What is The PET?

The Personal Exposure Toolkit (PET) consists of a portable air sensor that connects through BlueTooth to a dedicated mobile phone app for Android or iPhone called the PET Recorder. The mobile app lets users collect real-time air quality and context data, such as location, source type, source proximity, etc.  The PET also includes a PET Data Portal for reviewing, analyzing, and sharing your data. The PET is designed to enable anyone to document exposure to air pollution and share their findings with their community to help make progress toward clean air policies.

Who is developing PET?

PET is being developed in part through California state grants to San Diego State University (SDSU).  Dr. Neil Klepeis (Principal Investigator) and co-investigator Dr. Rachael Record are affiliated with SDSU and co-investigator Tamara Kuhn is affiliated with dfusion, Inc. 

What makes PET special and well-suited for policy promotion?

The PET sensor and app can be used anywhere and gathers air quality and contextual data every second so exposures can be characterized very precisely in both time and space.  It can detect short periods of exposure and very high transient peaks of exposure. PET allows anyone to easily gather real-time personal exposure data combined with precise first-person contextual data on locations and sources to facilitate the creation of individual data-driven narratives about exposure to pollution.  Individuals can measure their exposure and use precise scientific data to explain and present their story. These narratives serve as advocacy campaigns for clean air, such as smoke-free policies for housing.

What sensor is used in the PET?

The current version of PET uses an Atmotube PRO air quality monitor (https://atmotube.com/atmotube-pro), which is currently available from the ATMO company for ~$159.  The monitor runs on a battery for most of the day, is very quiet and portable, and measures particles, volatile organic compounds, temperature, relative humidity, and pressure. In the future, different monitors and sensors may be used in PET. 

Why is the atmotube pro used in the PET?

The Atmotube PRO air monitor was selected to be included in the Personal Exposure Toolkit (PET) because:

• It is relatively inexpensive (~ $159 ca. 2024) and therefore suitable for community-based science (see AtmoTube Pro)

• It is readily available for direct purchase by consumers

• It is designed as a personal exposure monitor to be carried around

• It is wearable, light, quiet, and battery-operated

• It has Bluetooth capability for real-time wireless connection to mobile devices

• Testing and calibration show it to produce reliable measurements of air pollution (e.g., AQ-SPEC)

In the future, we plan to support other low-cost monitoring devices as they become available and proven for use in exposure assessments.

What makes PET better than using stationary monitors like PurpleAir?

The PET sensor and app can be carried around anywhere and used to “sniff” for hotspots of exposure in real-time every SECOND.  PET allows you to measure your exposure and circumstances related to exposure all at once with no extra work. You can easily and precisely document your episodes of exposure in time and space and use them to build up a personal narrative. In contrast, stationary monitors (like the PurpleAir monitors) can only measure air quality in one location, do not reflect what exposures a person may receive, and are not able to search out contexts of the highest exposure. The contexts associated with a stationary monitor may not be easily measured (no one is present with the monitor all the time) and do not reflect the actual exposure contexts that people experience.

Will my personal information be collected by the PET system?

The PET system does not collect personal information. It does not record audio or video. Optionally, you can use PET to record your GPS coordinates and your locations and activities over time, since these can be important in building up narratives of exposure. However, it is up to you when or whether to share any data on your location or activities with others. 

What is the general procedure for doing secondhand smoke air monitoring in buildings?

PET can be used to “sniff” around a building to document episodes of smoking-related exposure. When a smoking odor is detected or smoking behavior is observed, the PET app can be activated to start recording an episode. For example, if you smell smoke in the hallway, or pass smokers at the building entrance or in common areas, or smell smoke drifting over from patios or balconies, you can start recording a 5 or 10-minute episode of exposure. Data are recorded every SECOND so PET can detect short periods of exposure and very high transient peaks of exposure. 

How does secondhand smoke travel inside an apartment building?

Smoke can travel through cracks under doors and through gaps in building construction, such as cracks and crevices around pipes, electrical outlets, baseboards, etc.  Shared ductwork can also result in the transfer of pollution between apartment units.

What is the general procedure for doing secondhand smoke air monitoring in outdoor settings?

The PET app and sensor can be carried when you visit outdoor dining establishments or outdoor venues, such as concerts, festivals, or other events. If you smell or observe smoking behavior, you can activate a PET recording and document your position relative to the smoking source, proximity to sources, number of sources, wind conditions, etc.  When outdoors, you are likely to experience short (transient) peaks of exposure.  These peaks can be very high if you are near a smoker, but may only last a few seconds. PET measures air quality every second so you should be able to detect and document outdoor exposures, especially if (1) you are close to smokers, (2) there are multiple smokers, and/or (3) you are able to smell smoke. 

What will the monitoring data look like?

Examples of real-time monitoring data are shown below.  By comparing episodes with and without pollutant-source activity such as smoking, charts and infographics can be made that illustrate the degree of increased exposure when smoking occurs nearby.  As shown below, smoking can increase particle levels in the air by as much as 10 times or more. Generally, the monitoring data can be pictured as a timeline of smoke exposure with annotations that illustrate the context of smoking.  

Will the data be able to prove that substantial exposure to secondhand smoke is occurring?

As with any scientific investigation, the quality of data determines the conclusions. If high particle concentrations can be strongly linked to first-hand observations of smoking activity and/or odor, then there will be a strong argument for exposure and for taking mitigating action in the form of smoke-free policies. One thing that can interfere with the ability to link measured air pollution with smoking is if the background levels are too high. In this case, it may be difficult to detect smoking-related exposure above background.  High background may be due to ambient pollution (e.g., wildfires, traffic, smog), residential burning, the use of incense, or frying with oil. This situation can be addressed by waiting until background levels are low before measuring smoking-related exposures. Repeated measurements result in more data, which generally makes for a more convincing scientific case. This website will assist you in your measurements of exposure to find the optimal conditions to be able to document the intensity, frequency, and duration of smoking-related exposure.

Will I be able to use the data to promote a smoke-free policy?

Yes! This website will assist you in gathering data and making charts like those shown above to document and communicate clear cases of exposure due to smoking activity. These graphics can be shown to various stakeholders in your community, including other tenants, property owners or operators, county health departments, smoke-free coalitions, environmental health champions, city councils, mayors, or county boards.   You may use these graphics if you choose to make public comments at a council meeting. You can present your graphics and describe your experiences and how the data fit into your narrative of frequent, high, or long-duration exposures.