Could an automated pollen counter help with hay fever?

Researchers at the University of Melbourne have installed Australia's first automated pollen counter which will revolutionise the way airborne pollen is recorded and help hay fever sufferers better manage their allergies. 

The automated pollen counter enables researchers to undertake continual pollen counts, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and helps form a greater picture of pollen and its health implications. The counter will replace manual counting which has been conducted for 3 decades. 

Located at the University's Parkville campus, the automated counter works by collecting samples of air. As the pollen grains fly through the collected air sample, the machine takes pictures. These pictures are then sent to machine learning algorithms which identify the types of pollen based on their shapes and sizes as they're in flight. 

As highlighted in the State of the Environment (SoE) 2018 Report, recent pollen investment has been focused on enhancing pollen forecasting.

Recommendation 4 of the SoE 2018 Report called for advances in forecasting to be complemented by a modern pollen-monitoring network that operates with state-wide coverage, increased automation and real-time observations.

The purchase and use of an automated pollen counter by the University of Melbourne is a critical breakthrough in pollen monitoring in Victoria. These devices are a crucial component of any pollen forecast system as they allow researchers to use real-world observations to generate and validate the quality of the pollen forecasts.

In the future, data from these devices will also allow researchers to produce several forecasts for different times in the day rather than the current forecasting which only provides one daily reading. 

Associate Professor Ed Newbigin and Dr Edwin Lampugnani coordinate the Melbourne Pollen Service and said the automated pollen counter is a game changer in how we count, track, and understand pollen. 

"The trap takes away the laboriousness of sitting under a microscope doing the daily count and lets us focus on interpreting the data," Associate Professor Newbigin said. "We can also measure different types of pollen, not just the common grass pollen." 

This extra data could be added to the Melbourne Pollen Count and Forecast App so more Victorians can better understand their triggers and manage their hay fever and asthma. 

"Since these new devices provide near real time information about what’s in the air, we can help people better understand what’s triggering their asthma or hay fever symptoms," Dr Lampugnani said. 

“Just as regular weather updates are often used to guide people’s daily activities, regular pollen forecasts are an important tool to help with managing a chronic illness, particularly during spring and early summer.” 

Many of the app's features are free to all users, and there are some paid features in the premium version to support ongoing research. "The app also has a survey that lets people tell us how they feel. We can use this information to identify particular days or times when people are feeling really terrible," Dr Lampugnani said. 

The new pollen counter also enhances our understanding of the rare but potentially deadly thunderstorm asthma. "Thunderstorm asthma is an acute event of allergy in the community that comes on rapidly. The pollen counter will provide better time resolution of data so we can know what was in the air at the time, helping us to better understand these severe health incidents," Associate Professor Newbigin said. 

The automated pollen counter is the first step in creating an automated pollen network that can extend Australia-wide. 

"With enough support, we can develop Australia’s first automated bioaerosol monitoring network, capturing not just pollen, but other airborne biological materials, such as mould spores," Dr Lampugnani said. 

“Our vision is to help the millions of Australians affected by allergies to airborne pollen and other allergens by discovering, translating and delivering research solutions so they can better manage their condition,” Dr Lampugnani said. 

The University of Melbourne has installed a second automated pollen counter in Perth, Western Australia, in collaboration with Curtin University and the Western Australia Asthma Foundation. 

More detail on pollen in Victoria can be found in in the Air key topic - Indicators A06 (Pollen) and A14 (Health impacts from pollen).