Does the air-Q Measure Pollen?
Pollen, at 10–100 µm, are significantly larger than typical particulate matter fractions (PM2.5 = under 2.5 µm, PM10 = under 10 µm). This means the particulate matter sensor in the air-Q reports an elevated PM10 value and therefore does react to some pollen, but it cannot distinguish between pollen, road dust, and other coarse particles.
More relevant than whole pollen grains for allergies are so-called pollen fragments: in rain or high humidity, pollen grains burst and release fragments that are 0.5–5 µm in size – i.e., in the PM2.5 range. These fragments are highly allergenic and are often the cause of severe reactions and asthma attacks.
The air-Q does detect these pollen fragments. However, here too, it cannot distinguish between different pollen types.
For comparison, common allergenic pollens:
Forget-me-not (Myosotis) – 10–12 µm
Birch – 20–25 µm
Grasses – 25–35 µm
Rye – 70–90 µm
Hazel – 20–30 µm
Alder – 20–30 µm
Mugwort – 18–25 µm
Ragweed – 18–22 µm