Concentration Of Pollen Grains Research Articles

An Investigation on Potential Dispersal of Airborne Pollen Over China and Their Impact on Climate as Ice Nuclei Using RegCM‐Pollen

AbstractPollen can serve as an effective ice‐nuclei (IN), altering cloud microphysical and radiative properties, thus precipitation and cloud life cycles. Here, a nationwide pollen emission inventory with a horizontal resolution of 5 km was established based on a parameterization scheme of mass balance of pollen grain fluxes surrounding the plant crowns, and using satellite observational data sets (including leaf area index and fractional vegetation cover) as well as pollen emission rates. The potential emission is then implemented in RegCM‐pollen model which treated pollen as aerosol tracers. Besides, pollen‐IN parameterization schemes were incorporated in RegCM‐pollen to simulate the interactions between pollen and ice clouds. Investigations show that the mean annual pollen emission in China is 2.65 × 107 grains m−2 yr−1, mainly distributed in the south and northeast of China. The IN magnitude is mainly determined by a combination of temperature and pollen concentration. Notably, an increasing number concentration of pollen grains produces opposite effects in Southern China (SC) and Northern China (NC). The weakened upward motion and vertical transport of water vapor in NC made ice clouds hardly form, resulting in cloud forcing (CF) of +0.86 W/m2. In contrast, it generates a CF of −0.84 W/m2 in SC mainly owing to expanded cloud cover. The changes in shortwave radiative forcing is more significant compared to longwave radiative forcing in the two regions. At the surface, the net radiative forcing in NC is +0.74 W/m2, while it is a −0.51 W/m2 in SC. Among them, downward shortwave radiative forcing is approximately twice that of upward longwave radiative forcing in SC and 1.4 times in NC. Surface temperature shows rising over NC, ranging from 0.05 to 0.25 K. In SC, it is primarily decreasing by −0.12 to −0.03 K. The pollen‐IN effect also causes a decline of precipitation in NC (−0.17 mm/day) and a rise in SC (0.09 mm/day). Our results suggest that the pollen effect on ice clouds is complex, yet significant in understanding its impact on radiation and climate of the atmosphere.

The dispersal of fluvially discharged and marine, shelf-produced particulate organic matter in the northern Gulf of Mexico

Abstract. Rivers play a key role in the global carbon cycle by transporting terrestrial organic matter (TerrOM) from land to the ocean. Upon burial in marine sediments, this TerrOM may be a significant long-term carbon sink, depending on its composition and properties. However, much remains unknown about the dispersal of different types of TerrOM in the marine realm upon fluvial discharge since the commonly used bulk organic matter (OM) parameters do not reach the required level of source- and process-specific information. Here, we analyzed bulk OM properties, lipid biomarkers (long-chain n-alkanes, sterols, long-chain diols, alkenones, branched and isoprenoid glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (brGDGTs and isoGDGTs)), pollen, and dinoflagellate cysts in marine surface sediments along two transects offshore the Mississippi–Atchafalaya River (MAR) system, as well as one along the 20 m isobath in the direction of the river plume. We use these biomarkers and palynological proxies to identify the dispersal patterns of soil–microbial organic matter (SMOM), fluvial, higher plant, and marine-produced OM in the coastal sediments of the northern Gulf of Mexico (GoM). The Branched and Isoprenoid Tetraether (BIT) index and the relative abundance of C32 1,15-diols indicative for freshwater production show high contributions of SMOM and fluvial OM near the Mississippi River (MR) mouth (BIT = 0.6, FC321,15 > 50 %), which rapidly decrease further away from the river mouth (BIT < 0.1, FC321,15 < 20 %). In contrast, concentrations of long-chain n-alkanes and pollen grains do not show this stark decrease along the path of transport, and especially n-alkanes are also found in sediments in deeper waters. Proxy indicators show that marine productivity is highest close to shore and reveal that marine producers (diatoms, dinoflagellates, coccolithophores) have different spatial distributions, indicating their preferred niches. Close to the coast, where food supply is high and waters are turbid, cysts of heterotrophic dinoflagellates dominate the assemblages. The dominance of heterotrophic taxa in shelf waters in combination with the rapid decrease in the relative contribution of TerrOM towards the deeper ocean suggest that TerrOM input may trigger a priming effect that results in its rapid decomposition upon discharge. In the open ocean far away from the river plume, autotrophic dinoflagellates dominate the assemblages, indicating more oligotrophic conditions. Our combined lipid biomarker and palynology approach reveals that different types of TerrOM have distinct dispersal patterns, suggesting that the initial composition of this particulate OM influences the burial efficiency of TerrOM on the continental margin.

A 2-Year Study to Analyze the Distribution and Concentration of the Major Airborne Pollen Grains During the Spring Seasons in Northeast Florida

There has been an increase in pollen allergy in the last 20-30 years with the anemophilous pollen being responsible for the majority of pollinosis. The increase in allergies from tree pollen is believed to be partly attributed to climate change caused by increasing global temperatures, and changes in precipitation patterns. We hypothesized that significant differences in the seasonal pollen release will be observed between the spring pollen seasons of 2021 and 2022.

Sea level changes and sequence stratigraphy of the Lower-Middle Jurassic Quse and Sewa formations in the Qiangtang Basin, central Tibet: Geochemical and palynological perspectives

ABSTRACT Sequence stratigraphy is a commonly used approach to understand basin-fill history and the occurrence of conventional reservoir and/or probable source rocks. Reconstructing a sequence stratigraphic framework in carbonates, marls, and organic-rich mudstones is challenging due to environmental, petrophysical, and sedimentological variations that can be subtle, whereas seismic data may be lacking or of limited use. For this reason, incorporation between palynological analysis and chemostratigraphic profiles is becoming increasingly common to facilitate sequence stratigraphic reconstruction. This study investigates the Quse (lower Toarcian) and Sewa formations (upper Bajocian-Bathonian) in the Bilong Co section from the Qiangtang Basin of central Tibet. Eighty-three rock samples were analysed for their whole-rock inorganic geochemical composition, of which 25 rock samples were tested for palynological and palynofacies analyses. The palynological composition defined two associations for the study section. The lower part of the Bilong Co section consisted is dominated by a moderate to high abundance of opaque phytoclasts versus low to moderate amorphous organic matter (AOM) content with a high concentration of sphaeromorphs pollen grains, revealing deposition of this interval at times of low relative sea level in fluvio-deltaic settings. The middle to upper parts of the section comprised of significantly high AOM content versus low phytoclasts and high content of sphaeromorphs pollen grains, but with increasing the relative abundance of dinoflagellate cysts, indicating a phase of high sea level. Chemostratigraphic variations relevant to changes in relative sea level delineated the subdivision of the Quse and Sewa formations into two and three third-order transgressive-regressive sequences, respectively. The collision between the Lhasa and Qiangtang blocks during the Early-Middle Jurassic is suggested to control consequent subduction and sea level highstand, especially during deposition of the Sewa Formation. Geochemical proxies that relate to shelf carbonate production are calcium, strontium, whereas proxies that relate to siliciclastics include titanium, zirconium, manganese, aluminium, and silicon, other redox-sensitive proxy like uranium is also implemented. This indicates that chemostratigraphic proxies are a promising tool for the interpretation of sea level cyclicity in terms of systems tracts and bounding surfaces.

Effect of processing steps on phenolic profile of rape honey (Brassica napus) using HPLC-ECD

To evaluate the effects of processing steps in honey production on physicochemical properties and phenolic profile, the processing treatments of preheating (45/50/55 °C, 30 min), filtration (100/150/200 mesh) and moisture reduction (45/50/55 °C, 20 min, 0.09 MPa) were performed on rape honey (Brassica napus). The results showed that there was a significant decrease in the diastase activity during preheating and a significant increase in the 5-hydroxymethylfurfural content during moisture reduction. As for ten phenolic compounds determined in this study using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrochemical detection (HPLC-ECD), the process of moisture reduction with the temperature of 55 °C led to the most significant decrease in the content of phenolics. Compared with phenolic acids, thermal treatments had less effect on flavonoids. The concentrations of pollen grains enriched with phenolics reduced from 2.36 ± 0.11 to 0.46 ± 0.10 pollen grains·mm−2 after the process of filtration. Thus, the results indicated that the decrease of pollen concentrations caused by filtration and the temperature change during thermal treatments were considered to be the factors affecting the content of phenolic compounds. Taken together, even the mild processing treatments of honey may decrease the potential functional components and thus affecting the intrinsic quality of honey.

Oak pollen season in selected cities in Poland in 2022

Oak (Quercus sp.) is a common species in Poland. Que a 1, which triggers allergic reactions in spring, is the main oak allergen. The aim of the study was to compare the oak pollen season in 13 Polish cities in 2022. Pollen was monitored with the volumetric method. The analyses determined the annual sum of pollen grains, the length of the pollen season (using the 98% method), the highest peak pollen concentrations, the dates of maximum pollen concentrations, and the number of days with pollen concentrations above threshold values causing clinical allergy symptoms. The earliest onset of the oak pollen season was noted in Szczecin (April 11th), and the latest beginning was recorded in Lublin and Kielce (May 5th). The shortest and the longest pollen seasons were recorded in Cracow (22 days) and in Szczecin (48 days), respectively. The highest total daily concentration of pollen grains was recorded in Opole (5083) and the lowest value was noted in Bialystok (112) and Szczecin (328). The highest maximum concentration of oak pollen was recorded in Sosnowiec and Kielce (625 and 543 grains/m3, respectively), whereas the lowest values were noted in Bialystok and Szczecin (27 and 47 grains/m3, respectively). In most of the analyzed cities in Poland, the peak oak pollen release was recorded between May 7th and 12th. The highest risk of allergic reactions caused by oak pollen allergens was reported from Opole, Piotrkow Trybunalski, and Zielona Gora.

Influence of meteorological factors on the dynamics of hazel, alder, birch and poplar pollen in the 2021 season in Kielce, Poland.

Hazel, alder, birch, and poplar pollen allergens are a common cause of pollen allergies. In a temperate climate, wind-pollinated plants are characterized by a seasonal pollen release cycle associated with the seasons of the year and weather conditions. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to assess the course of pollen seasons of some allergenic plants and to determine the effect of meteorological factors on the content of pollen grains in the bioaerosol in 2021 in Kielce, Poland. In relation to selected meteorological parameters, the length of the total and main pollen season, the sum of daily pollen grain concentrations in the season, the peak pollen concentration, and the number of days with values exceeding the species-specific threshold concentrations, were determined. Hazel and alder pollen were the first to appear in the air of Kielce. The longest pollen season was observed for birch, while hazel was characterized by the shortest season. The alder pollen release was intense, with the highest maximum concentration of pollen grains. The study revealed a significant influence of the maximum air temperature on the dynamics of hazel, alder and poplar pollen release. Birch pollen release was significantly correlated with the average air humidity. The concentration of alder and birch pollen grains also depended on rainfall intensity. The wind force had a significant impact on the pollen season of plants. There were various relationships between the meteorological factors and the content of pollen grains in the air. The wind speed and temperature had the greatest impact on plant pollen release, with birch and alder being particularly sensitive to weather conditions.

A Study of Airborne Pollen Grains and Fungal Spores in the Region of Epirus (Northwestern Greece)

Introduction: In the region of Epirus (Northwestern Greece) there are characteristic climatic and geographical conditions that facilitate the growth of typical vegetation with the production of allergic pollen. Aerobiological research into airborne pollen diversity and seasonal variation in pollen counts and fungi spores has become essential due to the growing incidence of allergic rhinitis, allergic asthma, and other pollen-related and spore-related allergic conditions. Furthermore, weather conditions and other factors like air pollution may affect the intensity, the onset, and the duration of the pollen season, and the impact on the patient's symptomatology.Methods: The diversity of airborne pollen grains (grains/m3) and fungal spores (spores/m3) in the region of Epirus were measured volumetrically using Burgard trap for 13 months, from May 1, 2017 to May 31, 2018.Results: Totally, 10 pollen families and two fungi were recognized. The six most common taxa were Cupressaceae, Pinaceae, Urticaceae, Poaceae, Betulaceae, and Compositeae. The fungi taxa were Cladosporium and Alternaria. Peak pollen centralization was recorded from May to September. Urticaceae had the longest pollen season while Oleaceae and Pinaceae had the shorter. Fungal spores were recorded during all the months of the year. Also, there was a correlation between meteorological parameters and most pollen taxa.Conclusion: The pollen and spore calendar shows the concentration of pollen grains and fungal spores in the region of Epirus. This knowledge is important for physicians and allergic patients as it could improve the management of the allergic respiratory disease.

Analysis of air pollen monitoring results in Perm and determination of main directions of pollen grain transfer

This paper considers the atmospheric transport of pollen grains of 15 allergenic plant species. An analysis of monitoring results reveals that the most significant numbers of pollen grains refer to birch, nettle, pine, and poplar. Seasonal changes in the numbers of pollen grains have shown that the pollen of elm, blooming in April, is brought from neighboring regions. In May, the main amounts of the bioaerosol are given by birch, maple, spruce, pine, poplar, oak, and hazel. In the period from June to August, the sources of pollen emissions are cereals, nettles, wormwood, sorrel, and plantain. A good quantitative relationship has been revealed between the contents of pollen grains of plantain and sorrel; cereals and wormwood; cereals and nettles; hazel and plantain. A significant, but less close negative relationship has been found between the numbers of pollen grains of poplar and maple. To account for the wind direction accompanying the transfer of the bioaerosol, daily radio sensing data for the period from April to August, 2010 to 2019, are used. As the main direction of transfer, the level of 925 hPa is chosen, which corresponds to heights from 500 to 900 m. These grouped data allow us to obtain "wind rose" diagrams combined with relative numbers of pollen grains of different species. An analysis of the thus obtained diagrams shows that in some years the highest concentration of birch pollen grains in May may not correspond to the prevailing direction of the main transport, which may be due to the influence of less distant emission sources.

Cannabis, an emerging aeroallergen in southeastern Spain (Region of Murcia)

The evolution of the behaviour of the Cannabis taxon in the Region of Murcia, Spain, has been analysed (in the cities of Cartagena, 1993–2020; Murcia, 2010–2020; and Lorca, 2010–2020). An attempt has been made to establish the origin of Cannabis pollen in this region to determine whether it is transported locally or from long distances based on air mass origins. Cannabis is an herbaceous, normally dioecious and anemophilous plant, which produces large quantities of pollen grains. It has been widely used for fibre (hemp), bird food (hempseed), essential oils and narcotics. The origin of Cannabis pollen grains has been established by calculating back trajectories at the altitudes of: 750, 1500 and 2500 m above mean sea level (m amsl); 350, 500 and 650 m amsl; and 10, 100 and 250 m amsl, using the HYSPLIT model. Considering this data, 29 days of Cannabis pollen potentially originating in Africa were identified in Cartagena, 19 days in Murcia and 15 days in Lorca. Of the remaining days, the air mass back trajectories showed local or regional pollen origins. These were 83 days in Cartagena, 61 days in Murcia and 57 days in Lorca. The presence of Cannabis in the bioaerosol of the Region of Murcia is irregular, and it is considered a minority pollen type. However, from 2017 to 2020, concentrations increased, with a positive and significant trend of 90% in the Annual Pollen Integral. The pollen season can be defined between June and August. This increase in the concentration of Cannabis pollen grains during this period coincides with an increase in local transport, suggesting the possibility of increased Cannabis cultivation in the study area.

Oak and hornbeam pollen season in Kielce in 2021

The paper presents the characteristics of oak and hornbeam pollen seasons in Kielce in 2021. Aeropalinological measurements were carried out with the use of the volumetric method. The main oak pollen season lasted 35 days. The maximum concentration of oak pollen, i.e. 227 grains in 1 m3 of air, was recorded on May 20, and the seasonal pollen index was estimated at 1533. The hornbeam pollen season was longer, i.e. 56 days. The peak hornbeam pollen release was recorded on April 28, when 22 pollen grains in 1 m3 of air were noted, with the annual concentration sum of 207. The study also determined the effect of some meteorological factors on the concentration of pollen grains of the analyzed plant taxa. The meteorological parameters were found to exert the strongest effect on the dynamics of the hornbeam pollen season.

Epidemic thunderstorm asthma

Epidemic thunderstorm asthma

Dynamics of Ragweed Pollen Concentration in the Air of Ivano-Frankivsk

The article updates the conduct of aeropalynological monitoring in Ukraine because today, there are only a few studies in the country that cannot be automatically extrapolated to other regions, as the diversity of climatic zones affects the duration of pollination and pollen grains in the air. Furthermore, this type of research is needed due to the increasing number of people suffering from pollen allergies (hay fever).The research was conducted in the city of Ivano-Frankivsk (western Ukraine) from early February to mid-October 2019, using a gravimetric Durham pollen collector installed on the roof of the Faculty of Natural Sciences of Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University (24 m from the ground). The pollen grains were counted using an Olympus CX-300 light microscope (magnification x 400). The main goal was to study the aeropalynological spectrum of the city and the dynamics of concentrations of ragweed pollen grains (the most important plant allergen).The study determined the aeropalynological spectrum of Ivano-Frankivsk and provided data on pollination of the following taxa: Betula, Quercus, Acer, Fraxinus, Pinus, Juglans, Carpinus, Alnus, Populus, Urticaceae, Poaceae, Artemisia, and Ambrosia; conducted a comparative characterization with the spectra of the cities of Vinnytsia (central Ukraine) and Zaporizhia (southern Ukraine); determined the beginning and end of pollination of ragweed and the peak of its flowering, as well as conducted a comparative description with last year's data.Seeing an alarming trend, there is a need to continue to conduct aeropalynological monitoring to create calendars of sawing and alleviate the course of allergies in people prone to it.

The course of birch pollen seasons in Sosnowiec (Southern Poland) in 1997\u20132020 in relation to meteorological conditions

The study's main objective was to specify the extent to which weather conditions were related to the course of birch pollen seasons in the years 1997–2020. The impact of atmospheric conditions on the daily concentrations of birch pollen grains, the Annual pollen integral (APIn), and the length of pollen seasons were studied. The dependency between each meteorological condition and various features of the birch pollen season was determined using Spearman’s rho correlation, the Kruskal–Wallis test, and cluster analysis with the k-means method. It has been shown that the duration of sunshine and average air temperature occurring within 14 days preceding the season has the most significant influence on the beginning of a birch pollen season. The value of daily birch pollen concentrations in Sosnowiec showed a statistically significant positive correlation with the duration of sunlight and the average and maximum wind speed. The daily concentration also depended on the synoptic situation: the mass airflow direction, the type of air mass inflow, and the type of weather front. The near-ground temperature influenced the APIn of birch pollen grains during the period of 14 days before the beginning of the season and the meteorological conditions occurring in the summer of the preceding year such as the maximum temperature, duration of sunlight, the maximum and average wind speed, and the relative air humidity. It was concluded that the length of birch pollen seasons decreased year by year.

Analysis of Corylus pollen season in Poland in 2021

Corylus produces allergenic pollen grains that appear in the air in early spring and cause pollen allergy in sensitive people. The aim of this study was to compare the Corylus pollen seasons in 2021 in the following 11 cities in Poland: Bialystok, Bydgoszcz, Cracow, Sosnowiec, Lublin, Olsztyn, Piotrkow Trybunalski, Szczecin, Warsaw, Wroclaw, and Zielona Gora. This research was conducted using the volumetric method and Burkard or Lanzoni pollen samplers. Pollen season duration was determined by the 95% method. The hazel pollen season in 2021 began relatively late, between February 20 and March 1. The season start was recorded earliest in Zielona Gora, while latest in Olsztyn. The highest values of maximum Corylus pollen concentration were recorded in Sosnowiec (230 P/m3) and Zielona Gora (213 P/m3), whereas the lowest ones in Bialystok (27 P/m3) and Bydgoszcz (54 P/m3). In most of these cities, the maximum daily concentration of Corylus pollen grains was recorded in the third 10 days of February or at the beginning of March and only in Lublin and Bialystok the peak value occurred later, on March 16 and March 26, respectively. The highest risk of allergy in people sensitive to the pollen of this taxon was found in Lublin, Olsztyn, and Zielona Gora. The highest values of the annual pollen integral were determined in Lublin, similarly to the previous years.

Palynological evidence of Middle Pleistocene palaeoenvironmental changes from the ‘Buca dell’Onice’ flowstone (Alpi Apuane, Central Italy)

AbstractBuca dell’Onice di Monte Girello is a small cave located in the Alpi Apuane (central Italy). It preserves an exceptionally thick flowstone deposited intermittently during the Middle Pleistocene. Two main depositional cycles, separated by a physical discontinuity, have been recognised and described. This discontinuity and the top surface of the flowstone attest to two main phases of interrupted growth related to palaeoenvironmental and palaeoclimate changes. Pilot palynological investigations support the existence of such changes. Despite the high number of barren pollen samples and the overall very low concentration of pollen grains per gram of sediment, palynology furnishes some interesting insights especially regarding floral composition, vegetation cover and local to regional climate. The pollen record also contributes to the definition of the stratigraphic distribution of taxa no longer growing in this area (i.e. Carya and Picea). According to the pollen assemblage characteristic of arboreal vegetation cover, the flowstone was deposited predominantly during humid phases under both warm and cool climate conditions (interglacials/interstadials and at the end of interglacials). The warm and cool phases correspond, respectively, to increases of mixed thermophilous forest taxa and montane arboreal taxa. On the other hand, the pollen record does not show the major expansion of open vegetation associated with the coldest and driest conditions, which apparently fall at the main middle discontinuity and at the top interruption of the flowstone. Previous data permit changes in precipitation to be identified as one of the major limiting factors for the growth of this flowstone, probably in a period including MISs 13‐10. The more significant lithological features of the flowstone as well as the vegetal and climate signatures suggest that its development principally represents a response to global events including teleconnections active between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic circulation, with minor contribution from local factors.

Ecological phytomonitoring in Donbass using geoinformational analysis

The results of the phytoindication monitoring carried out in the central industrial units of Donbass during 1996 – 2021 have summarized. Botanical indication is considered as a way to carry out a reliable ecological expertise when zoning ecological crisis areas in an industrial region. Geographic information analysis of botanical and ecological indices (occurrence frequency of teratogenic deviations of plants, structure and concentration of pollen grains, level of taxonomic diversity of bryophytes) allows to visualize indicators of the state of local geosystems in an anthropogenically transformed region.

The impact of weather conditions on hazel pollen concentration in Sosnowiec (Poland) in 1997\u20132019

The goal of this study was to compare hazel pollen seasons in Sosnowiec in 1997–2019 and to analyse the impact of weather conditions on these seasons. The measurements were conducted using a volumetric method with a Burkard spore trap. The duration of pollen seasons was determined using the 98% method. SPI (Seasonal Pollen Index) was calculated as the sum of daily pollen concentrations in a given season. The measurements showed that high temperatures in January and February had an impact on the beginning of the hazel pollen season. They revealed that there are positive correlations with temperatures and sunshine hours long before the season, i.e. 210–180 days before. The daily hazel pollen concentration in Sosnowiec showed a positive and statistically significant correlation with air temperature, sunshine hours, and average and maximum wind speed. Negative correlation was demonstrated for snow cover depth and relative humidity of the air. Daily concentration levels depend also on the type of weather front as well as direction of air mass flow and its type. Variance analysis showed that the highest concentrations of hazel pollen grains were recorded when warm air moves from the south and south–western direction, whereas the lowest ones were noted for air moving from the east, south–east, north and north–east directions. Atmospheric precipitation, snow cover depth, and average, maximum, minimum and near-the-ground temperatures in the season also had an impact on the SPI of hazel pollen grains. High positive correlation coefficients were also observed in the case of thermal conditions, sunshine hours, relative humidity and precipitation from July to September in the year preceding a given pollen season. The duration of the hazel pollen season depends on precipitation, snow cover depth and temperature during a given season.

Assessment of Google Trends terms reporting allergies and the grass pollen season in Ukraine

BackgroundGrass pollen allergy is an important trigger for the development of respiratory disorders. Defining the grass pollen season onset is critical for correct allergy diagnosis and personalized therapy. The development of a pan-European sentinel network for allergic diseases has raised the problem of translating the Google search terms into different European languages as well as defining specific pollen season characteristics in different regions. Grass pollen allergy was investigated due to high allergenicity and wide expansion of grass pollen in Europe. ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to examine which translations of “hay fever”, “grass”, and “rhinitis” could be used in the native Cyrillic languages, especially in Ukrainian and Russian, and to compare the seasonality of allergic respiratory queries in Ukraine with the grass pollen counts. MethodsGoogle Trends (GT) was used to search Google queries concerning grass pollen allergy: “allergy”, “hay fever”, “runny nose”, “grass”, “asthma”, and “pollen”. The Cyrillic terms in Ukrainian and Russian were used. The search was done for the period from 2013 to 2017. Pollen collection from 2013 to 2016 was conducted using volumetric methods. Average daily temperatures were obtained from http://gismeteo.ua. Correlations were assessed by Spearman (R) test. ResultsThe Ukrainian Google users searched the Cyrillic equivalents for “runny nose”, “grass”, and “asthma”. Due to the GT queries profile, Ukraine had a “D” pattern according to the classification, developed by Bousquet J et al (2017). In Ukraine, the Poaceae pollen season generally occurred between the second ten-day period of May and the last ten-day period of July. The Poaceae pollen season started with a concentration of pollen grains of 8.0 m−3. This concentration provoked the growth of GT “grass”, “allergy”, “hay fever”, and “asthma” queries. ConclusionsThe terms “grass”, “allergy”, “hay fever”, and “asthma” (in their Cyrillic equivalents) are required in Ukraine to account for the grass pollen exposure by GT. The study of GT may be a useful tool to make an assessment of the grass pollen season for the prevention and minimization of exposure to significant grass pollen concentrations.

Analysis of Corylus pollen season in Poland in 2020

In Poland hazel is one of the earliest flowering plants and in phenology it belongs to indicator plants that mark the beginning of early spring. Hazel pollen grains contain allergens that are a cause of pollen allergy during the early spring period. The aim of the present study was to compare Corylus pollen seasons in 2020 in the following 11 cities located in different regions of Poland: Szczecin, Bydgoszcz, Zielona Gora, Wroclaw, Opole, Sosnowiec, Piotrkow Trybunalski, Warsaw, Lublin, Olsztyn, and Bialystok. This research was conducted using the volumetric method and Burkard or Lanzoni pollen samplers. Pollen season duration was determined by the 95% method. This study analyzed the specific parameters of the pollen season (start, end, peak value, peak date, annual total) and also determined the number of days with a concentration exceeding the threshold values at which the first allergy symptoms in people sensitized to hazel pollen and symptoms in all allergic patients occur, respectively. The hazel pollen season in 2020 began relatively early, between January 11th and February 2nd. The season start was recorded earliest in Opole and latest in Olsztyn and Bialystok. The study found that the pollen season started earlier in the western part of Poland than in the eastern regions. The highest maximum Corylus pollen concentration was recorded in Lublin (388 P/m3), whereas the lowest one in Bydgoszcz (48 P/m3). The maximum daily concentration of Corylus pollen grains was recorded in different periods in the individual cities, while the peak concentration values occurred between January 31th and March 4th. The highest risk of allergy in people sensitive to the pollen of this taxon was found in Lublin since the most days with a pollen concentration exceeding the threshold value were observed in this city. Lublin was found to have the highest annual total values and they were 1.6–5.6 times higher than in the other cities. The highest annual pollen sums and peak values as well as the highest number of days with a concentration exceeding the threshold value had also been recorded in Lublin previously.