[Usefulness and practical use of an automatic counter for scattering pollen in spring].
BACKGROUND
In this decade some automatic pollen counters have been developed and showed them useful in some reports. However, the results of automatic counting have not been established.


METHODS
We have compared scattering cedar and cypress pollen counts with Durham pollen samplers and a newly developed automatic pollen counter (KH-3000) in the spring from 2000 to 2004 in Tokyo.


RESULTS
The relationship between the data of the automatic counter and that of a Durham sampler method is so good that this automatic counter seems useful. The best relationship between two methods was seen from late February to early April in the season of high amounts of pollens scatters. The ratio of pollen counts measured with automatic counter and Durham sampler was about 3.5 on average in the period of enough cedar and cypress pollen dispersion. The avoidance of pollens seems possible with real-time pollen information because reliability of automatic counting is highly evaluated when enough pollens scatter.


CONCLUSIONS
In future, the standardization of automatic counting should be necessary for the accurate evaluation of scattering pollens.
Imai
Toru
T
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, St. Luke's International Hospital. imaitoru@luke.or.jp
Nohara
Osamu
O
Endo
Tomohiko
T
Fukaya
Shuji
S
D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D028203:Cedrus; D029781:Cupressus; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D011058:Pollen; D012621:Seasons; D013997:Time Factors; D014041:Tokyo
D000393:Air Pollutants