Himalayan News Service

London, July 17:

Scientists in Britain have developed a system that can deliver air pollution warning through SMS — a facility they say may help asthma patients to take precaution. Cambridge Environmental Research Consultants (CERC) tested the prototype services — The YourAir Service and The AirTEXT — in central London, reports science portal ww.scienceagogo.com. Like other systems currently in use, the pollution forecasts include predictions of overall effects on health using an index from one to 10. The new system surpasses current models because it tells of air pollution levels of individual streets, it said. The system can predict har-mful levels of nitrogen dioxide, ozone and airborne particles that are harmful to people with asthma, lung and heart problems. The messages will also advise on steps those most at risk can take to minimize their pollution exposure and manage their symptoms. Future pollution forecasting models may include animations that show ‘the way pollution can concentrate near major roads’.