Pollen count increases to ‘very high’ level in ICT

ISLAMABAD - The pollen count on Sunday increased up to 44,908 per cubic metre in the air, in the capital, the highest level paper mulberry.
Talking to APP, senior official MET office Islamabad Dr Zaheer Babar said as a result of mostly less rainfall during the predicted months February and March, the pollen abundance sharply increased.
He informed that the pollen has started early during the period.
He said the pollen count would also increase during upcoming week. Pollen season is expected to end by mid-April, he added.
Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has been monitoring the airborne pollen in Islamabad throughout the year, he said. Babar briefed that Pollen monitoring unit of PMD has installed pollen monitoring devices in different sectors of Islamabad (H-8, E-8, F-10 and G-6).
He said the pollen concentration increases gradually with the onset of spring season and attains its peak around full blossom. Babar told that the most abundant pollen types in Islamabad are from 08 plant species (i. e. Paper Mulberry, Acacia, Eucalyptus, Pines, Grasses, Cannabis, Dandelion and Alternaria).
He said out of all these plants Paper Mulberry shares about 97% of the total pollen and its concentration touches the extreme limits of about 40,000 per cubic meter of air at the peak of the blossom season.
People suffering from Asthma and respiratory diseases experience serious consequences due to sharp increase in pollen concentrations, he added.

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