Pollutionwatch: how initiative could improve air quality in UK schools

As UK air pollution bill begins its passage through the Commons, one project hopes British schools will host pollution monitorsIf your children go to school in Boston, Massachusetts, then checking on their air pollution is easy. Every classroom, office and school nurse's room has its own pollution sensor; a total of nearly 6,000 instruments with more than 100 more on school roofs, and all the results are online in real time.Over the last year, the sensors have revealed air pollution problems that have come from outside. In one case, carbon monoxide was measured in a classroom and traced back to an electricity generator close to the school air intake. When a house caught fire near another school, the in-class sensors were used to help staff close windows and keep the children safe from smoke. They have also detected and helped to prevent the use of cleaning products and room air fresheners that can produce irritating chemicals and trigger asthma symptoms. Continue reading...