One sensing tool that has played an important role since the beginning of COVID-19 is data logging. Data loggers use a wide variety of sensors to measure everything from temperature to illuminance.  One specific type of data logger equipped with a CO₂ sensor has been used since the beginning of the pandemic to monitor and control ventilation in indoor spaces. The Japanese government has already begun outlining a plan to purchase CO₂ data loggers as part of its safety and economic recovery plan. The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare recommends keeping the indoor CO₂ concentration at 1000 parts per million ppm or less.

To meet this goal, a variety of CO₂ monitoring data loggers could be used, including TandD’s RTR-576, RTR-576-S, TR-76Ui and TR-76-Ui-S depending on additional sensors, mounting type, temperature/humidity range and type of connectivity. Each of these loggers is designed with a CO₂ monitoring sensor that can measure a range from 0 to 9999 ppm. By placing these loggers around a room and setting an alert limit on the max ppm, users can quickly identify when a room is reaching a limit that is unsafe for its occupants.

Understanding how CO₂ concentration affects the potential for accelerated transmission of COVID-19, provides business owners and property managers a CO₂ data logging tool to monitor capacity in an office space, grocery store or any other indoor area. This helps to reduce the potential for super-spreader events where a space is overcrowded in relation to the risk of transmission.

“CO₂ monitoring has taken on a new meaning during this pandemic and will be an important process in continuing to keep indoor spaces safe,” said Stephen B. Knuth, president, TandD. “I would urge businesses to learn more about how data loggers with monitoring and real-time alert features can help them create a safer environment.”