Abstract
Pollen transport into houses via clothing was studied on different types of fabrics after clothing was aired or worn outdoors. After walking through grassland, 68 pollen grains/cm2 were found on clothes (tape samples). The amount of grass pollen, and especially pollen from insect-pollinated plants, increased from the shirt towards the shoes. The amount of pollen on clothes aired outdoors in a yard depended on the concentration in the ambient air and the texture of the fabrics. On vacuumed samples, 1.2 grains/cm2/h adhered to the furry fabric of fleece and wool, whereas only 0.3 grains/cm2/h adhered to a tight weave polyamide coat and a denim jacket. A moist cotton shirt gave slightly higher pollen counts in both the tape (8.6 grains/cm2/h) and the vacuumed samples (1.0 grains/cm2/h) compared to a dry shirt (5.6 and 0.6 grains/cm2/h), but the difference was not significant. Tape samples gave tenfold higher pollen numbers compared to vacuumed samples, probably due to the more optimal location of the tape sampling area on top of the shoulders. We conclude that clothing constitutes an important route for carrying allergenic pollen into houses. Pollen transport can be decreased by shaking outdoor clothing before entering a residence. In our case, shaking removed 68% pollen grains from trousers.
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