How do we measure pollen levels?

With summer in full swing those of us who suffer with hay fever are checking pollen levels daily. Do you know how we work these out?

Fear not, there is no need to head outside and begin counting each minuscule speck of pollen as it wafts through the air. Instead a tool called a ‘rotorod’ is used.

This device is designed to measure pollen and fungus spores in the air. Essentially, coated clear rods are placed in a field, encased within a small structure to protect it from weather, and checked every day to see how much pollen is stuck to it.

From this number we can determine the units of pollen per cubic metre of air and from there, place a pollen level in that area to inform hay fever sufferers of the day’s hazards.

Because of the method used it is not possible to be 100% accurate for pollen levels in every region but we can uncover a trend for your area.

If you are heading out to make the most of the sunshine, be sure to check the pollen count using our Pollen Feature on the homepage of the app.