ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Pollen is likely to start in first week of March 2018 in Twin Cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi and expected to attain peak during second fortnight of March. Pollen season is expected to end by mid-April.
Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) monitors the airborne pollen in Islamabad throughout the year.
Pollen monitoring unit of PMD has installed pollen monitoring devices in different sectors of Islamabad (H-8, E-8, F-10 and G-6), an official of Met office told the state-run news agency.
The pollen concentration increases gradually with the onset of spring season and attains its peak around full blossom. Rainy spell during the first week of March, may delay on set of pollen season in twin cities, he said.
The most abundant pollen types in the federal capital are from eight plant species (i. e. Paper Mulberry, Acacia, Eucalyptus, Pines, Grasses, Cannabis, Dandelion and Alternaria).
Out of all these plants Paper Mulberry shares about 97 percent 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.
