With all the driving around that the Google Maps cars do, it’s only natural that the tech giant also does some research into city air quality while they’re at it. As it turns out, the company has been quietly doing just that in Europe since 2015 and now has some results it would like to share with the general public.
Google’s Quiet Monitoring of Europe’s Air Pollution
Google shared its results on its blog, The Keyword. Next week is Green Week in the EU, and Google wants to help celebrate by showing us just how polluted the air in Copenhagen can get.
While Google’s air quality monitoring started in 2015, it wasn’t until three years later that the tech giant teamed up with the City of Copenhagen, Utrecht University, and Aarhus University to get an idea of the air pollution in the city.
As you might expect, the more populated roads in Copenhagen are a significant pollution source:
The map—which is already being put to use—includes measurements of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), black carbon, and ultrafine particles. Through mapping street-by-street air quality we found that Copenhagen’s major access roads have nearly three times more ultrafine particles and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and five times higher black carbon levels when compared to less trafficked residential areas.
While this news isn’t exactly what the town planners want to hear, it does give them ammunition to work with. The town planners can’t simply tell people to stop coming to Copenhagen; however, they can build residential, educational, and recreational areas in the spots with lower air pollution.
Google’s Bid to Stop Adding to the Problem
Of course, if Google is driving their Street View cars around cities to gauge air quality, they’re not exactly helping out with the problem. That’s why the company is experimenting with using electric vehicles when they drive through a city.
Google is currently experimenting with the idea in Dublin. There, it has a Jaguar I-PACE that can monitor air pollution and map out streets in a green and sustainable way.
Google hopes to roll out more air quality sensors in the future. For now, you can plug your hometown into the Environmental Insights Explorer and see how it fares for pollution.
Clearing the Air About Pollution With Google
While Google has been working at air pollution measurements for years now, it has gotten to the point where governments can use its data to better plan their cities. Who knows, perhaps the next Google Street View car you see will be an electric one.
While you can’t do a considerable amount to reduce your hometown’s air pollution, you can take control of your home’s air quality. There are plenty of smart home devices that can check the air and warn you if things are going south.
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