Poaceae, <i>Secale</i> spp. and <i>Artemisia</i> spp. pollen in the air at two sites of different degrees of urbanisation

Abstract

Introduction. Among herbal plants, most cases of allergic reactions, like seasonal inflammation of nasal mucosa, conjunctivitis and pollen asthma, are related to the allergens from grass pollen. As the blossoming and pollination of rye is known to start the pollen season of grasses, information about the airborne rye pollen count permits alerting the people allergic to certain allergens contained in rye pollen. An important cause of allergy is also the pollen from wormwood, blossoming in late summer, as its two main allergens produce cross-reactions with many other plant allergens. Objective. The aim of the study was to evaluate the risk of allergic reactions in persons with pollinosis on the basis of the pollen calendar, analysis of concentrations of pollen grains of grass and rye, and comparison of diurnal pattern of airborne pollen grain concentrations at two sites with different degrees of urbanisation (Gudowo in the country and the city of Szczecin) in 2012-2014. Materials and methods. The concentration of pollen was measured by the volume method. Length of the pollination season was determined by the method of 98%, assuming that the beginning and the end of the pollen season are the days on which 1% and 99% of the annual sum of pollen appeared. Results. The first pollen grains to appear in the air are those produced by rye, followed by those produced by grass and wormwood. The pollen seasons of grasses and wormwood started about one week earlier in Gudowo than in Szczecin, while the pollen season of rye started at almost the same time in the country and in the city. Airborne pollen counts of grasses, rye and wormwood were much higher in the country than in the city. The differences most probably result from the different floristic composition at these two sites and reflect the local contribution of the taxa studied in the country. Conclusions. The risk of allergy caused by the pollen of the taxa analysed was much higher in Gudowo (in the country), than in Szczecin city.

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

“…22 In addition, the risk of allergy caused by Poaceae spp is much higher in the county rather than in the city. 23 Also our data supported the statement that predicting allergen exposure using GT alone could be valuable in those countries where limited pollen counting is available. 3 We compared the four-year Poaceae pollination and GT queries, concluding that to account for grass pollen exposure by GT, 3 terms are required in Ukraine: "allergy", "grass", and "asthma" (in Cyrillic equivalents).…”

“… 22 In addition, the risk of allergy caused by Poaceae spp is much higher in the county rather than in the city. 23 Also our data supported the statement that predicting allergen exposure using GT alone could be valuable in those countries where limited pollen counting is available. 3 …”

The Dynamics of the Phenological Development of Four Woody Species in South-West and Central Slovakia

“…The use of the phenological calendar also affects human health. As a pollen calendar, it provides information on the flowering and reproductive capacity of allergenic plant species, as well as information on daily and seasonal concentrations of pollen in a given territory, thus preventing human health damage [29][30][31].…”