A new system, Pollutrack, to measure air pollution has been launched in the Paris region.
This petit boîtier bleu va changer notre perception de la pollutionlittle blue box is going to change our perception of air pollution. The Paris City Council has just installed it on Enedis' service vehicles to detect very fine particles below 2.5 microns: PM 2.5. This initiative goes beyond European measurement standards, which impose fixed sensors limited to ten micron particles. "There's nothing to hide. I believe that, on the contrary, there has been too much opacity on these air pollution issues. There have been too many actions by lobbies that have tried to defend their particular interests", says Éric Jomier, deputy for health at the Paris City Council.
Real-time mapping of emission sources
Doctors and scientists denounce the health hazard of these PM 2.5 on the human body. This X-ray shows how, after a simple breath, fine particles of this size penetrate directly into the blood. Successively, the major organs are affected. Several studies show that they are one of the causes of many pathologies. "There are cardio-pulmonary diseases, which affect the lungs: bronchitis, emphysema, asthma, heart disease, infarction ...", explains Isabella Annessi Maesano, head of UPC/INSEM respiratory diseases. These mobile sensors will allow real-time mapping of the emission sources of these PM 2.5.
Full publication (Fr) : francetvinfo.fr Published in June 2017