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Frequently Asked Questions

A Clarity team member assembling an air pollutant monitoring node

Air Pollution/Pollutants

What are the most common air pollutants?

The most common air pollutants are Particulate Matter (PM 10 and PM2.5), Ozone (O3), Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), Carbon Monoxide (CO), and Sulfur Dioxide (SO2).

Particulate matter (PM) is a common & impactful air pollutant resulting primarily from combustion, including industrial activities, vehicles, & wildfires. Particulate matter differs greatly in its concentration and composition across the world but has a significant impact on public health in most countries. It is classified according to the size of its particles, the smaller categorization of which — PM2.5 — accounts for much of the pollutant’s detrimental effect on human and environmental health. Although the effects of PM are well studied, it remains in excess of benchmark levels for a large majority of the world’s population, prompting the need to take action in order to achieve cleaner air. Learn more about Particulate Matter here.
Ozone, or O3, occurs both in the upper atmosphere and at the ground level. While it is a helpful substance in the upper atmosphere — forming a layer around the Earth to protect the planet’s surface from the sun’s ultraviolet rays — ozone acts as a pollutant at the ground level, causing negative effects on human and environmental health. Also known as ambient or tropospheric ozone, ground-level ozone is the primary component of the type of air pollution commonly referred to as smog. It is a colorless gas that is composed of three atoms of oxygen. Learn more about Ozone here.
Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) is a subtype of a class of air pollutants known as nitrogen oxides. It primarily results from fuel combustion from sources such as motor vehicles and industrial activities. Nitrogen dioxide has significant impacts on human and environmental health, most notably when it comes to respiratory and cardiovascular health. Learn more about Nitrogen Dioxide here.
Carbon Monoxide (CO) is an odorless, colorless, tasteless gas formed by the incomplete combustion of fuel. It is very dangerous as it can displace the oxygen in human body and lead to deadly poisoning. It is produced from fuel-burning appliances,
Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) is an air pollutant composed primarily of sulfur and oxygen. It results from combustion of coal, oil or diesel. It causes harmful effects on the lungs.

What causes air pollution?

There are two types of air pollution causes: natural sources and human-caused (AKA anthropogenic) sources.

- Natural events can cause air pollution such as wind that carries dust and gases in locations with little green cover to absorb it, living beings release gases such as oxygen from plants during photosynthesis or methane from cattle but also volcanic eruptions, smoke, and ashes from wildfires.

- Human-caused air pollution comes from various human activities including burning fossil fuels, agriculture, transportation, electricity, and industries. These activities result in emissions of carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, volatile organic compounds, and particulate matter.

What are the health impacts of air pollution?

Air pollution affects nearly every area of the human body — from head to toe. It is a major environmental risk factor for a slew of diseases, from Alzheimer’s disease to lung cancer to osteoporosis, and can significantly lower lifespan and quality of life. Air pollution accounts for extensive damage to public health, while its exposure impacts everyone, its damage is not distributed equally. Children, elderly individuals, those with pre-existing conditions, and those living in low socioeconomic neighborhoods or environmental justice communities bear a disproportionate burden of its impacts — emphasizing the need to protect vulnerable populations by taking better care of our air quality.

In general, the wide-reaching damage caused by air pollution is thought to be a result of the systemic inflammation it causes. It can impacts various body parts including the eyes, brain, lungs, heart, stomach, liver, bones and reproductive organs… Learn more about the health impact of air pollution here.

About Air Sensors

What’s the difference between air sensors and traditional air monitoring technology such as federal reference and federal equivalent methods (FRM & FEM)?

Stationary Air Sensors
In terms of both spatial and temporal resolution, stationary low-cost air quality sensors fall in the middle-ground between traditional and mobile monitoring. It is a broad category including a large variety of low-cost sensors with an equally wide range of performance. Some low-cost sensors are marketed for both indoor and outdoor use and are best suited to home use by individual consumers. Other low-cost sensors — such as those we provide here at Clarity — place importance on not only the actual sensing technology but also the services that ensure its success. Calibrating the devices throughout their deployment, as well as integrating them with a cloud platform to provide scalability when building a network, ensures more accurate, effective, and user-friendly air quality monitoring. Learn more here.

‍Federal Reference or Federal Equivalent Methods (FRM/FEM) are government reference-grade air quality monitors, they represent the scientific standard for air quality monitoring. They have strict standards for measurement performance and are typically used to support air quality decision-making, policymaking, and evaluation of attainment of regulatory standards at both state and federal levels.

Traditional FRM and FEM monitoring equipment come with a big price tag, with a typical purchase price of $15,000 to $40,000 per monitor. Properly operating the instrumentation often requires a temperature-controlled environment and routine calibration and maintenance require skilled technicians resulting in even higher operating costs; the annual cost to operate an FRM can often exceed the substantial purchase cost. Learn more about FRM/FEM monitoring here.

About Clarity Solutions

Why Sensing-as-a-service?

Clarity offers a full-service ambient air quality monitoring solution, with unmatched hardware, software, and customer support. Used in more than 65 countries around the world, Clarity's Sensing-as-a-Service solution empowers you with continuous monitoring and accurate, calibrated data — so you can focus on the important work.

What do we measure?

Our core sensor, the Clarity Node-S, measures particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide, but has also been engineered to serve as a platform for third-party add-on modules. These devices can be incorporated into a Clarity network leveraging the power and cellular connectivity provided by the Node-S. This approach expands the range of measurements processed by Clarity’s Sensing-as-a-Service solution — currently, we offer Wind, Ozone, and Black Carbon, with many other pollutants on the roadmap.

What is Optical sensing?

Optical sensing is a methodology to measure pollutants by detecting light intensity. It is an electronic detector that converts light into an electronic signal. For example, when a particle present in the air crosses the laser beam, it is illuminated and it scatters light. The photodiode receives the scattered light and the signal reads high and therefore indicated its presence.

Why a subscription model?

We provide an all-in-one yearly subscription model that includes the hardware, software, and dedicated customer support:
Hardware: Self-powered Clarity Node-S hardware measures pollutant levels with optional wind, ozone and black carbon modules.
Software: Access real-time pollutant levels data through the Clarity Dashboard, REST API, and Clarity OpenMap
Support: Get a dedicated account manager for your air quality monitoring project and data support

What is is the cost?

Our subscription cost varies based on the type and quantity of hardware included. Please reach out to our sales team or request a quote to learn more about costs.

Node-S Overview

The Clarity Node-S measures particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) It is self-powered, FCC/CE certified, UV-resistant, and weatherproof.

A truly self-sufficient IoT air quality monitoring system with solar harvesting, internal battery, and global cellular communications, the Clarity Node-S accommodates site-specific requirements according to the customer’s needs, not the other way around. In fact, we’re so confident in the Node-S’s ability to amaze, our solution comes with free hardware replacements.

‍Access the Node-S Technical Specifications sheet here.

Why don't we typically install just one Node?

A single measurement point does not provide the granularity of insights required by most of our clients.

Can the Node be used indoors?

We do not recommend it.

How long does the battery last for? What if there is no sun exposure?

We are the only provider that offers out-of-the box solar+battery powered hardware to make deployment truly scalable and frictionless. Our solution requires a single hour of direct sunlight per day on average for steady-state operation, and can operate for up to 30 days with no sunlight at all.

To deal with extreme conditions, the devices are able to detect decreasing power availability autonomously and to gradually slow down sampling (until total “hibernation” if needed) to preserve power, avoid damaging the battery and go through rare stretches of prolonged periods without sunlight, maintaining the measurement coverage as uniform as possible. Once power availability is back to sustainable levels, the devices come back to default operation without need for intervention.

What is the lifetime of the Node-S?

The Clarity Node-S is designed to operate in the field for at least 2 years without the need for any maintenance intervention. Our device comprises a main weatherproof enclosure and a sensor module housed inside the main enclosure while interfacing with the ambient air. The sensor module is able to draw in air while keeping the main enclosure isolated from the sample and thus from dust and moisture, The resulting assembly has a combined ingress protection rating of IPX3, while all the componentry excluding the sensor module is kept at an ingress protection rating of IP67.We offer free replacement with a limited warranty of our Node-S hardware for subscribed members.

Is the Node-S weatherproof?

The Node-S has been designed to perform in different weathers and is able to resist extreme weather events such as sandstorms, snow storms, and strong winds. Clarity’s Node-S devices can operate in remote environments where sandstorms may be more common, and can also do so without a hardwired power connection or WiFi connectivity, which may not be available in the area where air quality must be measured.

Learn more about Clarity’s resilient infrastructure here.

Where do we install the Nodes? How are they mounted?

You can install Node-S devices on your own without any technical assistance from our air quality experts. Our devices come with a mount and don’t require any specialized tools, we also provide you with recommendations to help you find the right location for your devices. Finding the right site for your devices is often a balance of scientific or technical considerations with practical on-the-ground realities.

How do you know I will have cellular data?

To guarantee maximum coverage and out-of-the-box functionality our devices connect to the 4G LTE network. Our devices connect to the internet as soon as they are turned on, and our customer does not need to worry about connectivity costs or SIMcard management.

Add-on Modules

Wind Module Overview

The Clarity Wind Module measures the 2-dimensional horizontal components of wind speed and direction, providing you better insight into where air pollution is coming from — and where it is headed.

This lightweight and durable sensor is made of molded thermoplastic for high performance in even extreme climates with harsh UV and weather conditions.

Powered by the native solar panel of its companion Node-S device, the Clarity Wind Module is a truly plug-and-play solution for better source attribution and improved air quality modeling.

Learn more about the Wind Module here and access the full Technical Specifications here.

Ozone Module Overview

The Ozone Module provides accurate measurements of ozone in air over a wide dynamic range extending from a few parts-per-billion by volume (ppb) to an upper limit of 100 parts-per-million (ppm) based on the well-established technique of absorption of ultraviolet light at 254 nm.

It integrates seamlessly into Clarity networks with an ozone monitoring technology that has been approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a modification of Federal Equivalent Method (FEM): EQOA-0914-218. The Ozone Module is well suited for use by states and other monitoring agencies under 40 CFR Part 58, Ambient Air Quality Surveillance, for monitoring for compliance with the Clean Air Act.

Learn more about the Ozone Module here and access the full Technical Specifications here.

Black Carbon Module Overview

Coming soon! The Black Carbon Module helps you better understand the composition of particulates. Learn more here.

Clarity Cloud & Data Access

Clarity Dashboard

The Clarity Dashboard is a private air quality data visualization and management web app. Users log in with their unique account credentials to manage air quality monitors and view, plot, and download current and historical raw and calibrated data.
- Configure, manage, and check sensor status
- View, plot, and download raw or calibrated data
- Assign user roles for access to sensor management and/or data analysis

Is there an API?

Our system is API-first, meaning our customers can go beyond the UIs we provide and create their custom solutions that perfectly fit their air quality data visualization and reporting needs.

Who owns the data?

We take security, ownership, and democracy seriously. The customer is the sole owner of the data. Clarity does not “co-own” your data. We will never share your data with third parties without your consent. If you choose to, make your data public on Clarity OpenMap for easy sharing.

What is Clarity OpenMap?

Clarity OpenMap is an opt-in platform for customers who wish to add their air pollution measurements to our public repository of open data. Data from Clarity and government reference monitors are displayed as an easy way to share pollutant data with the public and generate awareness.
- View, plot, and share data in an open repository
- Embed in public websites using iFrame
- Access seasonal data overlays

‍Visit OpenMap here.

Support/Service

What comes with our service?

Our responsive Customer Success team is here to help with network design, management, and calibration — and to help with any other questions that come up.

In addition, our Clarity Knowledge Base is filled with how-to's and FAQs on everything there is to know about setting up and running an air quality monitoring network, Clarity's products, and understanding your data.

Is there flexibility to move the sensors throughout the year to other sites with FEM/FRM equipment, or are they required to stay at one location for the 12 month period?

Our preference is that the sensors remain collocated at one location for the duration of the 12-month period. With that said, moving the sensors is OK as long as all sites have FEM/FRM collocation and the sensors remain collocated with reference-grade equipment for the duration of the demo period.