Tree Pollen Spectra and Pollen Allergy Risk in the Osijek-Baranja County

Abstract

The forests of north-eastern Croatia, as well as various plants and trees in the parks and streets of the Osijek-Baranja County, produce large amounts of pollen during the pollen season, which can cause allergy symptoms in pollen sensitive individuals. The aim of this study was to determine the most frequent types of pollen in this area and estimate possible health risks, especially the risk of allergy. In 2009 and 2010, the staff of the Health Ecology Department of the Osijek Public Health Institute monitored tree pollen concentrations in four cities from the Osijek -Baranja County (Osijek, Našice, Đakovo and Beli Manastir) using a Burkard volumetric instrument. The results were affected by weather conditions. Windy and sunny days facilitated the transfer of pollen, whereas during rainy days, the concentration of pollen grains decreased. High pollen concentrations of Cupressaceae/Taxaceae, Betulaceae, Salicaceae and Aceraceae could be the cause for symptoms of pollen allergy. In 2009, conifers, birch and poplar pollen were dominant at all monitoring stations with 5000 pollen grains (PG), 3188 PG and 3113 PG respectively. The highest number of pollen grains was recorded at measuring site Osijek. The variations in airborne pollen concentration between pollen seasons were recorded at all monitoring stations. The most obvious variations were recorded at measuring site Osijek. The usual pollination period lasts two to three months, which means that most pollen grains remain present from February to early June. However, the Cupressaceae / Taxaceae pollination periods last the longest and their pollen grains remain present until the end of summer. The risk of allergy was determined at four monitored measuring stations and the obtained data confi rmed that the largest number of days with a high health risk was at the Đakovo measuring station for a species of birch. The research information aims to help allergologists and individuals allergic to plant pollen develop preventive measures and proper treatment therapies.

Respiratory allergies: Salicaceae sensitization (Review)

“…The Mediterranean region is another part of the globe where the Populus species are widely found. In 2009, in the Osijek-Baranja county of north-eastern Croatia, poplar pollen was found with 3,113 grains/m 3 , second after birch pollen (15). Populus pollen was low (0.84%) in the air in the area of Zagreb, capital of Croatia, as indicated in a previous study (16).…”

Airborne Biogenic Particles in the Snow of the Cities of the Russian Far East as Potential Allergic Compounds

“…Pollen in particular, as many researchers suggest, is believed to cause allergic diseases, whose frequency typically peaks from the middle of May to the middle of August. That is why the majority of research work to date deals with highly allergenic compounds in air suspensions (or aeroallergens) like fungi spores and plant pollen, produced during warm seasons [3–12]. …”

FTIR analysis of molecular composition changes in hazel pollen from unpolluted and urbanized areas

“…In early spring, hazel pollen has been shown to be an important cause of pollinosis in Switzerland (Frei and Gassner 2008 ), France (Thibaudon 2003 ), Germany (Levy and Bircher 1994 ), Romania (Popescu et al 1985 ), Poland (Grewling et al 2014 ) and Italy (Cecchi et al 2013 ). High or relatively high airborne pollen concentrations have been recorded during February–March in Italy (Longo and Sauli 2010 ), England (Emberlin et al 2007 ), Croatia (Sikora et al 2013 ) and in Poland (Nowosad et al 2014 , Kruczek et al 2015 ). This period coincides with the heating season in Central Europe, when increased levels of contaminants such as SO 2 , NO 2 , CO 2 and O 3 are observed.…”