VaperViper™

Real-time indoor air quality & vape detection with zone-based alerts for schools and public facilities
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Make Indoor Air Visible

VaperViper integrates particulate, gas, and environmental sensing with vape plume detection to generate live, zone-based notifications. Use it to protect classrooms, libraries, cafeterias, and bathrooms, where youth vaping often occurs, while documenting alignment to recognized clean-air targets.

PM2.5, PM10, CO2, tVOC, Temp & RH
Vape event localization on floor maps
Automated alerts to facilities, security & administration

Evidence and standards sources are listed below; graphic assets are credited to their sources.

EPA Air Quality Index color legend
U.S. EPA AQI categories and colors. Source: AirNow/EPA.
EPA PM size graphic comparing human hair, beach sand, PM10 and PM2.5
Particle sizes that affect health (PM2.5 & PM10). Source: AirNow/EPA.

Why clean classroom air matters

Poor indoor air quality in schools is linked to asthma symptoms, headaches, drowsiness, difficulty concentrating, and absences. Reviews by the U.S. EPA and public-health organizations summarize evidence that dampness/mold and inadequate ventilation increase respiratory symptoms and reduce academic performance and attendance among students. [1] [2]

Experimental and field studies show that better ventilation and lower CO2, PM2.5, and VOCs are associated with improved cognitive performance and fewer illness-related absences. In controlled exposure trials (the “COGfx” studies), decision-making scores improved when CO2 and VOCs were reduced and ventilation increased; similar school studies have tied higher ventilation to lower absence rates. [3] [4]

Children are uniquely vulnerable. Fine particles (PM2.5) penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream; the EPA strengthened the annual PM2.5 health standard to 9 µg/m³ in 2024. [5]

Standards & targets you can track

  • Ventilation (classrooms): ASHRAE 62.1 VRP (e.g., ~10 cfm/person + 0.12 cfm/ft²). [6]
  • Infectious aerosols: ASHRAE 241 (Equivalent Clean Airflow, building readiness). [7]
  • Clean-air delivery: CDC/NIOSH suggests aiming for ≥5 ACH (or eACH). [8]
  • Filtration: MERV-13 or highest compatible. [9]
  • Particle exposure: EPA annual PM2.5=9 µg/m³; WHO guideline 5 annual & 15 24-hour. [5] [10]
VaperViper visualizes these targets and alerts when they are exceeded in any zone.

Facility metrics that reveal design or operational problems

CO₂ (ppm)

650
Proxy for ventilation: sustained peaks >~1000 ppm during occupancy commonly indicate inadequate outdoor air.

PM₂.₅ (µg/m³)

6
Elevated indoor PM can signal filtration faults, outdoor smoke infiltration, or indoor sources.

tVOC (ppb)

220
Persistent VOC spikes indicate materials/process emissions or insufficient dilution.

Temp/RH

72°F / 45%
Out-of-range comfort setpoints can reveal control or sizing issues.
CO₂: indicator of outdoor air supply [11] ACH/eACH & filters: CDC/ASHRAE [8], [9] PM₂.₅ standards: EPA & WHO [5], [10]

Vape detection — bathrooms highlighted on the map

Administrator reviewing floor plan with vape detection alerts highlighted near boys and girls bathrooms
Example of VaperViper vape-event alert visualization.

E-cigarette aerosol is not just “water vapor”

CDC notes that e-cigarette aerosol can contain nicotine, metals (nickel, tin, lead), ultrafine particles, volatile organic compounds, and certain flavorings linked to lung disease; youth exposure harms attention and learning. [12] Numerous jurisdictions report vaping in school bathrooms; focusing sensors and alerts in those zones helps administrators respond quickly and document patterns. [13] [14]

VaperViper correlates aerosol signatures (PM2.5/tVOC bursts and characteristic time-profiles) with location to differentiate vape plumes and reduce nuisance alarms.

Vector graphic: various e-cigarette devices
Public-domain illustration of e-cigarette devices (Wikimedia Commons).

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