Allergy symptoms are on the rise, with sneezing, itchy eyes and runny noses becoming more common and severe in recent decades both here in the Yakima Valley and across the nation.
To help combat this growing problem, Yakima Valley College, in partnership with the Washington State Department of Health (DOH), has established a pollen monitoring station on its Yakima Campus — the first of its kind in central Washington. This new resource will help track pollen levels in the area and provide valuable information for local allergy sufferers.
According to Rad Cunningham, climate and health program manager for the state’s office of environmental public health sciences, approximately one-third of the population suffers from seasonal allergies. For people with pre-existing respiratory conditions the added stress can lead to serious health problems.
The effort is part of a larger initiative to provide better outside air information to residents of the state of Washington.
ABOVE: From left, YVC Director of Facility Operations Jeff Morrow and Maintenance
Mechanic Andrew Lee along with Senior Project Manager Bardia Mohaghegh and Climate
and Health Program Manager Rad Cunningham from the state’s office of environmental
public health sciences install a pollen monitoring station on top of YVC’s Glenn Anthon
Hall on October 11, 2024. TOP: Lee, Mohaghegh, and Cunningham discuss the station
features during the installation.
“We are working on installing a pollen monitor in each of Washington’s 10 climate zones,” said Cunningham. “YVC is in the East Olympic Cascade Foothills climate zone. It is an ideal site to provide information to some of the most vulnerable populations in that zone.”
As the first public pollen monitoring station in central Washington, it will provide important information to researchers as well as allergy sufferers. Previously, the only data collection station for the state was located in North Seattle and pollen data from that station was then modeled for the entire state. DOH has also recently placed monitors at Gonzaga University and Pullman High School.
YVC’s installation coincided with the Washington State Public Health Association meeting also taking place at the college in October.
Data will be immediately available on the PollenWise app.
Story and photos by Stefanie Menard, AA-DTA ’05, communications consultant.