ISLAMABAD:The pollen count on Sunday has increased up to 15,345 per cubic metre in the air, in the federal Capital, the highest level paper mulberry.
Talking to reporter, senior official of Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) Islamabad Dr Zaheer babar said as a result of less rainfall during the predicted months of February and March, the pollen abundance was sharply increased. He informed that the pollen was started early during the period and added that the pollen count would also increase during upcoming week. Pollen season is expected to end by mid April, he said and added, PMD has been monitoring the airborne pollen in Islamabad throughout the year.
Babar briefed that Pollen monitoring unit of PMD had installed pollen monitoring devices in Sectors H-8, E-8, F-10 and G-6 of Islamabad. The pollen concentration increases gradually with the onset of spring season and attains its peak around full blossom, he said adding that the most abundant pollen types in Islamabad were 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 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, he added.
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