The IQAir AirVisual Pro air quality monitor was selected as one of the top highest-scoring air quality data sensors at the 2019 AirLab Challenge Microcapteurs (“Microsensors Challenge”), claiming victory over 30 other sensors with an aggregate score of 4.5/5 – the highest score ever given at this prestigious competition.¹

The Microsensors Challenge gives air quality data providers a chance to submit their technologies for assessment by Airparif, the leading air quality authority in the city of Paris.

Supervised by an international panel of judges, entries in this competition were evaluated on a scale of 1-5 based on five main criteria:²

• the accuracy of the measurement
• ergonomics
• the relevance of pollutants measured in relation to the use
• cost
• relevance of the solution in the competing category (congestion, interoperability, handling, data management).

The IQAir AirVisual Pro was awarded a 4.5/5 for all categories under the topic “Indoor Air,” which includes assessment based on the technology’s ability to provide air quality monitoring and air quality awareness tools.

This annual event is organized in partnership with Airparif by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), a federal financial institution in France that helps execute official government policy throughout the country and participates in funding international development programs.

The Microsensor Challenge has evolved in response to the increasing international interest in micro air quality sensors. Continual advances in sensor technology have enabled innovations in low-cost sensors, which are more accurate than ever before. Their lower cost and convenience present new opportunities for air monitoring to a range of stakeholders, including NGOs, governments, development agencies, and citizen scientists.

For development agencies like the AFD, these innovations are of particular interest for their potential to improve access to air quality monitoring in developing countries, where there may be fewer available resources for traditional, high-cost monitoring equipment. Many countries and communities around the world lack access to reliable air quality information, putting public health at risk.

The IQAir AirVisual sensor scored particularly highly on metrics of accuracy, relevance, data visualization and ease of use, in addition to its cost.

“Challenges like these show the enormous potential that microsensors have to revolutionize air quality management,” said Chloe Parkin, an Air Quality Consultant for IQAir.

“Microsensors can make these advanced technologies more accessible worldwide. Air pollution is harming millions every year, and by enabling more people to understand and respond to the air around them, our efforts to tackle air pollution become more effective.”