Temiskaming Shores library now lends out CO2 monitors

Temiskaming Shores, Ont., residents can now borrow carbon dioxide (CO2) monitors from their local library.

The library started the program after learning about similar initiatives in Peterborough and Toronto.

Rebecca Hunt, chief executive officerof the Temiskaming Shores Public Library, said the municipality's recreation director heard about the program in Peterborough and wondered if it would be possible to borrow their idea.

Working with the recreation department, the library got hold of three Aranet4 Home Indoor Air Quality monitors from a company called Rise.

With greater awareness around indoor air qualitydue to the COVID-19 pandemic, Hunt said it made sense to make free CO2 monitors available to the public.

"With COVID-19 there was a lot of public health education surrounding opening windows and spacing out and trying to keep family groups together, especially in our library environment," she said.

CO2 is a gas that's produced when people exhale. High indoor CO2 levels can cause a number of symptoms, including tiredness and headaches.

People who borrow the devices get a fact sheet that offers some tips on how to air out their homes and improve their ventilation, if they find their homes' CO2 levels are high.

"Many families are concerned about their indoor air quality, whether they have allergies, asthma, environmental sensitivities, or chemical sensitivities," Matt Daigle,Rise CEO said in a press release.

"We spend most of our time indoors (about 90 per cent), and the indoor air we breathe can often be three or four times as polluted as outdoor air. So, prioritizing indoor air quality is of utmost importance in the journey to a healthier home."

The program builds on previous initiatives from the Temiskaming Shores Public Library, lending out less-traditional items.

Hunt said the library has been lending out Wi-Fi hotspots, which people can use to connect to the internet for free.

Library cardholders can also get free Ontario Parks passes and some outdoor games.