The Madrid regional government has launched an air pollution warning system which operates via text messages, alerting citizens when levels of substances like ozone (O3), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and sulphur dioxide (SO2) exceed acceptable levels.
To activate the service citizens have to register by sending an SMS to 616424803, writing HIGH + the pollutant + their postcode. The air quality monitoring stations then automatically send out text messages when the polluting substance reaches alert level.
Operating experimentally since summer 2005, the project has now been officially launched with the onset of spring and rising ozone levels. Particle pollution, one of the most hazardous types of pollution for human health, is not included in the service as currently no legal control limits have been set.
For air pollution information see www.madrid.org.