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Light Pollution Extends Pollen Season by Up to 130 Days

6/5/2026

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Summary

Story summary

A PNAS Nexus study linked light pollution to longer pollen seasons.
The study found that trees in New York and Philadelphia start pollen earlier, keep it later, and extend the season by up to 130 days.
Cornell plant ecologist Daniel Katz warned that the extended pollen exposure can increase runny noses and asthma, and that light pollution blinds about 80 percent of North Americans from seeing the Milky Way.

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Story summary

A PNAS Nexus study linked light pollution to longer pollen seasons.
The study found that trees in New York and Philadelphia start pollen earlier, keep it later, and extend the season by up to 130 days.
Cornell plant ecologist Daniel Katz warned that the extended pollen exposure can increase runny noses and asthma, and that light pollution blinds about 80 percent of North Americans from seeing the Milky Way.