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Pollution sensors send out a clear message

New technology that can tell the exact level of traffic fumes being breathed in at any moment is being trialled in the North East.

The technology has been designed by experts at Newcastle University and produces real-time metre-by-metre data on traffic pollutants such as carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and even noise. It goes by the name MESSAGE, which stands for ‘Mobile Environmental Sensing System Across a Grid Environment’ - the name was obviously chosen before the definition.

Using a system dubbed SMART dust technology, sensors called ‘motes’ are placed at regular intervals along busy roads where they continuously monitor the level of pollutants in the atmosphere. This data is then fed back and can be accessed in real-time via Google Maps.

Being trialled for the first time in Gateshead, the aim of the project is to understand the links between traffic flow - in particular congestion - and pollution levels. It also means that any road users can track the exact levels of pollution they are exposed to while going about their daily lives.

Phil Blythe, Professor of Intelligent Transport Systems at Newcastle University, said: “Common sense tells us that pollution levels will be higher during rush hour than at other times of day but we need to understand exactly how these levels vary - inside and outside the car, at different temperatures and humidities - before we can start to tackle the problem.

“What we hope is that this data will be used to inform new traffic management plans that will improve urban air quality and transform the way we travel.”

Professor Margaret Bell, professor of Transport and the Environment at Newcastle University, said: “This data will be vital in helping us to understand fluctuations in air pollution so that we can find ways to keep traffic moving more freely and ultimately improve air quality in our towns and cities.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .