Iowa Has No Pollen Counter — So How Accurate Are Your Allergy Reports?

(West Des Moines, IA) -- Pollen count is high today, but what if the levels you find online are wrong?

Iowa has no certified pollen counter, and never has. The Hawkeye State is among 6 states who have never filled the volunteer position in the 25 years it's existed.

It requires certification, training, and passing several tests with the National Allergy Bureau. The counter installs a small station to collect data, puts the samples collected under a microscope, and then reports what they find. The stations can cover approximately 90 square miles. Iowa is more than 50,000 square miles.

Often counters are members of the National Allergy Bureau. Iowa has 42 members, but none have assumed the volunteer role.

So where does the information you see online come from? The National Allergy Bureau says many websites pull pollen data from sources that aren’t vetted - and are often inaccurate. Sometimes as much as 50%.

The NAB says the states that have never had counters are Iowa, Hawaii, Maine, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wyoming. 12 more are currently without a certified counter including North Dakota, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Delaware, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, and North Carolina.

If you are interested in becoming a pollen counter click HERE.