The analysis of birch pollen season in northern Poland in 2017

This paper presents the course of pollen season of birch in Bialystok, Bydgoszcz, Drawsko Pomorskie, Koszalin, Olsztyn and Szczecin in 2017. Measurements were performed by the volumetric method (Burkard and Lanzoni pollen samplers). Pollen season was defined as the period in which 95% of the annual total catch occurred. Seasonal Pollen Index (SPI) was estimated as the annual sum of daily average pollen concentrations. Birch pollen season started first in Szczecin, on the 1st of April, lasted till the 9th of May and was the longest one in northern Poland. The highest recorded airborne concentration of 1575 pollen grains/m3 was noted in Olsztyn on 10th of April. The maximum values of seasonal pollen count occurred between 9th and 10th of April in all monitoring sites. Birch pollen season of 2017 was much less intense than the one of 2016.