New Pollen Dashboards Give Mainers a Clearer Look at Local Conditions
Pollen can trigger everything from itchy eyes to serious asthma attacks. For the first time, Maine has near real-time pollen data to help people plan and protect their health.
New pollen dashboards from the MaineTracking Network provide timely information from five locations across the state and represent one of the first uses of AI-powered pollen monitoring in Maine.
Operated by the Department of Health and Human Services’ Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC), the MaineTracking Network uses a web-based data portal to connect people with information they can use to better understand and improve environmental public health in Maine.
In partnership with the Maine Department of Environmental Protection's (DEP) Bureau of Air Quality and the Mi'kmaq Nation Environmental Health Department, MaineTracking is now adding a new series of pollen dashboards to that website. The dashboards provide hourly, daily, and weekly summaries of pollen conditions at five locations across Maine:
- Augusta
- Bangor
- Cape Elizabeth
- Presque Isle
- Rumford
The dashboards give Mainers, health care providers, and community partners an easy way to check local pollen conditions and see how they change over time. As pollen seasons become longer and more intense, access to local, near real-time information can help people decide when to take steps to reduce their exposure, such as keeping windows closed, limiting time outdoors, or taking allergy medications.
The dashboards are designed for computers and mobile devices, making it easy to check conditions when planning activities such as going for a run, working in the yard, or sending children outside.
How the Technology Works
The new monitoring system is a collaboration among Pollen Sense, Inc., Maine DEP, the Mi'kmaq Nation Environmental Health Department, and MaineTracking. Pollen Sense provides the sensors and data processing technology. Maine DEP and the Mi'kmaq Nation place and maintain the monitors, while MaineTracking receives and processes the information and makes it available through the public dashboards and other data tools.
The monitors draw in air and capture particles on a roll of sticky tape. Every few minutes, microscopic digital images are taken and sent to Pollen Sense, where software uses algorithms and artificial intelligence to identify, categorize, and count pollen grains and other particles. This automated approach can provide information much more quickly than traditional manual pollen counting, which can take days or weeks to produce results.
Why Pollen Data Matters for Public Health
For people with allergies or respiratory conditions such as asthma, pollen can contribute to missed work or school, poor sleep, and visits to a health care provider or emergency department.
Timely, location-based pollen information can help people take action earlier, whether that means adjusting outdoor plans, taking allergy medications, or taking simple steps such as showering after spending time outside.
Making this information free and easy to access gives Mainers another tool to understand local conditions and make informed decisions during pollen season.
Building a Better Picture Over Time
The benefits of pollen monitoring extend beyond helping Mainers plan for the day ahead. As more information is collected, the data can help document how the timing, intensity, and geographic spread of pollen seasons change as Maine's climate warms.
Over time, this growing body of information may also support research into how changing pollen patterns affect respiratory conditions such as asthma and allergic rhinitis.
Together, near real-time information and longer-term data can provide a clearer picture of pollen conditions across Maine, helping people make informed decisions today while supporting a better understanding of pollen and its potential health impacts over time.
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