Fitness of air quality measurement equipment for real-time aerobiological monitoring: case study from Rīga

There are about 300 aerobiological monitoring stations in Europe, providing regular observational data on pollen and spore concentration in the air. The data is available with a delay of 12 weeks or even more, which makes direct use for model-based forecasting immensely problematic. Automatic real-time pollen monitors are too expensive for massive deployment. Therefore, the primary attention is presently being put either to forecasting models that do not use observations in daily routine or to alternative ways for near real-time equipment for pollen monitoring. One of the solutions is an adaptation of existing air quality equipment for the needs of aerobiological monitoring. This study performs an analysis of the GRIMM monitoring station capability for the afore-mentioned purposes.