Pwllheli and Dolgellau students create CO2 monitors to help in the fight against Covid-19

Pwllheli and Dolgellau A-level students working on a Co2 monitor project with Aberystwyth University

Submitted by Nick Hill

A-level Computer Science students are working on a joint project to create and program carbon dioxide (CO2) monitors which will be placed in classrooms throughout Wales.

The students at Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor’s Pwllheli and Dolgellau campuses are working with Aberystwyth University to create the monitors which will use Arduino circuit boards to measure the air quality in classrooms.

The quality of air has been an important subject during the Covid-19 pandemic, due to how the disease spreads in poorly ventilated environments.

A good measure of the quality of ventilation in an enclosed space is the level of CO2 present.

The students hope to construct, build, program, and test a CO2 monitor to evaluate air quality.

Huw Eurwyn Hughes, lecturer in Computer Science at Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor, said: “Our understanding of how the virus is spreading has now improved significantly since the early stages.

"There is no doubt now that properly ventilated rooms are an extremely effective way of slowing down the virus.

“The last two years have been extremely challenging for our young people; creating safe learning spaces is extremely important.

"This work will no doubt help facilitate all schools and colleges in Wales to offer face- to-face education over the coming months and years.

"We are extremely proud that our students have worked together on this important project.”

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