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Airlume: Improving School Air Quality Through Service and Data Analysis

September 30, 2024

Matthew Schauer · Ashley Zhang · Joydeep Hazra

6 min read
Airlume school air quality project cover

Project Overview

Air quality is a foundational health condition for learning environments. In schools, poor indoor air quality can intensify asthma and allergy symptoms, increase absenteeism, and negatively affect classroom performance.

Airlume explores a practical response: combine monitoring hardware, filtration systems, and a decision-support dashboard so schools can detect issues earlier and respond with evidence-based actions.

Target Problems

The project centers on preventable respiratory burden in school-age populations and its downstream impact on education outcomes.

1.8M+

Emergency Visits

14M

Missed School Days

3,517

Annual Deaths

Impact on Schools

Poor air quality contributes to missed class time, lower academic performance, and disproportionate operational stress in under-resourced districts where absenteeism already carries substantial educational and financial consequences.

Current Solution

Airlume combines three primary intervention layers to improve indoor air quality management and make outcomes measurable over time.

HVAC Monitoring Sensors

Advanced sensors continuously track indoor air quality metrics across school environments for real-time visibility and faster intervention.

Advanced Air Filters

High-efficiency filtration systems reduce particulate exposure and improve breathing conditions for students and staff.

SteraMist Technology

An additional disinfection layer designed to neutralize airborne microorganisms that traditional filtering may not fully address.

Airlume monitoring sensor
Airlume monitoring sensor
Airlume air purification system
Airlume air purification system

Data Processing Pipeline

The program uses a simple end-to-end data pipeline that connects sensor deployment to actionable reporting.

Installation

Sensors are deployed in hallways, classrooms, and shared spaces.

Extraction

Data is collected through Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and cellular or Bluetooth channels.

Storage

Collected readings are aggregated into cloud or data-lake infrastructure.

Display

Data is organized and surfaced in a dashboard for school administrators and operational teams.

Data Visualization

Airlume dashboard interface
Airlume dashboard interface

The Airlume dashboard is designed to make technical air-quality data interpretable for school stakeholders who need rapid situational awareness and clear intervention signals.

Index Level Interactive Scale

Color-coded pollutant levels communicate health status at a glance.

Overall Building Comfort Level Graph

Trend analysis helps teams identify recurring air quality patterns across the school year.

Particle Categorization Diagram

Detailed pollutant categories provide clearer context on exposure and risk.

Next Steps

The next phase focuses on tighter data integration, improved sensing quality, and stronger filtration automation pathways.

Dashboard Integration

Unify and upgrade data streams into a single interface for a more complete and actionable view.

NanoEnvi Sensors

Introduce additional sensor capability to improve pollutant detection precision and reliability.

Efficient Filtration

Refine automated filtration workflows with EAC and maintain SteraMist as a backup pathway.

This white paper frames Airlume as a practical school-health infrastructure model where environmental sensing, data systems, and operational response are treated as one integrated workflow.

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