Scientists in the Netherlands have installed new devices that measure how much and what types of pollen are in the air, with the aim of providing hay fever sufferers with more accurate information.

New technology to measure pollen in the Netherlands automatically

The current way that researchers from Leiden University Medical Centre and Elkerliek Hospital in Helmond measure pollen is by manually distinguishing between the different types of pollen found in the air. This is usually done for days and weeks that have already passed, therefore providing outdated information.

With the goal of gathering more accurate data, two “pollen poles” have been installed on the roofs of Dutch hospitals, reports NOS. These devices will automatically measure the pollen amounts and types. 

To test the reliability of the new devices, the researchers will compare their manual counts with the results from the pollen poles. The goal is that in a few years, with the installation of more automatic counters, the technology will allow for a live pollen radar so that hay fever patients can take precautions. 

Pollen poles to help hay fever sufferers in the Netherlands

Anyone who suffers from allergies would have noticed the start of hay fever season at the end of March, and while pollen forecasts can help, sometimes they are not 100 percent accurate. Local weather and other factors mean the amount of pollen can vary depending on which city you are in.

For this reason, internist-allergologist Richard Oei believes the research is a good start in helping people understand their symptoms and make informed choices. "Even with this first step, we see important opportunities to concretely improve life with allergies," Oei explained to NOS. 

"Manual counts always lag behind the facts. Patients can then only find out how much pollen was in the air days to a week later, while they have already forgotten their complaints from then. By using automatic counters, this information will soon be available in almost real-time," said Oei.