The effect of urban green areas on pollen concentrations at ground level: a study in the city of Florence (Italy)

Ciani, Francesco; Dell'Olmo, Lorella; Foggi, Bruno; Lippi, Marta Mariotti

doi:10.1016/j.ufug.2021.127045

Cited by 8 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 47 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…A radius of 500 m was chosen because it is the minimum distance that includes the entire Campus, where mitigation measures can be applied. The same distance was also used in previous aerobiological monitoring studies [24,25].…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Allergenic Pollen Monitoring at Sapienza University Campus (Rome, Italy): Patterns of Pollen Dispersal and Implications for Human Health

Lancia,

Di Rita,

Ariano

et al. 2024

Atmosphere

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The Campus of the Sapienza University of Rome, frequented daily by several thousands of students and workers, collects allergenic airborne pollen from many sources. Here, we report the results of detailed pollen monitoring of 49 pollen types within the University Campus, allowing us to trace the main local and regional sources of airborne pollen throughout the year. The amount of allergenic pollen has been calculated for each daily record to evaluate the risk of exposure for students and workers on Campus in relation to academic activities and to suggest possible mitigation measures. Our results show that the maximum pollen concentrations are recorded from March to May, and the highest floristic richness occurs in April–June. We distinguish massive local pollen producers from pollen of regional origin and local ornamental and invasive taxa. Pollen with extreme allergenicity is dominant from mid-January to mid-March and in May with Cupressaceae/Taxaceae, Corylus and Olea; high allergenicity from late March to late April with Platanus, Ostrya, Ginkgo and Moraceae; and medium allergenicity from late April to the beginning of May with Quercus and Pinus. In August–December, pollen concentration is relatively low. Diversified mitigation actions are suggested in relation to the provenance, allergenicity and emission period of pollen.

show abstract

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Allergenic Pollen Monitoring at Sapienza University Campus (Rome, Italy): Patterns of Pollen Dispersal and Implications for Human Health

Lancia,

Di Rita,

Ariano

et al. 2024

Atmosphere

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Recent pollen rain data generally come from moss polsters, which can be used as natural pollen traps that accumulate pollen for approximately 5-10 years [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17]. Vegetation cover data have often been estimated with the phytosociological method proposed by Braun-Blanquet [18,19] for other purposes (e.g., [3,4,20,21]).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of Pollen Representation in NW Italy (Liguria and Piedmont)

et al. 2023

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This research focuses on the recent pollen image of several vegetation types in NW Italy. In 201 arboreal, shrubby, and herbaceous plant populations, pollen samples were taken from moss polsters, and the corresponding vegetation was recorded using the phytosociological method. Since studies on recent pollen rain in the Mediterranean mountains and coast are rare, this research aims to provide new data and tools to better interpret fossil pollen spectra. Pollen analysis provided data for the comparison between surface spectra and vegetation. Davis indices, fidelity, dispersion, and the relation with vegetation data were calculated for each taxon, and PCA was carried out. Most vegetation types are identifiable through the taxa dominating the pollen spectra, as frequently happens in woodlands (e.g., beech woods, chestnut woods, etc.). Characterizing shrubland and certain tree-dominated vegetation types (e.g., Larix forests) through pollen data is more complex. In this regard, Davis indices are particularly useful for identifying pollen/plant association, over- and underrepresentation of pollen, and taxa indicating vegetation types. Pollen threshold values were calculated which allow the assessment of the local presence of a plant. Overall, the achieved results partially confirm those of previous research carried out in the region, greatly expanding the comparisons between several different plant communities and the database in view of future sharing through the EMPD.

show abstract

“…One of them is the allergenic affection related with ornamental trees in urban planning [3], being important for designing healthier green infrastructure [4]. It is necessary, therefore, to consider the variants in urban forest allergy potential among cities and land uses [5] as the effect of urban green areas is related to potential exposure at ground level [6]. Aerobiological index measures the potential incidence of urban vegetation related to allergenicity as Index of Urban Green Zones Allergenicity (I UGZA ) [7].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Integration of Aerobiological Information for Construction Engineering Based on LiDAR and BIM

et al. 2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In green urban areas, the allergenic factor is important when selecting trees to improve the quality of life of the population. An application of laser imaging detection and ranging (LiDAR) in building information modelling (BIM) is the capture of geo-referenced geometric information of the environment. This study presents the process of digitalisation of a green infrastructure inventory based on the geolocation and bioparameters of the cypress species. The aerobiological index (IUGZA) was estimated by developing green infrastructure BIM models at different detail levels and with a new BIM dimension (6D) for the urban environment. The novelty of the study is the modelling of urban information for evaluating the potential environmental impact related to the allergenicity of the urban green infrastructure using LiDAR through BIM. The measurements of cypress trees based on bioparameters and distances were applied to the IUGZA. This innovation for describing the current 3D environments and designing new scenarios in 6D may prevent future problems in urban areas during construction projects.

show abstract

The effect of urban green areas on pollen concentrations at ground level: a study in the city of Florence (Italy)

Cited by 8 publications

References 47 publications

Allergenic Pollen Monitoring at Sapienza University Campus (Rome, Italy): Patterns of Pollen Dispersal and Implications for Human Health

Allergenic Pollen Monitoring at Sapienza University Campus (Rome, Italy): Patterns of Pollen Dispersal and Implications for Human Health

Assessment of Pollen Representation in NW Italy (Liguria and Piedmont)

Integration of Aerobiological Information for Construction Engineering Based on LiDAR and BIM

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About