“While these pollen parties aren't particularly harmful to stream health, they sure know how to crash our sinuses. The longer and more intense allergy seasons are just one of the many ways climate change impacts our health,” said CBF Pennsylvania Science Policy & Advocacy Director Harry Campbell. “Taking action to curb threats of climate change will not just improve the health of our ecosystems but will also give our noses a break and keep our communities thriving.”
April is a peak month for pollen around the region. Pine trees release clouds of yellow-green pollen, which coat cars, sidewalks, homes and other surfaces.
When this pollen falls into waterways, it creates thick slicks that swirl along the surface.
Oak trees and many other species release smaller pollen grains that are not visible but can irritate sinuses and lungs and trigger allergies.
The Chesapeake Bay region includes some of the country’s top cities for allergies, including Scranton (#19), Allentown (#55), and Harrisburg (#57), according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.
Due to climate change, the region will likely experience earlier, and longer allergy seasons and higher pollen counts in the future. Research shows that pollen counts are increasing worldwide due to the changing climate.
In North America, allergy season starts 20 days earlier, and lasts eight days longer than in 1990, with 21 percent higher pollen concentrations in recent years.
Pollen Forecast Tool
Important work by federal agencies on pollen includes a groundbreaking pollen forecast tool led by NOAA, and data on how the pollen season is lengthening and intensifying from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
In the water, pollen becomes part of the food chain.
Bacteria and fungi break down the tough cell walls of pollen grains, which allows small organisms to eat the pollen. These in turn feed fish, birds, turtles, and other wildlife.
Pollen does contain small amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus, which contribute to algal blooms in local waters and the Bay.
But the amounts in pollen are insignificant when compared to pollution that enters the Chesapeake from cities, suburbs, farms, and other sources.
For more information, read the CBF’s blog: Does the Chesapeake Bay Get Allergies?
For more on Chesapeake Bay-related issues in Pennsylvania, visit the Chesapeake Bay Foundation-PA webpage. Click Here to sign up for Pennsylvania updates (bottom of left column). Click Here to support their work.
Also visit the Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership to learn how you can help clean water grow on trees.
CBF has over 275,000 members in Bay Watershed.
How Clean Is Your Stream?
The draft 2024 report has an interactive report viewer that allows you to zoom in to your own address to see if the streams near you are impaired and why.
Click Here to check out your streams. Click Here for a tutorial on using the viewer.
Related Articles This Week:
-- Brandywine Conservancy Launches New Website For Getting Started With Native Plants; Native Plant Sales In Delaware, Westmoreland Counties [PaEN]
-- North Branch Land Trust Hosts May 10 Event In Luzerne County On Exploring The Beauty And Importance Of Native Plants [PaEN]
-- CBF: Pollen Explosion Sometimes Creates Strange Green/Yellow Slicks On Waters In Chesapeake Bay Watershed [PaEN]
[Posted: April 14, 2025] PA Environment Digest
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