Phone app to provide real-time pollution levels in the neighbourhood
Smartphone users will be able to get real-time air-quality alerts for their vicinity and advice on whether it would be wise to stay indoors
Smartphone users will soon be able to find out how bad the air is where they are living, using an app to be launched at the end of the month.
The app will offer users real-time alerts on air quality in their vicinity and in other districts across the city, and advice on whether they should stay indoors at times of high pollution.
The smartphone app is one of the initiatives from the Environmental Protection Department that alert residents to their level of their exposure to air pollution as air-quality objectives are raised.
With the app's launch on December 30, the city will also replace its 18-year-old air pollution index (API) with the air quality health index (AQHI), which will alert people to the short-term health risk caused by different air pollution levels.
"For example, a sports teacher can plan ahead and consider if he should hold classes outdoors," Andrew Lai Chi-wah, deputy director of environmental protection, said yesterday. "This tool can be a valuable resource for people susceptible to air pollution, as well as the elderly and children. Those working outdoors or planning outdoor activities will also find it useful."