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Biosecurity1–3 hoursStarterLow-cost kit

Measure how well a room is ventilated

Use a CO₂ monitor to estimate how often the air in a classroom, office or bedroom is replaced, then test what opening a window or running a fan actually does.

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Why it matters

Many airborne diseases spread more in stuffy rooms. People rarely know how well their own spaces are ventilated, and cheap measurements can change behaviour fast.

Output: A one-page result: air changes per hour before and after one change.

Steps

0 of 5 done

  1. Get a CO₂ monitor

    15 min

    Borrow one if you can (labs, libraries and societies often have them). Note the model, because part of the project is checking how reliable cheap monitors are.

  2. Take an outdoor baseline

    10 min

    Measure CO₂ outside for a few minutes. Outdoor air is usually around 400–450 ppm; write down your reading.

  3. Measure the room in use

    30 min

    Record CO₂ every few minutes while people are in the room. Note the number of people, room size, and whether windows or doors are open.

  4. Measure the decay

    30 min

    When everyone leaves, keep recording as CO₂ falls back towards the outdoor level. The speed of that fall tells you the air change rate: ACH ≈ ln((C₀ − C_out) ÷ (C_t − C_out)) ÷ hours elapsed.

  5. Change one thing and compare

    30 min

    Repeat with a window open or a fan or purifier running. Write up both numbers, your method, and what you would tell the people who use the room.

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