Giant balloon to flash Paris pollution report

PARIS (Reuters Life!) - Whether summer brings smog or clear skies, Parisians interested to know the quality of the air they breathe need only look up.

A giant helium-filled balloon already floating near the Eiffel Tower will be lit with a range of colors that change from green to red depending on pollution levels.

Starting on Thursday night, laser beams will light up the balloon in the appropriate color based on meteorological data, and flash messages describing pollution levels near traffic-heavy zones.

"Everyone is concerned about air pollution, and this is a great way to let them know how it affects them on a daily basis," designer Jerome Giacomoni told Reuters.

Set up at a cost of just over 1 million euros ($1.55 million), the 22-ft (7-metre) diameter balloon, which has been taking tourists up and down to view the city from above since 1999, uses helium and a low-consumption electric motor to maneuver.

Giacomoni said the design was easily adaptable, and similar balloons were already in use in Hong Kong and Los Angeles.

(Reporting by Brian Rohan, editing by Paul Casciato)