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As the post discusses, being unable to differentiate between the specific VOCs being detected makes these sensors, IMO, a net negative in home air quality devices. Mine will spike for a long time from opening a single beer or a fart (lol), so it doesn’t provide much information about whether there are concerning chemicals present as well.

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the alternative to tVOC sensors are specific sensors for each VOC, which are expensive and cumbersome.

Sensors like the Bosch BME680/8, or the Sensirion SGP41 are useful for detecting changes to the norm, and persistent changes to the norm. The fart or the beer spike will be not come back after airing the room, but the spikes from new chinese toys, new (ikea) furniture, new curtains, will be back immediately.

I don’t know, having had one in my home for four years I don’t think I’d really be able to tell if I bought some bad furniture or something, there’s just so much noise. The levels are all over the map hour to hour. Could be some banana peels in the kitchen garbage or a loosely capped bottle of shampoo or something? Noisy data with a shifting baseline telling you that you might be exposed to some kind of nasty stuff is more just anxiety provoking than actionable, in my opinion.

They hate hairspray too. Lol.

Peaks out all sensors in my building in the morning.

I bet hairspray isn't good for you.

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