You can now measure in real time the quality of the air you breathe at home or when traveling in the region. Atmo Hauts-de-France is launching a free mobile application, called Air to go.
Already deployed in several regions in France, this application allows you, thanks to geolocation, to monitor the air quality hour by hour as close as possible to your home. You can consult the air index for the day and the next day, the most present pollutants, to know what you breathe every day.
From one street to another, air quality can vary
“In a day, we breathe on average 15,000 liters of air. Even if there are not many pollutants per liter of air, this has an impact on health,” explains Hélène Devillers, director of Atmo Hauts-de-France. With the application, it is “to offer a real service to citizens, to say what the air quality is in my street, at my work, where I go for my leisure time, where I walk with my children”.
From one street to another, the air quality is not necessarily the same. “There are canyon streets that concentrate pollutants more than others, because if there are very tall buildings, the pollutants do not disperse. We can therefore choose the streets where we want to walk, run. You can choose the times. If you are in the city, and go out during rush hour, it is not necessarily the best idea, especially if you are sensitive to pollution.underlines Hélène Devillers. .
Choosing the air you breathe
The application advises you on the right behaviors to adopt based on air quality, if you are a sensitive person. You can also plan your trips on foot or by bike and limit your exposure to pollution. You can be informed in the event of a pollution alert in your department. A simple glance at the application and you will know the risk of pollen allergy.
In Hauts-de-France, 48 stations measure air quality and pollution levels 24/7. The data is analyzed by forecasters, cross-referenced with weather data in order to establish forecasts
The Air to Go app is free. It is available on Google Play and App Store. It can already be used in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur regions and soon in the Grand Est region.
