HOSTS are being sought to look after air quality sensors that will provide real-time monitoring of air quality in Salisbury.

Information gathered will help create a wider picture of the state of air quality not just in Salisbury but in Wiltshire as a whole.

Wiltshire Council’s Wiltshire Community Air Network (WCAN) has launched a one-year project to monitor PM2.5 air pollution across the county and is seeking hosts for 100 low-cost air quality sensors.

The sensors will measure PM2.5 air pollution, small particles in the air that can increase the risk of health problems and that can be damaging to the environment.

The sensors will provide real-time data which members of the public will be able to access online.

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Councillor Paul Sample JP, cabinet member for environment, climate and waste, said: “We are seeking assistance from local residents and organisations to better understand PM2.5 air pollution in Wiltshire.

“We aim to recruit 100 volunteers to host air quality sensors for a year and encourage applications from individuals and groups in Wiltshire who are interested in monitoring PM2.5 pollution in their communities.”

“The data collected will enable us to gain a greater understanding of this type of dangerous air pollution and put us in a stronger position to determine requirements for long-term monitoring and identify ways to reduce pollution.”

To ensure a wide range of places and communities are represented in the project, the council will be allocating a number of sensors to each of the 18 community areas of Wiltshire, based on the size of the population.

In each area, the council will prioritise placing sensors at or near schools, medical facilities, and supported housing.

The sensors need to be placed outdoors, plugged in to a mains power supply and connected to a stable internet connection.

The sensors are easy to use, and volunteers will be supported to set up and maintain them.

At the end of the one-year project, hosts can choose to keep the sensor for their own use or return it to the council for recycling.

The approximate location of the sensor will be visible on a publicly available online map.

The closing date for applications is Monday, June 23.

To host a sensor, people need to:

• Be over 18 years of age

• Have a suitable outdoor location to place the sensor for one year, without being disturbed. It must be placed outside, between 1.5m and 3m above ground level. The sensor can be secured to a wall, fence, or drainpipe using provided cable ties or screws.

• Confirm that the sensor will be continuously connected to mains power and a reliable Wi-Fi connection (including overnight and during holidays). This is important as the sensor will not work without power and internet connection.

• Have permission from the bill payer to pay the cost of power and Wi-Fi used by the air quality sensor. The sensors only use a small amount of power and bandwidth, costing under £3 to run for a whole year.