NEWPORT City Council have installed air quality monitors around Newport which indicate how clean the air is in an area.

The black cylinders attached to lampposts are called Eco Post air sensors and they give an indication of how clean the air is using a coloured light display which changes colour if the air quality state changes.

The lights change hourly during the day with green showing the cleanest air and purple the most polluted.

Newport is the first city to use this system in the UK, with five been installed in different locations so far, with one more to come.

Three of the locations to have these sensors are Caerphilly Road, by the play area, Malpas Road, and High Cross, by High Cross Primary school, all of which are in an air quality management area. 

The other sensors have been installed in the city centre, near the Riverfront Theatre, and by the new Pillgwenlly primary school building.

One more sensor will shortly be installed in Maindee.

The sensors check the air for nitrogen dioxide, and other pollution.

They then give a visual indication of the air quality based on the UK government's daily air quality index (DAQI). 

If the sensor is displaying a green colour band, that indicates low pollution.

Amber indicates moderate pollution, red indicates high and purple indicates very high.

Newport City Council hope these sensors encourage residents to think more about air pollution, and make more eco-friendly choices in their day-to-day lives.

The sensors act as a way to put the issue of pollution at the forefront of people's minds, by visualising it.

“Part of our air quality work is about making sure residents know what the air quality in their area is like,” said Councillor Yvonne Forsey, cabinet member for climate change and biodiversity.

“The Eco Post air sensors do this by providing an easily accessible indicator of how the air is around their location. 

“We’re hopeful that the sensors will encourage people to think about the air quality in their area, and how they can make choices that help keep pollution levels low.”