Pollution is and will continue to be one of the great problems of the cities of Spain. And not only in the big cities. The environmental threat is aggravated in those periods in which there is no rain and there is too much atmospheric stability. When the limits for nitrogen dioxide and the concentration of PM10 particles allowed by the European Union are exceeded in a city, area or territory , our health runs serious risks.
For some time now, Google offers users the possibility of knowing the air quality in the area in which they are and warns, through alerts, of the changes that occur, in order to warn about the worsening of pollution levels.
Google's air quality advisories
Google has been working on this project together with the Environmental Defense Fund and Aclima since 2015. Now it works at full capacity, so that users who have an Android or iOS mobile and regularly use Google services, can receive notifications about any variation that occurs on air quality.
The source for issuing these reports is BreezoMeter, a service that is dedicated to controlling air quality practically all over the world , except for those places for which there is no data. If you want to check the air quality, all you have to do is the following:
1. On your mobile with iOS or Android, go to Google. Type the following: Air quality .
2. If you have location services (GPS) activated , Google will automatically show you what the air quality is in your area. You will see the level indicated within a scale of 0 to 125, with zero being an optimal level and 125 an extreme contamination level.
You will also see a basic description of the level of pollution , being able to check, for example, if the air quality is unhealthy for sensitive groups, good, very good or unacceptable. The color coding (green, yellow, orange, red and purple) will help you to obtain a quick diagnosis of air quality at a glance. It is the CAQI index (Common Air Quality Index, in its acronym in English).
Here you will have the option of quickly discovering which is the main pollutant : if Ozone or PM10, in the latter case, consisting of small solid or liquid particles of dust, ash, soot, metallic particles, cement or pollen dispersed in the atmosphere.
Activate Google Ads
To activate or deactivate air quality notifications on Google, just do a search again in the search engine with the words 'air quality'. You will see that at the top, right next to your city, an icon linked to notifications appears .
Simply click on the bell and you will see that the notifications are activated instantly. If you prefer not to receive alerts every time the air quality in your area drops, click the notifications icon again. And ready.
More data on pollution
If you want to get more information about air quality, you can also go directly to BrezooMeter. From here you can consult information on pollution levels around the world and in real time, as well as basic tips to cope as well as possible. Some of these tips, in cases of serious contamination go through:
- Do not leave the house and be alert to the progress of pollution rates
- Take precautions if you have health problems, allergies or special sensitivities
- Avoid playing sports outdoors when pollution levels are too high
- Take care that children do not play if the alert exceeds normality