A comparison of total pollen counts obtained 5.6 km apart

Abstract

Total pollen counts obtained from a single pollen-sampling device are often broadcasted by the news media to assist allergy sufferers. In releasing these data, it is assumed that counts obtained in a single location represent pollen conditions throughout a large city. Volumetric pollen data collected at two locations in St. Paul, Minnesota, were used to test the suitability of this practice. A total of 122 pollen counts performed between April and October 1993 at each location were compared. Although the total number of pollen grains recovered during the study period by the two samplers was nearly equivalent, some monthly and daily differences were uncovered. Differences between the locations grew as pollen counts increased and were most pronounced for counts exceeding 100 pollen grains/m³. Despite the differences between the locations, this study demonstrated that pollen counts obtained with a single pollen-sampling device may be cautiously used to represent pollen conditions in a large community.