High Pollen Concentrations Research Articles

Atmospheric pollen spectrum in Stone City, Mardin; the northern border of Mesopotamia/SE-Turkey

Airborne pollen distribution in Mardin city was measured volumetrically during three consecutive years, 2014-2016. Three thousand eight hundred fifty-seven pollen grains as a mean value belonging to 44 taxa were recorded annually during the study period, and pollen grains from woody plant taxa had the more substantial atmospheric contribution with 62.66% and with 23 taxa. Despite the differences between years, the highest pollen concentration was recorded in April. The main pollen producers of the pollen spectrum were Cupressaceae (27.79%), Poaceae (21.21%), Platanus (10.29%), Morus (6.19%), Olea europaea (5.01%), Quercus (4.91%), Pinus (3.84%), and Amaranthaceae (3.73%) and almost all dominant pollen types in the city atmosphere were previously stated to be allergic. The atmospheric sampling data was characterized by the high presence of woody plants in spring, as well as the high presentation of herbaceous plants in late spring to early winter. The main pollen season (MPS) and durations of dominated pollen types were analyzed and mostly found a little bit earlier or parallel with similar studies in Mediterranean basin, but found earlier than the east. Statistical analyses were performed to compare years with each other and for correlating daily pollen concentrations of dominated pollen types concurrent with the data of meteorological parameters; a number of significant correlations were found.

The oak pollen concentration in the air of selected cities in Poland in 2018

This paper contains an analysis of oak pollen seasons in selected cities of Poland in 2018. Sampling sites were located in the following cities: Bialystok, Bydgoszcz, Cracow, Drawsko Pomorskie, Lublin, Olsztyn, Opole, Piotrkow Trybunalski, Sosnowiec, Szczecin, Warsaw, Wroclaw and Zielona Gora. The volumetric method was applied using the Burkard or Lanzoni trap. The pollen season was determined by the 98% method. The season started earliest in Sosnowiec (April 14th). The mean duration of the pollen season was 33 days. The highest pollen concentration (713 P/m3) was observed in Wroclaw (April 19th). The peak values were recorded between April 19th and May 1st in the different cities.

Modeling hay fever risk factors caused by pollen from Ambrosia spp. using pollen load mapping in Ukraine

The paper provides a simulation of the occurrence of <em>Ambrosia</em> pollen in Ukraine both in terms of a determination of the regions with high pollen concentrations and the time when the high pollen load occurs. Simulation was performed using the SILAM system and the following pollen mapping using the Grid Analysis and Display System. Simulation results were compared with the aerobiological data available from six monitoring stations in Ukraine. A decrease in the concentrations of <em>Ambrosia</em> pollen, the duration of the <em>Ambrosia</em> season, and patient exposure to the <em>Ambrosia</em> pollen were apparent from SE to NW of Ukraine. A close correlation between the modeled and actually registered pollen concentration values and ragweed pollen release periods was observed in all the cities for which the <em>Ambrosia</em> pollen monitoring data had been collected. Further investigations are required to provide accurate forecasts for other types of airborne allergens.

Vegetation and climate history of Anggertu Lake in the Tengger Desert over the last millennium

Reconstructing climate change of the last millennium is important to understand the current relationship between human-social activities and natural environmental changes. Pollen assemblages, losson-ignition (LOIorg at 550°C), and grain size data collected from sediment core AGE15A from the center of Anggertu lake (eastern Tengger Desert, Inner Mongolia) were used to reconstruct the regional vegetation and climate history of the last millennium. Desert or steppe desert, dominated by Artemisia and Amaranthaceae, expanded around this region during the period of 988–1437 AD indicating a generally dry climate condition with two short humid periods (1003–1082 AD and 1388–1437 AD). These two wet periods were characterized by relatively high vegetation cover and bioproductivity, as reflected by high pollen concentrations and LOIorg values. Increases in steppe and meadow vegetation communities (Poaceae, Cyperaceae) and vegetation cover during 1437–2015 AD suggest a wetting trend, which was also deduced from a gradual trend towards fine grains and higher lake biological productivity as reflected by LOIorg values. An unstable lacustrine environment was identified via frequent fluctuations in pollen concentration and grain size after 1842 AD. This study also recorded a relatively dry Medieval Warm Period (MWP, 1082–1388 AD) and a wet Little Ice Age (LIA, 1437–1842 AD). Increased Amaranthaceae and high abundance of Poaceae may be related to overgrazing and agricultural activities that took place during those time periods. The evolution of vegetation in the lake region was influenced by climate change and human activities. These results could provide more fundamental support for studies of the environmental evolution of the Tengger Desert.

High temporal resolution of airborne Ambrosia pollen measurements above the source reveals emission characteristics

The aim of this study was to setup a field experiment that will collect suitable data for parameterizing the release of Ambrosia pollen. The study took place on the Pannonian plain during three flowering seasons: 2014, 2015 and 2016. The sampling of airborne pollen was performed using volumetric spore traps at 0.5 m and 5 m above the canopy level of a strong homogenous Ambrosia artemisiifolia L. field (10 m × 10 m) in three temporal resolutions: 1 h, 7.5 min and 1.07 min. This high temporal resolution revealed characteristics that were hitherto unknown. Pollen production per day was estimated to range from 6.38 billion to 770 billion pollen grains for the whole experimental field. Measurements of meteorological parameters included: temperature, relative humidity, solar radiation, precipitation, wind speed and wind direction. Weak correlations between pollen concentration and meteorological parameters were obtained, indicating nonlinear relationships among them. The distribution of pollen concentration with respect to meteorological parameters showed that high pollen concentrations coincide with temperature in the interval 20–24 °C, and that relative humidity of around 95% can delay or even switch off the emission, while the turbulent kinetic energy of a wind less than 0.1 m2 s−2 is sufficient for lifting the pollen into the air. The test of the new model for Ambrosia pollen emission processes showed a strong correlation between measured and modeled data when the estimated emission capacity for the field was in the range of 45–75 billion pollen grains per day.

Aeropalynological spectrum of Hatay, Turkey, the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea

An aeropalynological study during the years 2014–2015 was performed in Hatay, which is a unique sociocultural and phytogeographical area located on the border of Turkey and Syria on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean. The sampling was performed by a Hirst-type volumetric sampler (Lanzoni VPPS 2000), and pollen grains of 54 taxa were identified, of which 83.21% of the annual sum belonged to woody taxa. The highest pollen concentration was recorded in February, of which a large amount came from the Cupressaceae/Taxaceae families. The diversity of the pollen reflected the vegetation of the area and plantations of the city center, but pollen grains from Euro-Siberian elements specific to Mount Amanos could not be recorded. Pollen types found at more than 3% of the annual pollen index and considered dominant pollen types were as follows: Cupressaceae/Taxaceae (50.86%), Olea europaea (12.67%), Moraceae (7.20%), Poaceae (5.99%), Quercus (5.35%), Urticaceae (3.79%) and Pinus (3.70%); almost all dominant pollen types in the city atmosphere were previously stated to be allergic. The main pollen season starting dates of common pollen types found were one or two weeks earlier than those of the surroundings. Many statistically significant correlations were found between daily pollen concentrations and daily meteorological parameters, e.g., Cupressaceae/Taxaceae Poaceae and Urticaceae pollen correlated negatively with mean temperature in both years, and in the hindermost two families daily pollen amounts significantly correlated with wind speed in the second year. Daily Olea europaea pollen concentration showed a significant negative correlation with the amount of total daily rainfall in the second year.

Environmental grass pollen levels in utero and at birth and cord blood IgE: Analysis of three birth cohorts

BackgroundEarly life factors are associated with allergic respiratory diseases, but the role of high grass pollen concentrations during pregnancy and shortly after birth is not known. ObjectiveTo assess outdoor levels of grass pollen during the intrauterine period and at birth during peak pollen season on cord blood IgE in birth cohorts. MethodsThree birth cohorts were included: MACS (n = 429), Australia; COPSAC2000 (n = 200), Denmark; and LISA (n = 1968), Germany. Cord blood IgE was categorized (<0.5 kU/L, 0.5–1 kU/L, >1 kU/L) and dichotomized (high IgE ≥ 0.5 kU/L). Birth during the grass pollen season months and cumulative exposure to outdoor grass pollen counts during pregnancy with cord blood IgE were analysed using multinomial regression and analysed in meta-analysis using binomial regression adjusted for potential confounders. ResultsBirth during the grass pollen season had higher pooled odds of cord blood IgE >0.5 kU/L 1.37 (95% CI 1.06, 1.77) in a meta-analysis with little heterogeneity between the three cohorts. Cumulative exposure to outdoor grass pollen counts during the entire pregnancy was associated with slightly lower pooled odds but significant (OR = 0.98, 95% CI: 0.96 to 0.99). ConclusionsBirth during grass pollen seasons were associated with increased risk of high cord blood IgE in cities from both hemispheres, but high pollen loads in the environment during the entire pregnancy appeared protective. As IgE responses develop during the first months of life, our study findings provide new insights into the mechanisms of grass pollen exposure at birth and shortly after on possible allergic respiratory diseases.

The impact of Sharav weather conditions on airborne pollen in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv (Israel)

Pollen grains have been a major focus of research mostly in temperate regions due to their effects on human health, especially allergies and asthma. The current study investigates a subtropical region characterized by a Mediterranean climate where Sharav conditions are experienced during the spring and autumn. The aim of the current study was to investigate whether Sharav conditions impacted airborne pollen concentrations of allergenic Amaranthaceae, Poaceae, Morus, Pinus, and Quercus more than standard Warm days during the main pollen seasons in the years 2010–2014 in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem (Israel). Slight variation was observed between the main pollen seasons in Tel Aviv compared to Jerusalem resulting from differences in temperature and relative humidity percentages. Additionally, more Sharav conditions occurred in Jerusalem than in Tel Aviv during the study period. The highest pollen concentrations occurred during Sharav days for Amaranthaceae, Poaceae, and Pinus but not for Morus and Quercus. Therefore, individuals who are allergic to Amaranthaceae, Poaceae, and Pinus pollen, and exposed to high pollen concentrations during Sharav days, might suffer more allergy symptoms than on Warm days.

Pollen records of the Little Ice Age humidity flip in the middle Yangtze River catchment

High-resolution precipitation reconstructions of the Little Ice Age (LIA) are fundamental for investigating the driving mechanisms behind hydroclimatic changes, which would provide reference for predicting precipitation change in the future. However, current precipitation reconstructions mainly focus on mean conditions during the whole LIA, little attention was paid to internal changes. Here, we present a high-resolution precipitation reconstruction based on pollen records from the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, spanning from 1300 to 2010 CE. In this study, the LIA was defined as the period of 1300–1870 CE based on PC2 value and pollen assemblage, manifest as cold interval with internal fluctuations (early-LIA: 1300-1340 CE, mid-LIA: 1340-1720 CE and late-LIA: 1720-1870 CE). Negative PC1 value during the early-LIA and mid-LIA indicated dry condition, while positive PC1 value recorded wet late-LIA. Cold interval in the early-LIA increased effective moisture by reducing evaporation, which may contribute to high content pollen concentrations and wetland herbs pollen percentage. Dry condition in the mid-LIA probably induced by warm interval by increasing evaporation and less precipitation. During the late-LIA, high content pollen concentrations and more fine-grained sediment indicate there was standing water in the bog, which was induced by heavy precipitation and cold interval. Moisture variation recorded by PC1 value and grain size distribution indicated humidity-flip between the mid-LIA and late-LIA. This humidity-flip is also supported by the frequency of flood disasters reported in historical documents. Precipitation changes during the LIA could be associated with East Asian Summer Monsoon (EASM) and El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) variability. The dry early-LIA and mid-LIA caused by the weaker EASM and more La Niña-type conditions, during which the Western Pacific Subtropical High (WPSH) weakened and retreated northeastward, leading to less Mei-yu precipitation in the Yangtze River basin. Intensified EASM and more El Niño-type events during the late-LIA lead to longer Mei-yu season along the Yangtze River and more precipitation.

Behaviour of Quercus pollen in the air, determination of its sources and transport through the atmosphere of Mexico City and conurbated areas.

Pollen allergies have a remarkable clinical impact all over world. Quercus pollen is the main allergen in many parts of world. Due to the health impacts caused by exposure to oak pollen, the objectives of this study are to characterise the aerobiological behaviour of Quercus pollen and to determine its potential sources as well as their transport through the atmosphere of Mexico City and surrounding areas between January 2012 and June 2015. Airborne Quercus pollen monitoring was carried out simultaneously in five zones of Mexico City. The percentage of Quercus pollen of the total pollen collected from the air showed that the highest concentration was recorded in 2014, followed by 2012. The annual seasonal variation indicated that flowering and pollen emission into the atmosphere began between February and March. The maximum concentration of Quercus pollen was reached at Cuajimalpa. In 2012, the amount of pollen grains was distributed in March and April uniformly, whilst in 2014, the largest amount of pollen was concentrated in March. In 2012 and 2014 (years with the highest pollen concentrations), corresponding intraday variations were quite similar, with a low relative maximum in the morning and the highest concentrations in the evening. The largest values were recorded in 2014, and two processes can explain these. In the afternoon, pollen from secondary forest is carried by southwesterly converging winds, increasing the pollen concentration in Cuajimalpa. In the evening, there is an additional pollen contribution from primary forest via transport by NW winds.

Quantifying the health effects of climate change upon pollen allergy: a combined cohort and modelling study

BackgroundGlobally, pollen allergy is a major public health problem, but a fundamental knowledge gap exists on the effect of climate change on pollen allergies. The annual herbaceous plant common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) is highly invasive; it thrives on disturbed land, with each plant producing up to 62 000 seeds per year. Ragweed is particularly harmful for public health because each plant produces up to 1 billion grains per year. Our study aims to quantify the consequences of climate change on pollen allergy in people in Europe. MethodsWe used a process-based model to estimate the change in the distribution of ragweed plants across Europe under climate change. A second model simulated plant invasion, pollen production, pollen release, and the atmospheric distribution of pollen to estimate current and future ragweed pollen levels. These findings were translated into two different measures of health burden: pollen sensitisation rates and changes in allergy symptoms. Changes in pollen sensitisation rates were estimated using a dose–response curve generated from a systematic review and from current and future population data across Europe (baseline 1986–2005, future 2041–60). Changes in allergy symptoms were modelled by obtaining dose-response relationships between pollen and symptoms from a cohort of 85 sensitised individuals in Croatia. These relationships were then applied to future pollen loads, which considered two different regional climate and pollen models, two greenhouse gas emissions scenarios (representative concentration pathways 4·5 and 8·5), and three different plant invasion scenarios. A second set of health effects (sensitisation rates and allergy symptoms) were obtained from future pollen models. FindingsWe estimated that sensitisation to ragweed will more than double in Europe, from a baseline estimate of 33 million people (1986–2005) to 77 million by 2041–60. According to our projections, sensitisation will increase in countries with an existing ragweed problem (eg, by 27% in Hungary, 26% in Croatia, and 21% in Serbia), but the greatest proportional increases will occur where sensitisation is uncommon (an increase of 235% in Germany, 292% in Poland, and 231% in France). Higher pollen concentrations and a longer pollen season might also increase the severity of symptoms. InterpretationOur quantitative estimates indicate that ragweed pollen allergy will become a common health problem across Europe, expanding into areas where it is currently uncommon. Control of ragweed spread might be an important adaptation strategy in response to climate change. FundingThis project was supported by the European Community Framework programme 7, Atopica.

Annual and intradiurnal variation of dominant airborne pollen and the effects of meteorological factors in Çeşme (Izmir, Turkey).

In this present study, airborne pollen in Çeşme was investigated between February 17, 2012 and February 17, 2014 using the volumetric method. Çeşme, one of Turkey's most important tourism centers, which attracts numerous local and foreign tourists each year, is a district of Izmir, a province in the western part of Turkey. During the 2-year study, 12,905 pollen grains belonging to 64 taxa (33 arboreal, 31 non-arboreal plants) were detected. However, the 2-year data results revealed that the taxa with the pollen concentration more than 4% in the atmosphere were Cupressaceae/Taxaceae (4268 pollen, 33.07%), Olea europaea (1614 pollen grains, 12.51%), Pinaceae (1085 pollen grains, 8.41%), Quercus spp. (1081 pollen grains, 8.38%), Pistacia spp. (743 pollen grains, 5.76%), and Poaceae (557 pollen grains, 4.32%), all of which comprised 72.44% of the total count. The relationship between the daily pollen counts belonging to these six taxa and the hourly average temperature (°C), daily precipitation (mm), relative humidity (%), and wind speed (km/h) was assessed using the Spearman correlation test, and significant results were determined. During the study, the intradiurnal distribution of the aforementioned pollen varied. The highest pollen concentration was detected between 11:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. (first year 30.3%; second year 30.1%).

The Role of Mesoscale-Convective Processes in Explaining the 21 November 2016 Epidemic Thunderstorm Asthma Event in Melbourne, Australia

AbstractA major thunderstorm asthma epidemic struck Melbourne and surrounding Victoria, Australia, on 21 November 2016, which led to multiple deaths, a flood of residents seeking medical attention for respiratory problems, and an overwhelmed emergency management system. This case day had all the classic ingredients for an epidemic, including high rye grass pollen concentrations, a strong multicellular thunderstorm system moving across the region, and a large population of several million people in the vicinity of Melbourne. A particular characteristic of this event was the strong, gusty winds that likely spread the pollen grains and/or allergenic contents widely across the region to increase population exposure. This exploratory case study is the first to examine the usefulness of low-to-middle-atmospheric thermodynamic information for anticipating epidemic thunderstorm asthma outbreaks by allowing the forecast of strong downdraft winds. The authors investigated the utility of several mesoscale products derived from atmospheric soundings such as downdraft convective available potential energy (DCAPE) and indices for predicting surface wind gusts such as microburst wind speed potential index (MWPI) and a wind gust index (GUSTEX). These results indicate that DCAPE levels reached “high” to “very high” thresholds for strong downdraft winds in the lead-up to the thunderstorm, and the MWPI and GUSTEX indices accurately predicted the high maximum surface wind observations. This information may be useful for diagnostic and prognostic assessment of epidemic thunderstorm asthma and in providing an early warning to health practitioners, emergency management officials, and residents in affected areas.

Pollen concentrations and prevalence of asthma and allergic rhinitis in Italy: Evidence from the GEIRD study.

Pollen exposure has acute adverse effects on sensitized individuals. Information on the prevalence of respiratory diseases in areas with different pollen concentrations is scanty. We performed an ecologic analysis to assess whether the prevalence of allergic rhinitis and asthma in young adults varied across areas with different pollen concentrations in Italy. A questionnaire on respiratory diseases was delivered to random samples of 20-44year-old subjects from six centers in 2005-2010. Data on the daily air concentrations of 7 major allergologic pollens (Poaceae, Urticaceae, Oleaceae, Cupressaceae, Coryloideae, Betula and Ambrosia) were collected for 2007-2008. Center-specific pollen exposure indicators were calculated, including the average number of days per year with pollens above the low or high concentration thresholds defined by the Italian Association of Aerobiology. Associations between pollen exposure and disease prevalence, adjusted for potential confounders, were estimated using logistic regression models with center as a random-intercept. Overall, 8834 subjects (56.8%) filled in the questionnaire. Allergic rhinitis was significantly less frequent in the centers with longer periods with high concentrations of at least one (OR per 10days=0.989, 95%CI: 0.979-0.999) or at least two pollens (OR=0.974, 95%CI: 0.951-0.998); associations with the number of days with at least one (OR=0.988, 95%CI: 0.972-1.004) or at least two (OR=0.985, 95%CI: 0.970-1.001) pollens above the low thresholds were borderline significant. Asthma prevalence was not associated with pollen concentrations. Our study does not support that the prevalence of allergic rhinitis and asthma is greater in centers with higher pollen concentrations. It is not clear whether the observed ecologic associations hold at the individual level.

Source regions of ragweed pollen arriving in south-western Poland and the influence of meteorological data on the HYSPLIT model results

We have investigated the relationship between the inflow of air masses and the ragweed pollen concentration in SW Poland (Wrocław) for a 10-year period of 2005–2014. The HYSPLIT trajectory model was used to verify whether episodes of high concentrations can be related to regions outside of the main known ragweed centres in Europe, like Pannonian Plain, northern Italy and Ukraine. Furthermore, we used two different meteorological data sets (the global GDAS data set and from the WRF mesoscale model; the meteorological parameters were: U and V wind components, temperature and relative humidity) into HYSPLIT to evaluate the influence of meteorological input on calculated trajectories for high concentration ragweed episodes. The results show that the episodes of high pollen concentration (above 20 pm−3) represent a great part of total recorded ragweed pollen in Wrocław, but occur rarely and not in all years. High pollen episodes are connected with air masses coming from south and south-west Europe, which confirms the existence of expected ragweed centres but showed that other centres near Wrocław are not present. The HYSPLIT simulations with two different meteorological inputs indicated that footprint studies on ragweed benefit from a higher resolution meteorological data sets.

Pollen Evidence of a Humid Mid-Holocene Climate from Bahar Nuur, Inner Mongolia

A high-resolution pollen-based bioclimatic reconstruction from Bahar Nuur Lake in Inner Mongolia, China, supported by 15 AMS dates, is compared with other records in the Ordos Plateau and stalagmite record from Dongge cave in order to better understand the Holocene climate history in semi-arid East Asian monsoon margin area better. A humid climate prevailed in the Ordos Plateau during 6.3-4.4 ka BP, as indicated by high broadleaf-tree pollen percentages and pollen concentrations. Due to a strong Asian monsoon, the mid-Holocene climatic optimum exhibited a delayed vegetative response on the Ordos Plateau.

Co-occurrence of Artemisia and Ambrosia pollen seasons against the background of the synoptic situations in Poland

The Asteraceae family is one of the largest families, comprising 67 genera and 264 species in Poland. However, only a few genera, including Artemisia and Ambrosia are potential allergenic sources. The aim of the study was to estimate how often and to what degree Artemisia and Ambrosia pollen seasons co-occur intensifying human health risk, and how synoptic situations influence frequency of days with high pollen concentrations of both taxa. Artemisia and Ambrosia pollen data were collected, using the volumetric method, at 8 sites in Poland. Daily concentrations of Artemisia pollen equal to 30 grains or more and Ambrosia pollen equal to 10 grains or more were accepted as high values. Concentrations of more than 10 pollen grains were defined as high in the case of Ambrosia because its allergenicity is considered higher. High concentrations were confronted with synoptic situations. Analysis was performed on the basis of two calendars on circulation types of atmosphere in Poland (Niedźwiedź, 2006, 2015). Co-occurrence of Artemisia and Ambrosia pollen seasons is being found most often, when Ambrosia pollen season starts in the first half of August. If it happens in the last 10 days of August high pollen concentrations of Artemisia and Ambrosia do not occur at the same days. At three sites (Sosnowiec, Rzeszów, Lublin) high Ambrosia pollen concentrations during the Artemisia pollen season appear more often than in other sites under question. The high Artemisia pollen concentrations occur, when continental or polar maritime old air masses inflow into Poland. The impact of air masses on high Ambrosia pollen concentrations depends on site localizations. It is likely, that in the south-eastern part of Poland high Ambrosia pollen concentrations result from the pollen transport from east-south-south-westerly directions and the local sources. Co-occurrence of both taxa pollen seasons depends on the air masses inflow and appears more often in a south-eastern part of Poland.

The long-range transport of Pinaceae pollen: an example in Krak\xf3w (southern Poland)

High Pinaceae pollen concentrations in the air and on the surface of puddles before the main pollen season started were observed in Kraków (southern Poland) in May 2013. The paper presents the results of detailed studies of the composition and source of the “yellow rain” in 2013, and as a comparison, the Pinaceae pollen concentrations and samples collected from the ground surface in 2014 were considered. The air samples were collected using the volumetric method (Hirst-type device), while pollen grains sampled from the ground surface were processed using a modified Erdtman acetolysis method. Finally, all samples were studied using a light microscope. In 2013, the period of higher Abies, Picea and Pinus pollen concentrations was observed from the 5 to 12 of May, earlier than the main pollen season occurred. The presence of rainfall on the 12 and 13 of May 2013 caused the pollen deposition on the ground surface, where the prevalence of Pinaceae pollen was found. The synoptic situation and the analysis of the back-trajectories and air mass advection at the beginning of May 2013 indicated that Pinaceae pollen grains could have been transported from Ukraine, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia. In contrast, Pinaceae pollen grains deposited on the ground surface as a “yellow” film in May 2014, originated from local sources.

An aeropalynological survey in the city of Van, a high altitudinal region, East Anatolia-Turkey

Pollen concentrations in the atmosphere of Van city has been monitored for two consecutive years (2010–2011). This was the first detailed aeropalynological study for the elevated East Anatolia Region of Turkey. The sampling was performed by Hirst-type volumetric sampler, and pollen grains of 35 taxa were identified. The main pollen producers of the pollen flora were recorded as: Poaceae (20.94 %), Cupressaceae (10.53 %), Fraxinus (8.56 %), Chenopodiaceae/Amaranthaceae (7.77 %), Populus (7.75 %), Quercus (6.70 %), Platanus (6.68 %), Morus (5.57 %), Plantago (3.03 %). The pollen spectrum reflected the floristic diversity of the region, and the highest pollen concentration was recorded in April. There were a great percentage of allergenic taxa found in the city atmosphere, otherwise many of them scored under threshold values for risk of pollinosis. Statistical analyses were performed for correlating daily pollen concentrations of dominated pollen types concurrent with the data of meteorological parameters in MPS periods and number of significant correlations found. In addition, comparing 2-year data in terms of pollen concentrations and meteorological factors in MPS durations, many variables were found explanatory and concordant with the data. MPS starting dates of many plant taxa were found nearly a month later compared with western sites and lower altitudes of the country as well as Mediterranean countries; this case is mostly thought the ecological factors of the study area which directly affects the plant growth about the timing.

Climate Change and Future Pollen Allergy in Europe.

Background:Globally, pollen allergy is a major public health problem, but a fundamental unknown is the likely impact of climate change. To our knowledge, this is the first study to quantify the consequences of climate change upon pollen allergy in humans.Objectives:We produced quantitative estimates of the potential impact of climate change upon pollen allergy in humans, focusing upon common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) in Europe.Methods:A process-based model estimated the change in ragweed’s range under climate change. A second model simulated current and future ragweed pollen levels. These findings were translated into health burdens using a dose–response curve generated from a systematic review and from current and future population data. Models considered two different suites of regional climate/pollen models, two greenhouse gas emissions scenarios [Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) 4.5 and 8.5], and three different plant invasion scenarios.Results:Our primary estimates indicated that sensitization to ragweed will more than double in Europe, from 33 to 77 million people, by 2041–2060. According to our projections, sensitization will increase in countries with an existing ragweed problem (e.g., Hungary, the Balkans), but the greatest proportional increases will occur where sensitization is uncommon (e.g., Germany, Poland, France). Higher pollen concentrations and a longer pollen season may also increase the severity of symptoms. Our model projections were driven predominantly by changes in climate (66%) but were also influenced by current trends in the spread of this invasive plant species. Assumptions about the rate at which ragweed spreads throughout Europe had a large influence upon the results.Conclusions:Our quantitative estimates indicate that ragweed pollen allergy will become a common health problem across Europe, expanding into areas where it is currently uncommon. Control of ragweed spread may be an important adaptation strategy in response to climate change.Citation:Lake IR, Jones NR, Agnew M, Goodess CM, Giorgi F, Hamaoui-Laguel L, Semenov MA, Solomon F, Storkey J, Vautard R, Epstein MM. 2017. Climate change and future pollen allergy in Europe. Environ Health Perspect 125:385–391; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/EHP173