Can the SDS011 monitor 3D printer particulate emissions?

The SDS011 is an air quality sensor that can be used to monitor PM2.5 and PM10 levels. I have used it quite successfully to monitor the forest fires around my home in British Columbia.

With the recent news about how harmful PLA particulate emissions from 3D printers can be, I was curious to see if the sensor is also capable of monitoring particulate emission from the printer. In this simple test, I first placed the sensor at rest on the printer bed, and captured a few measurements:

Baseline PM2.5 levels
Baseline PM2.5 levels

After about 10 minutes of printing, I took measurements again.

PM2.5 levels after 10 minutes
PM2.5 levels after 10 minutes

As you can see, the increase is negligible. This indicates the SDS011 is not adequate to monitor indoor air quality against 3D printer PLA particulate emission.

The sensor was placed very close to the hot end, and if it was able to capture anything, I would expect to see it shown on the measurements.

SDS011 next to the 3D printer hot end
Sensor placement: a few CM away from the hot end
Published
Categorized as Misc

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