London: Schoolchildren from five London areas will wear backpacks fitted with air sensors and become 'walking field scientists' in the fight against air pollution.

Razine (left) and Benedek (right), both aged 10, will carry backpacks fitted with a Dyson air sensor to measure air pollution. They are pictured with London mayor Sadiq Khan.Credit:Latika Bourke

London mayor Sadiq Khan has unveiled backpacks fitted with a battery and Dyson air sensor that schoolchildren will carry to measure air pollution.Credit:Latika Bourke

The air quality readers will measure particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide levels, with their readings extracted each week by scientists at Kings College London.

On Monday, London breached air pollution limits for 2019. It is estimated that 9000 Londoners die prematurely each year as a result of breathing in toxic air.

Khan said the data gathered would help inform policies on how to reduce air pollution ahead of the city's move to an "ultra low emissions zone" in April.

"The information will mean we can provide good advice to a child and their parents about what things they can do to minimise their exposure to toxic air," he said.

A student at Haimo Primary School in London with one of the backpacks designed to track air pollution.Credit:Latika Bourke

"It's children who face the worst consequences from the poisonous air in our city. When you hear that children, because of the toxic air, have underdeveloped or stunted lungs permanently, it's heartbreaking but it's preventable.

The initiative is part of the Breathe London program devised at the C40 Cities network, which includes Sydney and Melbourne. The network works to tackle climate change.

Khan, who described London as a world leader in monitoring air pollution, said he hoped the pilot would spread to Australia.

"The idea is to work with other cities across the world as the vice chair of C40," he said. "Sydney's a member of C40 … we're trying to make sure that we can pilot ideas and spread best practice across the world.

"We're hoping to show other cities how you can change behaviour based on data."

Shannon Lawrence from C40 Cities said London's work to monitor air quality should be adopted globally.

"With a pilot like this, looking at different technologies, looking at ways we can incorporate those as part of a monitoring system … we're really hoping there'll be global lessons for cities all over the world to apply," she said.

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