Cyclists 'to become mobile pollution sensors'

Cyclists and pedestrians are set to become mobile pollution sensors as part of a new government scheme.

Researchers from Imperial College London will be using three different types of sensors and attaching them to vehicles, people and traffic islands, Sky News reports.

The Mobile Environmental Sensing System Across Grid Environments (Message) scheme will focus on the areas of South Kensington, Leicester, Gateshead and Cambridge.

Professor John Polak told the news provider: "There is a lot that we do not know about air quality in our cities and towns because the current generation of large stationary sensors don't provide enough information."

He hinted that the Message scheme may be rolled out on a larger scale in the future.

Several different types of pollutant, including nitrogen oxides and sulphur dioxides will be monitored.

A new £5 million centre was opened in London earlier this year to study the effects of poor air quality and other pollutants on health.

Written by Claire Manning