Real-Time Air Quality Map Shows Breathability Of Global Cities
PerkinElmer's new color-coded reporting system will show each neighborhood's level of pollution.
Whether you are near schools, bike paths, industrial areas, or are just a person who likes to be in the know, the ability to measure local air quality is important. To get this kind of information in the past, people had to either visit the Environmental Protection Agency‘s website, or try to decipher the complex literature floating around. An added hurdle is the fact that cities typically have between 20 and 25 air monitoring locations, which makes it hard to determine what the air quality is like in your specific neighborhood.
To make this information easy to understand and more accurate to specific communities, PerkinElmer, a biotech firm, has just created a public and global air quality map.
PerkinElmer’s air quality map measures pollution, humidity, particulates, organic compounds, nitrous oxide, and noise in multiple cities around the world. It is color coded with a simple key, making the data easy to grasp for all. The device that records the information is a multisensor system that is updated every twenty seconds, is weatherproof, and consumes energy at a low rate. Small and wireless, this cloud-based monitoring system is available for both communities and individuals. In addition, as the devices make their way across the globe, the data will be uploaded to the online public map, eventually making for a real-time worldwide map.
Though the PerkinElmer system doesn’t name the source of the pollution, this kind of accessibility is a big step towards putting power into the hands of the people who are most interested in making effective change. Now that the information is out there, it should become easier to remedy.
[h/t] Fast Company