iOS and Android, which will be useful when planning your next hike or cycling, or when planning to escape from smog and smoke. The new layer displays the Air Quality Index (AQI) directly on the map grid, using government data collected from agencies such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to show the overall health of the air. More precisely, it also shows the data collected from PurpleAir's sensor network to report finesse from the street level. Clicking on the Air Quality Index reading embellished on Google Maps provides more information on the health effects of air quality, when and where the last reading was, and links to learn more.
PurpleAir's relatively low-cost sensor uses a laser particle counter to measure particulate matter. "I shine the air with a laser, and then particles in the air will reflect light and the detector will capture those reflections." PurpleAir founder Adrian Dybwad, who at the time his company's sensors became a popular way to track smoke from catastrophic wildfires raging on the West Coast. Last year, Google Maps added a wildfire tier to track the growing threat.
In addition to PurpleAir, Breezometer is also working on drawing hyperlocal air quality maps. Breezometer uses complex models -- rather than physical sensors -- to achieve a claimed 5 meters (about 16 feet) of data resolution. Since the beginning of last year, many e-bike owners have relied on the company’s data to avoid contamination when they commute.
