Peterborough Public Library Lending Free Carbon Dioxide Monitoring Devices

The Peterborough Public Library has been donated 10 carbon dioxide detectors available for rent for free beginning Friday.

CO2 monitoring devices are not the same thing as carbon monoxide detectors as they involve two different gasses. The main source of CO2 is from human exhalation.Carbon monoxide is a colourless, odourless, tasteless gas produced by burning gasoline, wood, propane, charcoal or other fuel. Photo by Luke Best.

The detectors were donated by Prescientx and CO2 Check. Peterborough is allegedly the first municipality in North America to lend the detectors according to their press release.

“We are excited to offer this new service so anyone with a library card can borrow a device to measure the carbon dioxide levels in their home for a period of time,” said Jennifer Jones, Peterborough Public Library CEO. “We hope widespread access to this tool empowers local residents to take the steps needed to improve their indoor air quality, which ultimately benefits everyone’s health.”

The carbon dioxide detector comes with a fact sheet with operating instructions and how to improve the air quality in people’s homes.

The sheet was created by the library after a collaboration of air quality experts worldwide including the National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health, Yale University, University of Colorado, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Prescientx.

Dr. Thomas Piggott, Peterborough Public Health’s Medical Officer of Health worked with the library to create the initiative.

“Measuring CO2 is the first step to addressing indoor air quality and it’s easy to correct if levels are elevated by taking simple actions such as increasing air circulation, using air filtration, reducing the number of people in a room, removing the source of any potential pollutants,” said Piggott.

For more information, please visit www.ptbolibrary.ca and www.peterboroughpublichealth.ca.

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