Our Lending Library
A Brief Introduction
We are a North Carolina 501(c)(3) nonprofit with seven years of lending experience. Our staff and leadership are mostly volunteers, and none of them, or The Pollution Detectives, Inc., receives any income from any of the dealers of the equipment we loan out.
In the past year, our operations have expanded beyond North Carolina to include school districts and civic organizations from other states who would like to benefit from our tools and our knowledge. In addition, we continue to expand our inventory and welcome donations of equipment of comparable quality from vendors and others who would like to contribute to the health and welfare of the community.
The Pollution Detectives, Inc., is committed to loaning these devices, without charge, to parents, students, teachers, and other community members who want to investigate environmental conditions in their homes, schools, and public and private organizations. We maintain and periodically calibrate them to ensure durability and accuracy. This is essential to the success of our operations because many lower-priced devices available at home improvement stores and over the internet can give inaccurate readings. Our project will not survive if you/we report to school officials, for example, results which indicate learning is being reduced, or children’s health endangered, only to be discredited when these same officials bring in more sophisticated (expensive) equipment to challenge the findings.
Your/our findings have to be bullet-proof.
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Indoor Air Monitor
Poor indoor air quality can have a surprisingly wide range of health effects, especially when exposure is prolonged. Asthma and allergies, infectious disease, headaches, fatigue and dizziness, and even more serious conditions all can result. One little-known, but especially undesirable, health effect comes from a room that feels too “stuffy.” In these conditions, your mental abilities are lessened and learning is slowed.
Breathing clean air indoors isn’t just a comfort—it’s essential to overall well-being. Learn more about how our IAQ monitor can help you look for and correct a variety of indoor air problems.
Thermal Camera
Achieving an even thermal imprint is vital for safety, health, efficiency, and building longevity. Temperature imbalances in your home, school, or workplace can indicate electrical hot spots that pose the risk of fire, gaps in insulation that compromise energy efficiency, or areas of moisture that increase respiratory distress from asthma or allergies.
By highlighting anomalies in the heat signatures of objects, our thermal camera detects hidden issues like these. Learn More
Moisture Meter
Excessive indoor moisture contributes to a variety of undesirable conditions–especially in children. Mold, mildew, and dust mites trigger asthma–a leading cause of absenteeism at work and school. Bacteria and other pathogens cause coughs, skin irritation, and serious infections. And humid rooms bring discomfort, fatigue, and poor concentration.
Our hand-held imaging moisture meter helps you easily and accurately identify moisture issues to better protect yourself, your kids, and your colleagues.
Learn More
Lead in Drinking Water Meter
Lead in drinking water poses extremely serious health risks for children and adults alike. In young children, even low levels of lead exposure can impair brain development, reduce IQ, and cause behavioral issues, while adults risk high blood pressure, kidney damage, and reproductive problems. Although mitigation is ongoing, in North Carolina the drinking water in many school facilities still possesses lead.
UNC Superfund Research Program
To ensure your environment is free of lead, you can borrow our specially-equipped meter to search for lead in drinking water.
Learn More
Refrigerant Leak Detector
Refrigerant leaks in homes or schools can pose serious concerns for both environmental health and safety. In fact, refrigerants can trap thousands of times more heat per molecule than the CO₂ released by cars. In enclosed spaces, concentrated leaks can even pose a health risk, causing dizziness, headaches, or respiratory irritation.
Our refrigerant leak detector safely detects a wide variety of refrigerants and is easy for adults and teenagers to use at home, school, or other locations where leaks might occur.
Learn more
Radon Meter
Our Radon Meter measures the amount of radon in your environment over the short and long term. After 30 days, it estimates the radon level based on average daily readings–so that you can take any necessary steps to create a healthier environment.