to enforce a policy that any classroom with CO2 readings above 800 parts per million get an additional HEPA air filter, the province’s chief medical officer said experts “are not aware currently for any link between CO2 levels and virus transmission.
The use of CO2 monitoring has been widely demonstrated in scientific journals as a tool to measure the risk of infection with COVID-19.
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