Pollen count increases in capital

With the change of weather, the amount of pollen in Islamabad has started to increase at a great pace, a great threat to asthma, diabetes and high blood pressure patients.

According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department, the highest pollen rate of 1,244 per cubic metre was recorded in Sector E-8 of Islamabad on Friday, which is higher than normal. The Met Office maintained that pollen per cubic meter within the 1-114 range is regarded as a low pollen rate. If the amount of pollen reaches 15-89, then it is considered as average and if it attains the range of 90-1499 per cubic meter, it is called high level. However, if this amount exceeds 1500 per cubic meter, it is considered the highest level.

According to the Met Office, the amount of pollen recorded in Islamabad on March 26, 2005, was 48,080 per cubic meter, which was the highest in history. Similarly, three years ago on March 30, 2019, the amount of pollen was 46,131 per cubic meter, the second-highest in history.

The Met Office has installed pollen monitoring devices in four sectors H-8, Sector E-8, Sector F-10 and Sector G-6. As per monitoring on March 11, the pollen rate in Sector H-8 was 748, 1244 in Sector E-8, 660 in Sector F-10 and 945 per cubic meter in Sector G-6.

According to the meteorological department, the pollen season starts from the first week of March with the arrival of spring. It peaks in late March and ends in mid-April.

Sources in Met Office further said that pollen is spread in Islamabad by 8 species of plants including Mulberry, Acacia, Eucalyptus, Pine, Grasses, Cannabis, Dandelion and Alternaria. Out of these 8 plants, 97 per cent of the pollen is produced from paper mulberry.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 13^th, 2022.