Pollen reading frequently asked questions
This page contains some answers to frequently asked questions.Pollen collection
Daily pollen readings are made as follows:- The pollen program uses a Burkard Volumetric Sampler with a 24 hour sample head. The sampler faces into the wind to optimize sample collection. A slide moves continuously over a 24 hour period to collect an uninterrupted sample
- Slides are collected from the monitoring stations every weekday morning, excluding holidays. The slides are taken to the Division’s lab and prepared for counting.
- Pollen for individual species are counted using a microscope. The pollen count is then statistically calculated for the day.
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What do the pollen ratings mean?
- Reactions to pollen will vary from individual to individual and is based on many different factors including an individual’s sensitivity to a particular pollen, amount of pollen an individual is exposed to, as well as weather (e.g. wind, temperature etc.).
- The colors are selected based on the number of pollen grains for each species in a sample. The color does not represent an individual’s sensitivity or potential reaction, but is based on the number of pollen grains only.
| Color code | Description | Number of grains |
|---|---|---|
|
Low | 1-15 |
|
Medium | 16-90 |
|
High | 91-1500 |
|
Very high | Over 1500 |
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Which species of plants are included?
The day to day counts include only those species that are contained in the sample.Return to pollen readings
What do the pollen counts mean?
The count value is the number of times that a particular species of pollen occurs in a sample. It is measured in pollen grains per cubic meter of air sampled. You might also be interested in the way we collect pollen samples, or finding out about which species are included in the countReturn to pollen readings
What does the reading date mean?
The reading date is the date that the pollen were counted. Due to the nature of sampling, typical pollen samples are collected the 24 hours prior to the reading. This means that Tuesday’s reading was started Monday morning, the slide was then collected and counted Tuesday morning.Return to pollen readings
What do you mean by East side and West side?
Due to the geography of Bernalillo County there are occasionally differences in pollen counts for the East and West sides. Because of this we include 2 sets of readings so that we can give you a more realistic picture of how the pollen is distributed. The east side site is located near Menaul and Pennsylvania and the west side site is located near Montano and Taylor Ranch.Return to pollen readings
What are the worst pollen producers?
For the Bernalillo County, the primary tree pollen producers are listed below.| Rank | Tree | Highest Daily Pollen Count Range |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mulberry | 395-10205 |
| 2 | Juniper | 726-2480 |
| 3 | Elm | 69-1065 |
| 4 | Cottonwood | 52-730 |
| 5 | Ash | 76-506 |
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If you believe that you have a pollen condition
If you believe you have pollen or other allergy you should seek out your primary care physician.Return to pollen readings
