Pollen count

that was presented to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology in 2012, climate changes are expected to cause pollen counts to more than double by 2040.

The pollen particles drawn in by the pump are then stuck to a silicone grease-coated tape that is attached to a rotating drum.

The fuchsine selectively stains plant material magenta, making the pollen easy to differentiate from bycatch when analysed under a light microscope.

[5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12] Machines that use a camera paired with computer software to automatically count and identify pollen samples in the field are being developed and tested.

This has the potential to save time, standardise data collection, and provide real-time pollen counts without delay.