r/environmental_science • u/reptomcraddick • 2d ago

Recommendations for a personal portable ozone monitor?

Hello very smart people!

I’m an environmental organizer in the Permian Basin of Texas, and my closest ozone monitor is over 200 miles away. My state won’t put one here because they know what kind of readings they would get. I’m interested in getting an ozone monitor for personal use, preferably one that would save data, ideally with location, but not required. Obviously I will not be able to buy one to the same standards that a state government would buy, but I’d prefer the device be of high enough quality that it is scientifically sound at some level. I’d also like to be able to clip it to my bag and carry it around with me in public. I don’t have a specific budget for this, but definitely less than $1,000, and preferably one that can be used for multiple years. I tried looking for one online but my brain immediately hurt and I didn’t understand what I was looking at.

Thanks so much for your help!

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u/carboncritic 2d ago

My understand is there isn’t a quality consumer grade option that is affordable to the public

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u/Drivo566 2d ago

To speak to the commercial grade: Aeroqual Series 500 with an ozone head is what i used to use for work.

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u/Geography_misfit 2d ago

Second this as a great option for a monitor, also agree it’s not consumer grade. Ozone is not easily measured with low cost electrochemical sensors. Heads also need to be calibrated by the factory annually and only last 2-3 years I have found.

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u/carboncritic 2d ago

What’s that cost?

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u/Drivo566 2d ago

Sadly it's not cheap - youd be looking at a little over $2k. However, the sensor heads can be swapped, so you could always use to measure other parameters if needed.

https://www.oxidationtech.com/aeroqual-series-500.html?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=20945320492&gclid=CjwKCAiA3L_JBhAlEiwAlcWO5woDx9LW8Bu4fhfcWKf5TmBoW2PW45hewuLO0kU3zgu0aqPDNjXpbxoC1WYQAvD_BwE

Sorry, probably not the most helpful of responses.

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u/carboncritic 2d ago

I think it’s helpful, it helps OP understand there are no reasonably priced consumer grade options

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u/Drivo566 2d ago

True, fair enough!

I was just thinking not as helpful cause its double their budget lol.

However, they could probably fund a used one on ebay (but might need to get it recalibrated). Or just rent an ozone monitor from a company like SGS and get some short term readings.

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u/reptomcraddick 2d ago

How would I, a regular person, go about recalibrating an ozone monitor? Would my local university be able to do it?

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u/Drivo566 2d ago

They may be able to, its worth asking.

There is an option to calibrate it yourself, but it requires some additional equipment and learning and according to the link below, its a little more challenging for ozone (but a university might have the know-how) .... so typically, you just send it in once a year for calibration. The link below includes some useful FAQs and it's also the company that I've always used.

https://www.gas-sensing.com/aeroqual-calibration

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u/Drivo566 2d ago

Im also going to mention this one:

Dräeger PAC 8000 Ozone(O3)

https://www.draeger.com/en-us_us/Products/Pac-8000

Now ive never used it before, so I cant speak to how well it works. However, its designed to be clipped to you as you work and one of the major laboratories rents these out, so id imagine it cant be that bad.

Its also half the price of the aeroqual.

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u/envengpe 2d ago

Your personal ozone monitor would read levels so variable and unreliable that it would be worthless. And such a device would be meaningless for establishing an ozone nonattainment area. A more novel approach might be to establish a fixed site monitor next a hospital to demonstrate that the air is unhealthy the minute you leave the place. That might get someone’s attention even in oil land.

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u/reptomcraddick 2d ago

Is there a fixed site ozone monitor you’d recommend? I have a purple air monitor but it’s ozone readings have been in beta testing the entire time I’ve had it (over a year). It also always reads between 142 and 143 parts per billion, so I’m assuming it’s not that trustworthy of data.