WEB CHUTNEY

Air pollution is one of the biggest health threats to people in the UK, up to 40,000 citizens are expected to perish each year owning to uncontrollable air pollution. In an effort to solve this problem a technology company – Plume Labs has released ten pigeons wearing lightweight sensors to monitor pollution in London.

The company has fitted the birds with tiny 25-gram (0.88-ounce) backpacks which monitor nitrogen dioxide, ozone and volatile compounds in the air.

This Pigeon air patrol can be tracked using a live map. Of course the birds are not trained researchers themselves but their backpacks will do all the work, while the fly in the air normally.

These pigeons are quite tech savvy and use social media too. You can tweet your air of London to @PigeonAir and they will tell you how toxic the air around you is ranging from “fresh” to “extreme”, you can also go to their website.

The pigeon air patrol is scheduled for three days, the project of measuring air pollution in the city will be continued through another initiative known as E-Plume.

About 100 people will pick up where the pigeons will leave off and wear similar air quality sensors while they go around the city.