Pollution | Evolving Consumer

Bike Filter

Riding a bike can be a good way to get out and get some fresh air – unless of course the air outside isn’t all that fresh. In places like China the air can be quite bad. Mike Andrews of New Castle in the U.K. visited China and realized there was a solution – ride a bike with a large air filter that could help clean the air while riding. He is now developing an electrical generator that can suck in bad air and produces cleaner air.

The key word is cleaner as this can only do so much. But imagine if China could get more cyclists using pedal power to clean the air? It would almost make it breathable.

[Via SeaCoast Online: New spin for bicycle: filtering air pollution]

Olympic Air to be Monitored

Many cities have questionable air quality, but London is one of those places where you can sometimes see the air – and that’s not going to be a good thing for the athletes in the upcoming Olympic Games. This isn’t the old London fog that is a problem, but rather the pollution.

Researchers at the University of Leicester have now released details on what could be the first of its kind instrument to measure and monitor the nitrogen dioxide emissions in a 360 degrees panorama. This technology, known as CityScan can monitor the impact of increased traffic on pollution levels. The irony it seems is that pollution will increase because of the games and that won’t be good for those competing.

At least the athletes can get a sense of how bad things are and hopefully prepare for it.

Device Lets You Know the Quality of the Air Out There

While it is possible to see smoke, and even to some degree smog, it is sometimes hard to know what the quality of the air might be. For many, even a little pollution in the air can go a long way towards big respiratory problems. Unfortunately, it isn’t so easy as just looking out the window to know whether the air quality is good enough for extensive physical activities.

A new personal monitoring device may make it easier to know whether you might want to keep the activities indoors. The MircoPEM was created by North Carolina-based RTI international, and is small enough to be worn on your body and help you know the quality of the air out there. It can measure pollution content of the surrounding air, and monitor your workout levels at the same time – and more importantly inform you if you should cease activity. Continue reading Device Lets You Know the Quality of the Air Out There