ISLAMABAD: With the arrival of spring and an increase in daytime temperature, grasses, pines and paper mulberry have started to emit pollen in high levels which has triggered allergies in many in the federal capital.

An advisory released by the Met Office states that increase in day time temperature was the reason for early onset of pollen season in major cities of the country including Islamabad and Lahore.

Paper mulberry has been observed to release up to 850 pollen particles per cubic metre (PPM) in E-8 area, followed by pines releasing 263 PPM and grasses releasing 96 PPM.

All these categories of vegetation were producing the highest level of pollen as recorded by the other three centres of the Met Office - H-8, F-10 and G-6.

Apart from the three other key pollen discharging flora in Islamabad that causes sensitive allergies to humans are acacia, eucalyptus, cannabis, dandelion and alternaria.

While acacia is a large group of shrubs and small plants that release significant amount of pollen, the alternaria is a kind of fungus growing on other plants and particles released by them usually causing hypersensitivity and asthma.

“Most individuals with any sensitivity to these pollens and moulds will experience symptoms,” the advisory stated.

The Met Office has also predicted that rainfall will remain below normal across the country during the current month as the La-Niña condition was prevailing in the region and will continue with moderate intensity during the month.

Islamabad is among cities with the highest pollen counts in the world because of large tracts of greenery. Pollen grains are tiny particles released from trees, weeds and grasses to fertilise plants, but many never reach their targets and remain suspended in the atmosphere and this causes health problems for many. Microscopic pollen particles float in the air and spread over significant distances by wind.

The weather conditions play an important part in controlling pollen levels in the atmosphere and those with allergies often find relief on rainy, cloudy or windless days because pollen movement is limited during these days. On the other hand, warm, dry and windy conditions result in higher pollen and mould concentrations and increased allergy symptoms.

Published in Dawn, March 12th, 2022