Michael Kwan
Michelle Kwok (Clinical Immunologist and Allergist, McGill University Health Centre)
Noah Brosseau (Assistant Director, the Nunavik Research Centre)

Seasonal allergies in Nunavik

If you or someone in your family has seasonal allergies (hay fever), you may have noticed itchy lips, a scratchy throat, or tin-gling in your mouth after eating certain raw fruits, vegetables, or nuts. This might be a sign of something called Pollen-Food Allergy Syndrome (PFAS). PFAS occurs when the immune system mistakenly identifies proteins in certain foods as similar to those found in pollen, causing a cross-reaction that triggers an allergic response. In most cases, symptoms are mild, but in rare cases, they can be serious, even leading to anaphylaxis. Dr. Michelle Kwok, a clinical allergist and immunologist from the McGill University Health Centre, has travelled to Nunavik communities and has seen many patients with poorly controlled asthma and PFAS symptoms. In addition to pollens, Dr. Kwok also suspects mold, fungal spores, and other airborne allergens may worsen asthma and allergy symptoms in the region. PFAS seems to be on the rise in Nunavik, but without local pollen monitoring data, many cases go unrecognized or mistreated.

Southern studies show that warming temperatures due to climate change are making pollen seasons longer, increasing the amount of airborne pollen and rendering allergies more common. Inuit in Nunavik may be more sensitive to these changes since, in the past, they experienced fewer seasonal allergies due to the shorter growing seasons and long winters, hence less exposure to pollen. Higher temperature might also lead to potential northward migration of allergenic tree species that were previously unknown in the North. Understanding how pollen is changing is key to managing allergy care in the North. But right now, there is no airborne pollen data for most of Northern Canada — making effective allergy treatment a challenge.

Pollen monitoring in Nunavik

This project is the first attempt to track pollen in Kuujjuaq year-round, aiming to understand how pollen levels change with the seasons. The data generated are crucial for establishing evidence-based strategies in allergy management and treatment. This work is a true collaboration between healthcare workers, scientists, and the Inuit community. As the project continues, Inuit knowledge of local plants will be vital in spotting southern species moving north — some of which may be allergenic. Because this project concerns public health, the Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services (NRBHSS) is fully involved. Findings will be shared with them — and with Kuujjuamiut — promptly.

A specialized pollen-collecting device called a ‘rotorod’ was installed at an open location just below the Hydro-Quebec complex in Kuujjuaq since mid-May 2025 for long-term continuous collecting of airborne pollens and spores. Kuujjuaq resident, Dr. Michael Kwan, with assistance from Dr. Noah Brosseau of the Nunavik Research Centre, manages the device and collects samples every morning. Weather conditions—like temperature, wind speed and direction, humidity, and precipitation—are recorded each day. These factors affect how much pollen and how many spores are in the air. Each month, samples are sent to Aerobiology Research Labs Inc. in Ottawa to identify and count the pollen and spores collected.

The ‘rotorod’ pollen collector is a standard tool in aerobiology. It has a 12-cm horizontal spinning arm mounted under a small metal box that contains a motor and timer. Each end of the arm holds a detachable lucid plastic rod coated with silicone grease, which helps catch airborne pollen. Powered by a motor, the rods spin around a central axis, collecting airborne pollens and spores. The unit runs 24/7, spinning for one minute and then pausing for nine minutes in each cycle. During the pause, the lucid plas-tic rods retract into a slot to protect them from rain, which could wash away the trapped pollen and spores. Every morning the pair of rods are replaced and stored in a capped plastic vial to pre-vent contamination. At the Ottawa lab, the rods are stained and examined under a microscope to identify and count the pollen and spores. Since the volume of air passing the rods each day is known, the number of pollen grains or spores per cubic meter of air can be accurately calculated.

Why this project matters

As mentioned by Dr. Michelle Kwok, continuous long-term pollen monitoring in Nunavik will provide critical real-time and long-term aerobiology data. “This is the first-ever long-term study of airborne pollen in Nunavik,” says Dr. Kwok. “Knowing what’s in the air, and when it peaks, will help healthcare workers to offer more effective treatments and advice to people suffering from allergies or asthma.”

Pollen monitoring in Nunavik will help with: (1) Better allergy diagnosis, by linking pollen levels with seasonal symp-toms; (2) Improved asthma care, including starting medications early before peak pollen season; (3) Identifying high-risk peri-ods to help patients take preventive steps; (4) Using allergy shots (immunotherapy) for specific pollen, like birch, if exposure is con-firmed; (5) Long-term tracking of how climate change is shifting pollen patterns in the North, with big public health and policy implications.

With more people in Nunavik experiencing PFAS, seasonal allergies, and asthma, and no local pollen data available, setting up monitoring stations is a necessary step toward building evi-dence-based allergy care and environmental health research for the region. This initiative will fill a major knowledge gap, improve patient care, and create a foundation for long-term studies on climate change and allergen exposure in northern Indigenous communities.

To learn more about allergy care in the Canadian North, visit (https://www.allergistonwings.org/). Dr. Kwok also co-founded Connexion Nordique to help bridge the gap in allergy services for communities in Northern Quebec. (https://www.connexion-nordique.com/).