The capital’s Department of Natural Resources Management and Environmental Protection (DPiOOS) reported the beginning of flowering of birch – one of the most powerful allergens in the region. The duration of dusting is on average 20 days, but its intensity depends on meteorological conditions.
“Birch trees in the capital have entered an active flowering phase. This tree is considered the main culprit of seasonal allergies. The average duration of birch dusting is 20 days. The intensity of its dusting strongly depends on meteorological conditions – intense wind and precipitation reduce the amount of allergens in the air,” the department noted.
They also added that despite the fact that birch is found everywhere in the city, its total share in Moscow’s “green fund” does not exceed 10%.
The highest concentration of birch trees was recorded in the areas of Izmailovo, Sokolniki and Filevsky Park, as well as in the territories of the Kuzminki-Lublino and Tsaritsyno park zones.
“To mitigate the manifestations of hay fever, the Moscow Department of Natural Resources Management and Environmental Protection recommends that allergy sufferers, if possible, reduce the time spent on the street and shorten walks during the peak flowering period,” recommended the Department of Environmental Protection.
The independent environmental project BreezoMeter issued a similar warning today, publishing a map of tree pollen levels. According to this source, in Moscow and the Moscow region, pollen levels reached a level of five, which is the maximum possible value. In this case, the main contribution was made by birch – five points out of five.
