Fine particles are invisible pollutants that can be harmful to your health. Fine particles are so small that they are invisible to the naked eye, but large enough to lodge deep into our lungs, get into our bloodstream, and cause illnesses such as asthma, heart disease, chronic bronchitis, emphysema and pneumonia. Every time you take a breath, you may be inhaling fine particles into your lungs, which can cause coughing or wheezing.
There may be several sources of fine particles inside your home. Monitoring these particles can help identify ways to improve your indoor air quality and breathe easier. Speck detects fine particle pollution in your home and at work and alerts you to hazardous levels.
Studies show that exposure to fine particles over extended periods of time can contribute to or worsen illnesses such as asthma, heart disease, chronic bronchitis, emphysema and pneumonia. Exposure to fine particle pollution over time is harmful, but with its ability to upload data and see trends, Speck allows you to monitor the actions that take place at home, work or school and empowers you to make changes to improve your personal air quality!
What are you breathing?
Did you know that fine particle pollution is linked to low birth weight, autism, ADHD and asthma? Studies show that children are more susceptible to air pollution because their lungs are still developing. As children grow, their lungs may not achieve full growth and function if they are exposed to high levels of fine particle pollution.
There may be several sources of fine particles inside your home. Monitoring these particles can help identify ways to improve your indoor air quality and help your children breathe easier. Speck detects fine particle pollution in your home and your child's school and alerts you to hazardous levels.
Monitoring fine particle pollution around children can help protect them from respiratory issues and the spread of germs. Speck monitors the actions that take place at home or school, allows you to upload air quality data and see trends and empowers you to make changes to improve the air quality around your children!
What is your family breathing?
Speck was featured on NPR as a device to help you identify and reduce bad air quality inside your home. Speck is available to borrow from 14 libraries in Pittsburgh, and we are now piloting a national library program in other cities. Currently, Chicago, Illinois, Fairbanks, Alaska and Milford, Pennsylvania all have Specks in their public libraries as well!
Hear the full NPR story on Speck HERE.
From the beginning of the story:
Air pollution comes from many sources — power plants, industrial production and fires, to name a few. In Pittsburgh, the most polluted city east of California, according the American Lung Association, avoiding dirty air while outdoors can be difficult, if not impossible. But a new device, available through the public library system, helps people identify and reduce bad air quality inside their homes.
From the end of the story:
Ultimately, Nourbakhsh says, the goal is to change behaviors. Since the quality of a room's air can be affected by a variety of ordinary household activities, Nourbakhsh says the monitor can help people identify and change habits that contribute to poor air quality. For example, people can make sure air is vented while cooking, put a filter over a window air conditioner unit or vacuum long before the kids get home, giving particles time to settle.
For information about discounts, bulk orders, and tax-exempt purchases, please see our discounts policies.
*Outdoor air quality readings require Speck to be WiFi configured for data uploads, geolocated and within 40 kilometers of a federal station. US customers only.