Continuous Sampling Tubes - IAQ

Continuous Sampling Tubes - IAQ

Continuous Sampling Tubes - IAQ

A group of Nextteq® Detector Tubes.

Monitoring indoor air quality (IAQ) is an important step in ensuring a healthy and safe environment. The right ventilation and building care can prevent and fix IAQ problems. Although OSHA does not have IAQ standards, it does have standards about ventilation and standards on some of the air contaminants that can be involved in IAQ problems. OSHA responds to questions about standards with letters of interpretation. OSHA's letters of interpretation specifically addressing IAQ issues can be found in Other Resources. The General Duty Clause of the OSH Act (the law that created OSHA) requires employers to provide workers with a safe workplace that does not have any known hazards that cause or are likely to cause death or serious injury.


According to OSHA, the quality of indoor air inside offices, schools, and other workplaces is important not only for workers' comfort but also for their health. Poor indoor air quality (IAQ) has been tied to symptoms like headaches, fatigue, trouble concentrating, and irritation of the eyes, nose, throat and lungs. Also, some specific diseases have been linked to specific air contaminants or indoor environments, like asthma with damp indoor environments. In addition, some exposures, such as asbestos and radon, do not cause immediate symptoms but can lead to cancer after many years.


Many factors affect IAQ. These factors include poor ventilation (lack of outside air), problems controlling temperature, high or low humidity, recent remodeling, and other activities in or near a building that can affect the fresh air coming into the building. Sometimes, specific contaminants like dust from construction or renovation, mold, cleaning supplies, pesticides, or other airborne chemicals (including small amounts of chemicals released as a gas over time) may cause poor IAQ.

Did you know?

To assess indoor air quality, you should consider monitoring various chemicals and pollutants. Here are some key chemicals and pollutants to monitor for indoor air quality

Chemicals/Pollutants Description
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs):  VOCs are a group of organic chemicals that can vaporize into the air and include substances like benzene, toluene, and xylene. Monitoring VOC levels can help you assess the off-gassing from products such as paints, varnishes, cleaning agents, and building materials.
Carbon Dioxide (CO2): Monitoring CO2 levels is important to ensure adequate ventilation and can help identify issues with indoor air circulation and occupancy levels. Exposure can lead to headaches, dizziness, and even death in high concentrations.
Carbon Monoxide (CO): Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas produced by incomplete combustion. Monitoring CO levels is essential to detect potential sources, such as faulty heating systems or appliances. Exposure can lead to headaches, dizziness, and even death in high concentrations.
Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2): NO2 is a common indoor air pollutant originating from combustion sources like gas stoves and heaters. Monitoring NO2 levels helps identify indoor sources of pollution.
Formaldehyde: Often released from products like particleboard, plywood, and some foam insulation, formaldehyde can irritate the eyes, nose, and throat. It's also classified as a carcinogen. Monitoring formaldehyde levels can help assess the impact of indoor materials on air quality.
Sulfur Dioxide: SO2 is normally an IAQ concern when a building is exposed to external pollution sources. Exposure to high levels of sulfur dioxide vapor can cause symptoms like coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, throat irritation, and can lead to respiratory irritation, especially in people with preexisting respiratory conditions such as asthma.
Hydrogen Sulfide: Similar to SO2, H2S may also become an IAQ concern due to external pollution sources such as swamps, volcanoes, and natural gas deposits. It is also produced by certain types of bacteria during the decomposition of organic matter, which is why it is often associated with the smell of rotten eggs.
Ammonia: Ammonia is a colorless gas with a strong, pungent odor. In general ammonia can be a pollutant of concern in indoor air due to household applications such as cleaning solutions like window cleaner
Ozone: Ground-level ozone can be produced by some electronic air purifiers. Monitoring ozone levels is important to ensure that indoor levels remain safe.

Ordering Information

Substance to be measured Tube no. Brand Name Nextteq (NXI) Gastec (G) Tube Name Measuring range (ppm) Scale range (ppm)
Acetone 151TP G Acetone 25-800 (25)-800
Acrylonitrile 191TP G Acrylonitrile 0.2-12.6 0.2-3.0
Ammonia 3S G Ammonia 0.5-5 0.5-5
NX501H NXI
NX501L NXI
Benzene 121TP G Benzene 0.1-14.5 0.1-5
121P G Benzene 250-3000µg/m3 (250)-3000µg/m3
Carbon disulphide 13TP G Carbon disulphide 0.05-2.4 (0.05)-1.00
Chlorine 8TP G Chlorine 0.05-0.6 0.05-0.6
p-Dichlorobenzene 127P G p-Dichlorobenzene 100-3000µg/m3 100-3000µg/m3
N,N-Dimethylacetamide 183TP G N,N-Dimethylformamide 3.0-57.5
N,N-Dimethylformamide 183TP G N,N-Dimethylformamide 0.5-30 (0.5)-15
Ethyl benzene 122P G Toluene 110-2750µg/m3
Ethylene oxide 163TPM G Ethylene oxide Jan-50 Jan-50
163TP G Ethylene oxide 0.1-5 0.1-5
Formaldehyde NX503L NXI
NX503M NXI
NX503H NXI 0.01-0.50
91P G Formaldehyde 0.02-1.44 0.02-0.4
91PL G Formaldehyde 0.01-0.80 (0.01)-0.20
91TP G Formaldehyde 0.01-1.75 0.01-0.50
Hexane 102TP G Hexane Feb-80 Feb-80
Hydrogen cyanide 12TP G Hydrogen cyanide 0.3-9.0 0.3-4.5
Hydrogen fluoride 17TP G Hydrogen fluoride 0.05-9.0 0.05-3.0
Hydrogen sulphide 4S G Hydrogen sulphide 10-200ppb 10-200ppb
4TP G Hydrogen sulphide 0.1-2.88 0.1-1.6
Isopropyl alcohol 113TP G Isopropyl alcohol 20-400 20-200
Methanol 111TP G Methanol 20-300 20-300
Methyl ethyl ketone 152TP G Methyl ethyl ketone 20-300 20-300
Nitrogen dioxide 9P G Nitrogen dioxide 0.02-0.20 0.02-0.20
Organic Acid NXI
Styrene 124S G Styrene 0.2-4.0 0.2-4.0
Tetrachloroethylene 133TP G Tetrachloroethylene 2.5-84 2.5-40
133P G Tetrachloroethylene 20-720µg/m3 20-300µg/m3
Toluene 122TP G Toluene Feb-80 Feb-80
122P G Toluene 100-7000µg/m3 100-2500µg/m3
Trichloroethylene 132TP G Trichloroethylene Jan-33 15-Jan
132P G Trichloroethylene 20-1200µg/m3 20-500µg/m3
Vinyl chloride 131TP G Vinyl chloride 0.2-9.6 0.2-3.0
131P G Vinyl chloride 50-1500µg/m3 50-1500µg/m3
Xylene 123TP G Xylene Feb-80 Feb-80
122P G Toluene 540-13500µg/m3
Share by: