Abstract
High airborne pollen concentrations are generally associated with daylight hours when it is sunny and warm and plants release pollen into the air (Alcazar et al. 1999; Dahl et al. 2013). In contrast, cooler night-time periods are usually considered to be the time of low-allergy risk. This opinion is often reflected in pollen allergy avoidance strategies presented by the media, where the most commonly repeated recommendation is to stay indoors during the day and plan outdoor activities for the evening. However, there is evidence to suggest that elevated concentrations of airborne pollen might also occur during the evening (e.g. Norris-Hill and Emberlin 1991). So, is the night really a time of low-allergy risk? We present the results of the comparative analysis of pollen concentrations during daytime and night-time hours for five allergenic pollen types (Burbach et al. 2009), i.e. alder (Alnus sp.), birch (Betula sp.), grasses (Poaceae), mugwort (Artemisia sp.) and ragweed (Ambrosia sp.).
Highlights
High airborne pollen concentrations are generally associated with daylight hours when it is sunny and warm and plants release pollen into the air (Alcazar et al 1999; Dahl et al 2013)
The rejection of low concentrations of atmospheric pollen guarantees more robust data (Buters et al 2012), and so only 24-h periods with mean pollen levels C15 pollen/m3 were selected for analysis (n = 2177)
Analysis of mean and maximum pollen levels recorded from 08:00 to 08:00 showed that higher atmospheric pollen concentrations were more frequently recorded during daytime hours
Summary
High airborne pollen concentrations are generally associated with daylight hours when it is sunny and warm and plants release pollen into the air (Alcazar et al 1999; Dahl et al 2013). The rejection of low concentrations of atmospheric pollen guarantees more robust data (Buters et al 2012), and so only 24-h periods (from 08:00 to 08:00 day) with mean pollen levels C15 pollen/m3 were selected for analysis (n = 2177). Daytime and night-time airborne pollen concentrations (mean and maximum values) were compared using the nonparametric Mann–Whitney U test (Real Statistics Add-in to Excel).
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