Pollution – Let’s be honest, environmental information apps are probably not at the forefront of many iPhone/iPod touch users’ minds, but maybe they should be. I confess, I never thought about searching for an app that provided location-based air, water, and ground pollutant information, but Pollution by aMobile Future does exactly that. Granted, it may not be 100% accurate and up-to-date, but it does provide the information based on reputable cited sources, like the EPA here in the states. And it is completely geographic, based on the user’s current location.

I am not as eco-minded as many. I recycle with a fair amount of enthusiasm and am trying to develop a habit of utilizing re-usable shopping bags for grocery trips, but these are just small steps. However, I do believe that awareness and information is vital to environmental progress. With the Pollution app, you can definitely garner a bit of information about your environment. What you do with and think about that information is up to you.

Pollution supplies users with specific pollutants within a specified radius of their current location. Granted, it only supplies information based on emissions from businesses and industries, not cars or homes, but I was surprised to view the industrious facilities in my vicinity that I didn’t even know existed. Of course some of the facilities I did know about, many not surprising me with their reported air and/or water pollutant output, but a few surprised me in general. Pollution gives you a map or satellite view of the offending facilities so you can determine exactly where the unfamiliar ones are located.

I admit that I have no idea what many of the pollutants reportedly emitted from some of the facilities are, but Pollution gives you an overview of four different types of pollutants — air, water, ground, and radio wave. Plus, for many of the pollutants, a detailed overview including description, uses, major emissions, and impacts on human health and the environment in general are provided. Some pollutants are lacking this detailed description, but it would appear there are plans to expand for their inclusion.

Currently, Pollution covers several European countries, the UK, and the US. The navigation is pretty straightforward. Pollution pinpoints your current location, allows you to specify the area you’d like to cover in terms of kilometers, and then provides both a summary of total numbers of each type of pollutant present, as well as the detailed listings previously explained. Anyone who has an interest in learning more information about their environment will appreciate the ease with which Pollution provides it.

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category: Editor's Picks, Navigation