A new service allowing people across the UK to receive alerts when air pollution is high or forecast to be high has been launched.

The opt-in air quality alerts service allows users to select locations such as their home, workplace or a local park and receive notifications by SMS or email when pollution levels are expected to rise.

The service brings air quality information together in one place, providing people with up-to-date information about pollution levels in areas that are important to them.

Poor air quality can worsen conditions including asthma and other lung conditions, with millions of people affected across the UK. The NHS also spends millions of pounds treating conditions linked to air pollution.

The alerts service monitors five key pollutants: particulate matter (PM2.5), particulate matter (PM10), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3) and sulphur dioxide (SO2).

Users can choose the areas they want to monitor and receive an alert when pollution is forecast to reach high levels.

The service is intended to help people stay informed about local air quality and make decisions about activities or time spent outdoors when pollution levels are elevated.

It provides a single source of information for people wanting to monitor air pollution in the places where they live, work or spend time.

Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle said: ‘We want everyone to have access to clear, reliable information about the air they breathe.

‘This new service will make it easier for people to understand air pollution in their local area and take practical steps to protect their health, particularly those living with conditions such as asthma.

‘Better access to air quality information is another way this government is tackling air pollution and protecting people’s health.’

However, not everyone believes the new alert system goes far enough. Simon Birkett, Founder and Director of Clean Air in London, is ‘furious’ that the media will not be alerted to days of high air pollution. A measure which would ensure warnings were spread across a much broader section of the population than those who had signed up to receive SMS alerts.

The AQN office in Macclesfield is currently experiencing ‘low’ levels of air pollution, scoring 3 out of 10. we are told ‘Generally Low air pollution is expected across the UK today, with a few isolated pockets of moderate possible in parts of northern and eastern England.’

Macclesfield is not expected to have worsening air quality over the weekend with the index expected to fall to 2/10 on Monday.

The tool offers advice on how people can reduce their exposure to air pollution, such as by taking routes with lower levels of traffic and, in a nod to indoor air quality, suggesting people ventilate their room well if exercising indoors.

There is also health advice for the various degrees of air pollution as well as an explanation of how each of the five key pollutants can affect health.

Chief Medical Officer for England Professor Sir Chris Whitty said: ‘Air pollution is an extremely important, solvable health problem that causes ill health throughout the life course, from poor pregnancy outcomes through childhood lung disease to causing long-term health conditions including cancers, heart disease and stroke.

‘The health impacts are greatest for the most vulnerable – children, pregnant women and people with preexisting cardiovascular or lung conditions.’

The tool can be accessed here.