Concentrations Of Allergenic Pollen Research Articles

Pollen Monitoring in the City of Ivano-Frankivsk, Western Ukraine

The results of aeropalynological studies in Ivano-Frankivsk during 2013–2015 are presented in this article. The studies were conducted using a specially designed gravimetric Durham pollen trap installed at a height of 24 m from the ground. We determined that pollen grains of the following taxa dominate in the city’s aeropalynological spectrum: <em>Corylus</em>, <em>Alnus</em>, <em>Betula</em>, <em>Populus</em>, <em>Fraxinus</em>, <em>Salix</em>, <em>Carpinus</em>, <em>Quercus</em>, <em>Pinus</em>, <em>Picea</em>, Poaceae, Urticaceae, <em>Artemisia</em>, and <em>Ambrosia</em>. Pollen grains from woody plants dominate the aeropalynological spectrum. The considerable presence of the tree pollen grains in the ambient air is due to the geographical location of Ivano-Frankivsk in the forest-steppe zone of Ukraine. Pollen season of allergenic plants lasts from the second week of February to early October. The most unfavorable period for patients with pollen allergy in Ivano-Frankivsk is April, when there is a simultaneous appearance of high concentrations airborne allergenic pollen of <em>Betula</em>, <em>Fraxinus</em>, and <em>Carpinus</em>. From the second week of May to mid-July, high (>50 pollen grains/m<sup>3</sup>) concentrations of allergenic pollen of the Poaceae family members are detected in the air. In the second half of August and early September, high concentrations of allergenic <em>Ambrosia </em>pollen were recorded in the city air. Conducting of pollen monitoring in the city is extremely necessary for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of pollen allergy.

Allergenic pollen concentrations in the air of urban parks in relation to their vegetation

In the face of the intensifying process of urbanization and the increased incidence of pollen allergies among urban residents, there is still a need to continuously monitor the airborne concentration of allergenic plant pollen. Urban green spaces (UGS) are a desirable element of the urban fabric and necessary for the proper functioning of cities, but they are a rich source of allergenic pollen that may pose a certain risk to people visiting them. The main aim of this study was to analyse the airborne allergenic pollen content in parks of different types relative to a reference point located on the roof of a building. Moreover, this study investigated the relationship between tree canopy volume and the number of recorded airborne pollen grains (SPIn- Seasonal Pollen Integral), and these parameters were compared with the potential impact of vegetation in the parks studied through the Index of Urban Green Zones Allergenicity (IUGZA). Aerobiological monitoring was carried out in Rzeszów, SE Poland in 2016. A volumetric Hirst-type device was used. The pollen seasons of many taxa largely overlapped at each site where the monitoring was carried out, but the concentration values clearly differed. Tree pollen concentration values were not dependent on total canopy volume, and the greatest disproportions were found for Acer, Betula, Quercus, and Tilia pollen. This may be due to the fact that a solitary tree produces more pollen than a tree growing near others of the same species. The downtown park, surrounded by densely built-up areas, exhibited the highest allergenic potential, and the concentration of pollen, in particular tree pollen, was highest there. It is undesirable to plant hedges of allergenic plants, as they are a rich local source of pollen. Aerobiological monitoring carried out in urban parks provides information about the real threat of allergenic pollen to park visitors.

Allergenic pollen production across a large city for common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia)

Predictions of airborne allergenic pollen concentrations at fine spatial scales require information on source plant location and pollen production. Such data are lacking at the urban scale, largely because manually mapping allergenic pollen producing plants across large areas is infeasible. However, modest-sized field surveys paired with allometric equations, remote sensing, and habitat distribution models can predict where these plants occur and how much pollen they produce. In this study, common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) was mapped in a field survey in Detroit, MI, USA. The relationship between ragweed presence and habitat-related variables derived from aerial imagery, LiDAR, and municipal data were used to create a habitat distribution model, which was then used to predict ragweed presence across the study area (392 km2). The relationship between inflorescence length and pollen production was used to predict pollen production in the city. Ragweed occurs in 1.7% of Detroit and total pollen production is 312 × 1012 pollen grains annually, but ragweed presence was highly heterogeneous across the city. Ragweed was predominantly found in in vacant lots (75%) and near demolished structures (48%), and had varying associations with land cover types (e.g., sparse vegetation, trees, pavement) detected by remote sensing. These findings also suggest several management strategies that could help reduce levels of allergenic pollen, including appropriate post-demolition management practices. Spatially-resolved predictions for pollen production will allow mechanistic modeling of airborne allergenic pollen and improved exposure estimates for use in epidemiological and other applications.

Fine-Scale Exposure to Allergenic Pollen in the Urban Environment: Evaluation of Land Use Regression Approach.

Background:Despite the recent developments in physically and chemically based analysis of atmospheric particles, no models exist for resolving the spatial variability of pollen concentration at urban scale.Objectives:We developed a land use regression (LUR) approach for predicting spatial fine-scale allergenic pollen concentrations in the Helsinki metropolitan area, Finland, and evaluated the performance of the models against available empirical data.Methods:We used grass pollen data monitored at 16 sites in an urban area during the peak pollen season and geospatial environmental data. The main statistical method was generalized linear model (GLM).Results:GLM-based LURs explained 79% of the spatial variation in the grass pollen data based on all samples, and 47% of the variation when samples from two sites with very high concentrations were excluded. In model evaluation, prediction errors ranged from 6% to 26% of the observed range of grass pollen concentrations. Our findings support the use of geospatial data–based statistical models to predict the spatial variation of allergenic grass pollen concentrations at intra-urban scales. A remote sensing–based vegetation index was the strongest predictor of pollen concentrations for exposure assessments at local scales.Conclusions:The LUR approach provides new opportunities to estimate the relations between environmental determinants and allergenic pollen concentration in human-modified environments at fine spatial scales. This approach could potentially be applied to estimate retrospectively pollen concentrations to be used for long-term exposure assessments.Citation:Hjort J, Hugg TT, Antikainen H, Rusanen J, Sofiev M, Kukkonen J, Jaakkola MS, Jaakkola JJ. 2016. Fine-scale exposure to allergenic pollen in the urban environment: evaluation of land use regression approach. Environ Health Perspect 124:619–626; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1509761

Patient hay-fever diary and personal symptom forecast

Since 2009 the web based Patient’s Hay-fever Diary (PHD, www. pollendiary.com) has been used in ten European countries by over 25,000 users. PHD allows users to document their polleninduced symptoms of nose, eyes and bronchi, as well as their overall health, the medication used and their location. Regional pollen data supplied by the European Aeroallergen Network (https://ean.polleninfo.eu/Ean) allows analysis between pollen counts and pollen-induced symptoms. The correlation of pollen count data and pollen-induced symptoms enables determinations of personal threshold values for all major pollen species such as birch, grass and ragweed (i.e. the number of pollen grains recorded in the region that are needed to induce allergic symptoms). The severity of organspecific symptoms for the nose, eye and bronchi can be predicted using the combined results of PHD and a forecast for atmospheric concentrations of allergenic pollen. This personal pollen information (PPI) can then be sent to the user via a newly developed application (APP) for mobile devices. This will aid hay fever sufferers to avoid exposure to atmospheric concentrations of allergenic pollen and help them plan medication.

First annual register of allergenic pollen in Talca, Chile

BackgroundThere are no data on atmospheric pollen in Talca. In the present work, our aim is to describe the amount of pollen grain in the atmosphere of the city of Talca likely to cause pollinosis of its inhabitants. MethodsA volumetric Hirst sampler (Burkard seven-day recording device) was used to study pollen levels. It was placed in the centre of Talca from May 2007 to April 2008. ResultsThe highest airborne presence of pollen, as measured in weekly averages, was Platanus acerifolia with a maximum weekly daily average of 203grains/m3 registered during September and October. The second highest was Acer pseudoplatanus with a maximum weekly daily average of 116grains/m3. Populus spp. had a maximum weekly daily average 103grains/m3. Olea europaea reached 19grains/m3 in November. Grasses presented high levels of pollen counts with a maximum weekly daily average of 27grains/m3 from the end of August until the end of January. Pollens of Plantago spp. Rumex acetosella and Chenopodium spp. had a similar distribution and were present from October to April with maximum weekly daily average of 7grains/m3, 7grains/m3 and 3grains/m3 respectively. Significant concentrations of Ambrosia artemisiifolia were detected from February until April. ConclusionThe population of Talca was exposed to high concentrations of allergenic pollen, such as P. acerifolia, A. pseudoplatanus, and grasses in the months of August through November. The detection of O. europaea and A. artemisiifolia is important as these are emergent pollens in the city of Talca. Aerobiological monitoring will provide the community with reliable information about the level of allergenic pollens, improving treatment and quality of life of patients with respiratory allergy.

Airborne pollen grains in Ajlun, Northern Jordan, 2006–2007

The related factors concern the dates of the appearance of pollen grains in the air, the duration of the presence of sporomorphs and the maximum concentrations in particular seasons were investigated. The aim of the study was to compare the airborne concentrations of allergenic pollen produced by three dominant early flowering tree taxa (Cupressus, Pinus and Olea) in the three different sites (Ajlun city (A), Rabbad castle (C), and Debbeen (D)) of Ajlun during the years 2006–2007. Measurements were performed by the volumetric method. Pollen seasons were defined as the periods in which 95% of the total catch occurred. Significant differences in the pollen count of the examined taxa were observed between two seasons: the pollen count of Cupressus was higher in 2006 than in 2007, while for Pinus and Olea the opposite was the case. The highest concentration and annual pollen counts of Pinus, Cupressus and Olea were measured in Ajlun city in both seasons, where the annual pollen count of Olea in 2007 was four times higher than in 2006 and equalled 4,215 grains in m3 per 24 h. The longest pollen seasons were observed at low annual pollen counts for the pollen of Cupressus. Results of the study reveal significant differences between the seasons and the cities. The pollen counts of Cupressus, Pinus and Olea trees are determined by the weather, diversity of local flora and specific rhythm of pollination of particular taxa.

Changes in the concentration of grass pollen in the atmosphere of Poznań

The aim of the study was to determine the concentrations of grass pollen during the vegetation season in the atmosphere of Poznań against the background of the content of pollen of other plants and mould fungi. Observations were conducted in 1997. Concentrations of pollen grains and spores of mould fungi in the atmosphere were assessed by the volumetric method. For this purpose, the Burkard apparatus (Seven-Day Recording Volumetric Spore Trap) was set up on the roof of the 8-storey high building of the Maximum College of the Agricultural University in Poznań. The continuous, 24-hour work of the apparatus made possible to monitor concentrations of allergenic pollen throughout the experiment. The tape was glued to a microscopic glass and evaluated under the light microscope. The number of pollen grains and mould spores on individual sections (2 mm per hour) of the tape allowed determining their concentration per 1 m<sup>3</sup> of air. Microscopic evaluation was conducted every 24 hours, collecting analytical material from the trap at 10 a.m. in which pollen and spores were determined. From among many wind pollinated taksons of plants, species from the grass family - because of their long period of pollination and clinical significance - play an important role in the structure of allergenic pollen in the atmosphere of Poznań. The highest concentration of grass pollen was recorded during the period from the end of May to the end of the first decade of July. From then on, the concentration of grass pollen in the air dropped rapidly and remained on a low level, not exceeding 7.5 pollen grains calculated per 1 m<sup>3</sup> air per 24 hours. The higher concentration of grass pollen was recorded on June 29<sup>th</sup> - 360.4 grains · m<sup>-3</sup>. In terms of 24-hour period, the highest concentrations of the pollen grains in the air on a day without rain occurred between 9 and 11 a.m., whereas the lowest - at night.

Co-occurrence of airborne allergenic pollen grains and fungal spores in Rzeszów, Poland (2000-2002)

The co-occurrence of airborne allergenic pollen grains and fungal spores was estimated in Rzeszów in the years 2000-2002. The volumetric method was used in this aerobiological study. Six taxa of pollen grains and five types of fungal spores characterized by strong allergenicity and/or high concentrations in the air were analyzed. The time series of pollen grains and fungal spores were compared using PCA analysis. The periods of the greatest concentrations of tree pollen did not coincide with similar periods for herbaceous plants and fungal spores. From February to mid-March, <i>Alnus</i> pollen dominated in the air. The second period was characterized by <i>Betula</i> pollen. It occurred in April. Herbaceous pollen and fungal spores occurred in the air simultaneously (from mid May to the end of August), creating a risky situation for sensitized people. The periods of the highest concentrations of <i>Epicoccum</i> and <i>Ganoderma</i> fungal spores did not coincide with the same period for the examined plant taxa. In Rzeszów the probability of becoming exposed to very high concentrations of allergenic pollen and fungal spores at the same time was high, especially in July, when the highest concentrations of Poaceae, <i>Alternaria</i> and <i>Cladosporium</i> were noted. The hypersensitivity to only one plant or fungal allergen is rarely encountered. Under the present scenarios of global warming, pollen seasons of many taxa will be longer and sufferers will have year-long symptoms.

Assessment between pollen seasons in areas with different urbanization level related to local vegetation sources and differences in allergen exposure

Pollen data recorded by a single sampler in any given city often fail to reflect particular events occurring in surrounding areas. This is frequently overlooked when interpreting aerobiological results, and therefore pollen data obtained in urban areas may not necessarily be representative of the situation in more rural areas of the same city. Our purpose is to assess differences between allergenic pollen concentrations recorded in an urban area (Eskulap) and a rural/suburban (Morasko) of the same city from 2005 to 2007. Anova-Manova Scheffe, Spearman correlation and Mixed-design ANOVA whitin-subjects effects tests were applied. The results obtained have showed longer pollen seasons, earlier starts of flowering and later conclusion in the urban area. The participation of arboreal pollen in the pollen fall of both sites had enough significative similarities to determine that is linked to regional conditions, while differences in the atmospheric pollen content of herbaceous plants between sites should be due to local conditions.

Allergenic pollen and pollen allergy in Europe

The allergenic content of the atmosphere varies according to climate, geography and vegetation. Data on the presence and prevalence of allergenic airborne pollens, obtained from both aerobiological studies and allergological investigations, make it possible to design pollen calendars with the approximate flowering period of the plants in the sampling area. In this way, even though pollen production and dispersal from year to year depend on the patterns of preseason weather and on the conditions prevailing at the time of anthesis, it is usually possible to forecast the chances of encountering high atmospheric allergenic pollen concentrations in different areas. Aerobiological and allergological studies show that the pollen map of Europe is changing also as a result of cultural factors (for example, importation of plants such as birch and cypress for urban parklands), greater international travel (e.g. colonization by ragweed in France, northern Italy, Austria, Hungary etc.) and climate change. In this regard, the higher frequency of weather extremes, like thunderstorms, and increasing episodes of long range transport of allergenic pollen represent new challenges for researchers. Furthermore, in the last few years, experimental data on pollen and subpollen-particles structure, the pathogenetic role of pollen and the interaction between pollen and air pollutants, gave new insights into the mechanisms of respiratory allergic diseases.

Allergenic pollen and pollinosis in Madrid

Objective: A 15-year pollen count was performed in the atmosphere of Madrid, Spain, to determine the months in which the highest concentrations of allergenic pollens occur. Methods: Pollen counts were done with a Burkard spore trap (Burkard Manufacturing, Rickmansworth, Herst., U.K.). The results were subsequently compared with results of skin tests in patients with pollinosis born and living in and around Madrid. Results: The highest airborne presence (percent of total yearly pollen counts, mean of counts from 1979 to 1993) was for Quercus spp. (17%); followed by Platanus spp. (15%), Poaceae (15%), Cupressaceae (11%), Olea spp. (9%), Pinus spp. (7%), Populus spp. (4%), and Plantago spp. (4%). The most predominant pollens from January to April are tree pollens (Cupressaceae, Alnus, Fraxinus, Ulmus, Populus, Platanus, and Morus), although these are also abundant in May and June ( Quercus, Olea, and Pinus spp.). The grass pollination period shows a double curve: the first peak occurs from February to April (8% of yearly grasses), and the second peak occurs from May to July (90% of yearly grasses). Among allergenically significant weeds, the most notable is Plantago; in contrast, Rumex, Urticaceae, Cheno-Amaranthaceae, and Artemisia spp. have very low concentrations (≤2% yearly total pollens). The most significant allergenic pollen is that of grasses, with a prevalence of positive prick test results of 94%, followed by Olea europaea (61%), Plantago lagopus (53%), Platanus hybrida (52%), and Cupressus arizonica (20%). Conclusion: The population of Madrid is exposed to high concentrations of allergenic pollen from February to July, although the most intense period is from May to June. Grass pollens are the most important cause of pollinosis in this area. ( J Allergy Clin Immunol 1995;96:15-23.)