CO2 (CO₂)
Carbon Dioxide
Primary indicator of indoor ventilation adequacy, metabolic buildup, and occupant cognitive performance.
What is CO2 (Carbon Dioxide)?
Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) is a naturally occurring gas emitted continuously by human exhalation. In enclosed rooms with insufficient fresh air ventilation, CO₂ levels escalate rapidly. Elevated indoor CO₂ directly impairs cognitive decision-making, induces drowsiness, triggers headaches, and signals poor dilution of airborne viral aerosols.
- •Human and occupant metabolic respiration in occupied rooms
- •Open combustion from gas cooking stovetops and heaters
- •Insufficient outdoor fresh air exchange in tightly sealed buildings
- •Global baseline atmospheric concentration (~420 ppm)
- •Fossil fuel combustion from dense urban traffic and power stations
Health Effects of CO2
- •Fatigue, lethargy, drowsiness, and sluggish cognitive processing
- •Significant drop in executive decision-making scores and strategic thinking
- •Throat dryness, frontal headaches, and reduced meeting productivity
- •Persistent indoor discomfort and chronic occupational fatigue
- •Increased risk of viral transmission in high-occupancy spaces due to stale air stagnation
Concentration Levels & Safety Guidelines
Standardized thresholds to identify when active ventilation and air filtration intervention is required.
Optimal indoor air quality with strong ventilation and maximum cognitive performance.
Standard compliant indoor environment with good ventilation exchange rates.
Complaints of stale air and noticeable decline in occupant attention spans.
Headaches, sluggishness, and severe concentration loss; immediate fresh air cycle needed.
| Organization | Guideline Limit | Exposure Timeframe |
|---|---|---|
| ASHRAE Standard 62.1 | < 1,000 ppm | Indoor Ventilation Standard |
| WELL Building Standard | < 800 ppm | Enhanced Air Quality Feature |
| OSHA | 5,000 ppm | 8-Hour Time-Weighted Average Limit |
How DLE Measures CO2
Infrared light is passed through an absorption gas chamber tuned to the 4.26 µm CO₂ absorption band. The optical attenuation directly computes exact molecular gas concentration with zero chemical cross-sensitivity.
NDIR CO₂ monitoring with automated Demand-Controlled Ventilation (DCV) integration.
Explore SystemModulate outdoor air dampers based on real-time CO₂ occupancy to eliminate energy waste.
Explore SystemExplore Other Environmental Parameters
Select any air quality pollutant to inspect health thresholds and monitoring technologies.
Need continuous CO2 monitoring for your facility?
Consult with our engineering team to select certified multi-parameter sensing hardware and telemetry gateways tailored to your air hygiene requirements.