In Hauts-de-France, a free application to monitor the quality of the air we breathe

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“It’s a small step on the digital side but a big step for the citizen. » It is in these terms that Jacques Patris, president of ATMO Hauts-de-France – the Regional Air Observatory – introduced his remarks at a press conference on Tuesday October 15, 2024 to announce the launch of Air to go to the region, a free mobile application that broadcasts air quality in real time.

The Hauts-de-France region is the fourth in the country to be able to benefit from this service after Burgundy-Franche-Comté, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur.

15,000 liters of air breathed every day

In practice, Air to go is capable, thanks to geolocation, of providing real-time information as close as possible to the place of life and even on a street scale on the rate of fine particles (PM 10, PM 2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO ₂) d’ozone (O₃), the pollen level and also to indicate whether episodes of vigilance are in progress.

The app also provides hour-by-hour forecasts, up to D + 1. So many indications that can help users to limit their exposure to polluted areas by adapting their travel and/or means of transport. After all, “we choose what we eat, what we drink, we should be able to choose the air we breathe,” suggests Hélène Devillers, director of ATMO – Hauts-de-France. And when we know that we inhale 15,000 liters of air per day and that air pollution causes 40,000 deaths per year in Francewe quickly understand the benefit of having such a tool.

Five years of work were necessary for ATMO Hauts-de-France to develop this application. The association was able to count on the support of the Regional Health Agency, the Hauts-de-France region and the European Metropolis of Lille. The operating cost of Air to go is estimated at 300,000 euros per year.

The Air to go application is available on App Store and Google Play.

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