Air pollution, seen from Hackney London. Photo by David Holt

Residents of Clapham can now track levels of air pollution using a newly launched widget, showing both local and London-wide data.

The widget – the result of a collaboration between the Mayor of London, London Air and the local organisation This Is Clapham – shows levels of air pollution on a map of London with a scale from one to 10, updating at least hourly.

London Air send a text to users who sign-up if alarming rates of air pollution are present in the nearby area of the user.

Matthew Xu, a researcher at London Air, says: “We are very proud to help offer this service to Londoners. Our data is collected independently by our research department at King’s College, and is used by the government to assess and create policies on air pollution and the environment.”.

The widget also features a route finder which allows users to find the cleanest route to get from location A to B, often suggesting routes that don’t pass through high streets.

Its makers say it aims to educate and raise awareness of climate change, while presenting data to citizens in full transparency.

The map informs users of the areas in London that pass annual objectives of air pollution, breaking down the numbers into four pollutants that are identified as present in London and are proven harmful to human health and the environment.

On London Air’s website, maps are also found showing annual measurements of air pollution, with records posted since 2002. Xu says: “More and more research tells us that a long-term exposure to air pollution is more significant and serious than short-term peaks”, while arguing that the annual data maps are the most significant for people to keep an eye on.

The widget aimed at residents of Clapham can be accessed on the website: www.thisisclapham.co.uk/visit/air-pollution-in-clapham/. Data maps can also be found from the data source, on London Air’s website: www.londonair.org.uk/LondonAir/nowcast.aspx.