Worried about how to protect yourself from air pollution during the hot summer months? This cool, all-cotton tank top contains pollution sensors to sense harmful pollutants including carbon monoxide and ozone. When elevated levels of pollutants are detected, embedded LEDs in the tank top light up in a warning pattern. When environmental levels are safe, the embedded LEDs present a growing floral pattern. It may not keep you safe, but at least you’ll know.

The optional camera module takes pictures when ‘pollution events’ occur (either high or low pollution levels). The picture serves as a visual reminder of where and when the pollution event occurred, and perhaps even what caused the pollution event. Each pollution event is tagged with the sensor readings and the date and time, and recorded. The wearer can download pollution events to their computer. Each picture is stamped with either ‘POLLUTION EVENT’ and the date in red or ‘CLEAN EVENT’ and the date in green to indicate high or low readings respectively. The pictures can then be uploaded to flickr (group). Photos on flickr can be geotagged with their location.

Ground-level pollution poses risks to people and ecosystems. Ground level ozone is formed from the reaction of volatile organic compounds (VOC) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx). Both VOC and NOx are produced as the result of industrial operations, including automobile engine combustion [1].

Ozone found at ground-level can exacerbate respiratory problems including asthma, and can have detrimental effects on plants and ecosystems [2].

[1] Ground-level ozone. US EPA http://www.epa.gov/air/ozonepollution/.
[2] Ground-level ozone health and environment. US EPA. http://www.epa.gov/air/ozonepollution/health.html.