Development and evaluation of pollen source methodologies for the Victorian Grass Pollen Emissions Module VGPEM1.0

Abstract

We present the first representation of grass pollen in a 3-D dispersion model in Australia, tested using observations from eight counting sites in Victoria. The region's population has high rates of allergic rhinitis and asthma, and this has been linked to the high incidence of grass pollen allergy. Despite this, grass pollen dispersion in the Australian atmosphere has not been studied previously, and its source strength is untested. We describe 10 pollen emission source methodologies examining the strengths of different immediate and seasonal timing functions, and the spatial distribution of the sources. The timing function assumes a smooth seasonal term, modulated by an hourly meteorologic..