Tech companies love to talk about how automation, internet of things, and the connected house are going to make the machines we use every day more convenient. But does it work? Anyone who’s used Apple’s Siri or “talk to text” feature know that the promises of technology sometimes fall short. … Read more
When I started Smart Air in 2013, I wanted to buy an air quality monitor. I had basically two options. I could buy a US$260 Dylos or spend thousands of dollars on the crazy expensive particle counters. Since then, the market has exploded with new air quality monitors as cheap as … Read more
We posted info and data on our findings on whether masks really can stop pollution. My judgment after reading up on mask tests and testing them myself is that the science is pretty well settled. Masks do work. But there are still mysteries that need answers. Perhaps the biggest mystery out there … Read more
Four years ago, I was coughing through a Beijing winter and wanted some clean air. But all the purifiers I could find cost hundreds of dollars, so I strapped a filter to a fan I had at home and made my first DIY purifier. It wasn’t pretty, but I … Read more
Based on my research into how different filters work, I concluded that a HEPA filter is all you really need to make an effective air purifier and fight particulate air pollution somewhere like China or India. Given the fact fancy air purifiers run for 8,000 RMB in Beijing, or 100,000 INR in … Read more
When a billion people in China (and quite a few expats) woke up to the severe air pollution in almost every city in China, it forced a billion people to become experts in a complicated scientific question: Do masks work? Since then, I’ve given talks with hundreds of people all around … Read more
The difference between PM10 and PM2.5 is size. “PM” refers to particulate matter—particles in the air. Those particles are things like organic dust, airborne bacteria, construction dust, and coal particles from power plants (for example, check out this study from researchers in Shanghai who analyzed what those particles are really made … Read more
Despite the popular conception that plants are purifiers, plants have a detectable effect on particle or gas pollutants, according to the latest test data from real-world homes. The belief that plants are effective air purifiers is widespread. Arguably the most frequently cited evidence is the NASA study on plants. It feels scientific, … Read more
