Mobile pollution warning

The air pollution in Central London and the London borough of Croydon is being forecast daily as part of an ESA-backed project.

The ‘YourAir’ service predicts levels of the pollutants nitrogen dioxide, ozone and airborne particles – exposure to which can harm people with asthma, lung and heart problems, and in the very highest concentrations can harm otherwise healthy people.

The forecasts include predictions of overall effects on health on an index from one to ten. Unlike previous systems, YourAir resolves air pollution down to the scale of individual streets – highest levels are often found along routes with heavy traffic or other pollution sources, so information on street-by-street changes in pollution help vulnerable people make informed choices about their travel routes.

The prototype service, which covers Central London and Croydon in South London, is being developed by Cambridge Environmental Research Consultants (CERC) as a demonstration service of ESA's PROMOTE project.