How to interpret the forecast chart: Each category is a prediction of the pollen levels that will occur in and around Halifax in the next twenty-four hours. There are four categories: LOW, MODERATE, HIGH, and VERY HIGH. Categories are based on the threshold values gives below. Each prediction is made using weather forecasts from Meteorological Service of Canada Atlantic.

Expected pollen and spore concentrations in the suburbs may be twice as high as those in Halifax, and in rural areas four times as high as in Halifax.

*Although a prediction of spore levels is offered here, it should be added that spore levels are difficult to predict on an hourly basis.

Pollen and Spore Count for Halifax, Nova Scotia

Observed on: Friday, September 15th, 2006 (in pollen or spore count/m3)

Type:	4pm to 10pm	10pm to 4am	4am to 10am	10am to 4pm
Spores:	468	4212	4953	988

(Concentration in grains/m3)

	Tree	Weed	Grass	Spore
Absent	0	0	0	0
Low	>0-14	>0-9	> 0-4	>1 - 6499
Moderate	15 - 89	10 - 49	5 - 19	6500 - 12999
High	90 - 1499	50 - 499	20 - 199	13000 - 49999
Very High	> 1500	> 500	> 200	> 50000

These thresholds are those used by the National Allergy Bureau of the United States. They are based on statistical percentiles and do not necessarily reflect the possible severity of health effects. They are however an indication of health effects.

Absent - No symptoms.
Low - Extremely sensitive individuals will experience symptoms.
Moderate - Some sensitive individuals will experience symptoms.
High - Most sensitive individuals will experience symptoms.
Very High - Almost all sensitive individuals will experience symptoms, severity of symptoms may increase.

* Standards from the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology / National Allergy Bureau

For background information about airborne pollen and spores, please click here.

An update: Two additional traps, purchased by Environment Canada, are now in place to measure pollen and spore signals in Nova Scotia. The first is installed at a private home in Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia (about half-an-hour outside Halifax), while the second is on a farm at Noel Shore in central Nova Scotia. We will use the data we collect from these monitoring stations to develop a city: suburbs: countryside pollen and spore ratio.

Inquiries about the pollen and spore count or forecast can be directed to (902) 420-5482 (Adree DeLazzer, Brent LaPierre and Elisabeth Levac) or 420-5493 (Dr. David Richardson). Any questions on the medical implications should be directed to your physician. For tips on surviving the pollen season, contact the Lung Association of Nova Scotia at (902) 443-8141 or toll-free in Nova Scotia at 1-888-566-LUNG. Please e-mail the following address with any questions about how we count pollen and spores and how we make predictions: pollen@smu.ca

Common airborne pollen species collected in Halifax, Nova Scotia - This guide was created to enable allergy sufferers to become more familiar with allergenic plant species in Halifax. (PDF 4.5 megs)

To visit the model for our service, the Dublin Pollen Count and Irish Pollen Forecast, issued by the Trinity College Dublin School of Botany, please click here.

The count and forecast will be updated Monday to Friday at 8:00 p.m. A shorter version is available by telephone at (902) 426-9090, select 6.

THE POLLEN COUNT AND FORECAST SERVICE is located at Saint Mary's University, Halifax Nova Scotia. The service is supported by Environment Canada, a Science Horizons Youth Internship from Environment Canada, and a Senate Research Committee Grant from Saint Mary's University and it is sponsored by the Lung Association of Nova Scotia. Dr. David Richardson, Dean of Science at Saint Mary's and Dr. Elisabeth Levac, are the supervisors. Adree DeLazzer and Brent LaPierre are the research workers. David Waugh is the Environment Canada liaison.

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