Napoved obremenitve zraka s cvetnim prahom po vrstah in regijah
The aim of this study was to compare airborne levels of Phl p 1 and Phl p 5, with Poaceae pollen concentrations inside and outside of the pollen season, and to evaluate their association with symptoms in grass allergic patients and the influence of climate and pollution. The Hirst and the Burkard Cyclone samplers were used for pollen and allergen quantification, respectively. The sampling period ran from 23 March 2009 to 27 July 2010. Twenty-three patients with seasonal allergic asthma and rhinitis used an electronic symptom card. The aerosol was extracted and quantified for Phl p 1 and Phl p 5 content. Descriptive statistics, non-parametric paired contrast of Wilcoxon, Spearman’s correlations, and a categorical principal component analysis (CatPCA) were carried out. Significant variations in pollen, aeroallergen levels, pollen allergen potency, and symptoms score were observed in this study. Phl p 5 pollen allergen potency was higher at the beginning of the 2010 grass pollen season. Presence of Phl p 1 outside the pollen season with positive O(3) correlation was clinically relevant. 45.5% of the variance was explained by two dimensions in the CatPCA analysis, showing the symptom relationships dissociated in two dimensions. In the first one, the more important relationship was with grass pollen grains concentration and Phl p 5 and to a lesser extent with Phl p 1 and levels of NO(2) and O(3), and in the second dimension, symptoms were associated with humidity and SO(2). Clinically relevant out-season Phl p 1 was found with a positive O(3) correlation. The effect of climate and pollution may have contributed to the higher seasonal allergic rhinitis symptom score recorded in 2009.
Airborne allergenic pollen impact the health of a great part of the global population. Under climate change conditions, the abundance of airborne pollen has been rising dramatically and so is the effect on sensitized individuals. The first line of allergy management is allergen avoidance, which, to date, is by rule achieved via forecasting of daily pollen concentrations. The aim of this study was to elaborate on 3-hourly predictive models, one of the very few to the best of our knowledge, attempting to forecast pollen concentration based on near-real-time automatic pollen measurements. The study was conducted in Augsburg, Germany, during four years (2016-2019) focusing on Betula and Poaceae pollen, the most abundant and allergenic in temperate climates. ARIMA and dynamic regression models were employed, as well as machine learning techniques, viz. artificial neural networks and neural network autoregression models. Air temperature, relative humidity, precipitation, air pressure, sunshine duration, diffuse radiation, and wind speed were additionally considered for the development of the models. It was found that air temperature and precipitation were the most significant variables for the prediction of airborne pollen concentrations. At such fine temporal resolution, our forecasting models performed well showing their ability to explain most of the variability of pollen concentrations for both taxa. However, predictive power of Betula forecasting model was higher achieving R-2 up to 0.62, whereas Poaceae up to 0.55. Neural autoregression was superior in forecasting Betula pollen concentrations, whereas, for Poaceae, seasonal ARIMA performed best. The good performance of seasonal ARIMA in describing variability of pollen concentrations of both examined taxa suggests an important role of plants’ phenology in observed pollen abundance. The present study provides novel insight on per-hour forecasts to be used in real-time mobile apps by pollen allergic patients. Despite the huge need for real-time, short-term predictions for everyday clinical practice, extreme weather events, like in the year 2019 in our case, still comprise an obstacle toward highly performing forecasts at such fine timescales, highlighting that there is still a way to go to this direction.
Climate change affects the reproductive life cycles of plants, including pollen production, which has consequences for allergic respiratory diseases. We examined climatic trends at eight locations in Bavaria, Southern Germany, with pollen time series of at least 10 years (up to 30 years in Munich). Climate change in Bavaria was characterized by a rise in temperature, but not during the winter. There is also a trend towards a more continental climate in Bavaria, which is significant in the Alps in the south of the territory. The influence of climate change depended on pollen type. Wind-pollinated arboreal species (e.g. Alnus, Betula and Cupressaceae/Taxaceae) showed advances in the start and end dates of pollen seasons and an increase in pollen load. These changes correlated negatively with late-winter (February) and spring temperatures (April). For herbaceous species, like Poaceae and Urticaceae, an earlier season was observed. Although precipitation is not a limiting factor in Southern Germany, water availability in the spring did influence the magnitude of grass pollen seasons. The effect of climatic change on the characteristics of pollen seasons was also more pronounced at higher altitudes, significant at > 800 m above sea level. Our results show that trends for start, end dates and intensity were similar at all locations, but only statistically significant at some. If we assume that earlier and more intense pollen seasons result in increases in prevalence and severity of allergic diseases, then the effect of climate change on public health in Bavaria may be significant.
Studies focused on the seasonal distribution of pollen and spores in semiarid cities are scarce. At these sites, climate change potentiates the emission and transport of fine (PM(10)) to ultrafine particles (PM(2.5)), easily attached to pollen surfaces, causing allergen’s release. This study examines the potential correlation of seasonal variations of pollen, fungal spores, PM(10), and meteorological parameters with allergic reactions of 150 people living in a Sonoran desert city. We collected PM(10), airborne pollen, and spores during a year. We also studied topsoil and road dust samples as potential PM-emission sources. We obtained dust-mineralogy, chemistry, and particle size attached to pollen by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope. Results show that seasonal high PM-loading in the urban atmosphere coincides with aeroallergens promoting micro- to nanoparticles’ attachment to pollen’s surface. A collapsed membrane was observed in several samples after individual grains show the following maximum wall coverage: Poaceae 28%, Asteraceae 40%, Chenopodiaceae-Amaranthacea 29%, Fabaceae 18%. Most of the particles covering pollen’s surface have a geogenic origin mixed with metals linked to traffic (bromide, chlorine, and antimony). Mineralogical, granulometric analysis, and main wind-direction show that two local soil-types are the main contributors to PM. A high frequency of positive sensitization to pollen with high particle loading was detected. These results suggest that climate-driven dust emissions may alter pollen and spore surfaces’ physicochemical characteristics with the further consequences in their allergenic potential.
BACKGROUND: The individual effects of biological constituents of particulate matter (PM) such as fungal spores, on lung function in children are not well known. This study investigated the seasonal short-term effect of daily variation in Alternaria and Cladosporium fungal spores on lung function in schoolchildren. METHODS: This panel study evaluated 313 schoolchildren in informal settlements of the Western Cape of South Africa, exposed to spores of two commonly encountered fungi, Alternaria and Cladosporium species. The children provided forced-expiratory volume in 1-s (FEV(1)) and peak-expiratory flow (PEF) measurements thrice daily for two consecutive school-weeks in summer and winter. Daily PM(10) levels, from a stationary ambient air quality monitor and fungal spore levels using spore traps were measured in each study area throughout the year. The effects of Alternaria and Cladosporium spores, on lung function were analysed for lag periods up to five-days, adjusting-for PM(10), other pollen exposures, study area, and other host and meteorological factors. Same-day exposure-response curves were computed for both fungal species. RESULTS: There was more variability in Alternaria spores level with noticeable peaks in summer. There were consistent lag-effects for Alternaria on PEF compared to Cladosporium, with the largest PEF deficit observed in winter (mean deficit: 13.78 L/min, 95%CI: 24.34 to -3.23 L/min) per 10spores/m(3) increase in Alternaria spores on lag day-2. Although there were no observable lag-effects for Alternaria and Cladosporium on FEV(1), same-day effects of Cladosporium spores on FEV(1) was present across both seasons. Threshold effects of Alternaria on both PEF and FEV(1) deficits were apparent at levels of 100 spores/m(3), but could not be explored for Cladosporium beyond the levels observed during the study. CONCLUSION: The study provides evidence for the independent effects of daily exposure to ambient fungal spores of Alternaria and Cladosporium on lung function deficits, more especially in winter for PEF.
Pollen is an important component of bioaerosol and the distribution of pollen and its relationship with meteorological parameters can be analyzed to better prevent hay fever. Pollen assemblages can also provide basic data for analyzing the relationship between bioaerosol and PM. We collected 82 samples of airborne pollen using a TSP large flow pollen collector from June 1, 2015 to June 1, 2016, from central Zhanjiang city in South China. We also conducted a survey of the nearby vegetation at the same time, in order to characterize the major plant types and their flowering times. We then used data on daily temperature, relative humidity, precipitation, vapor pressure and wind speed from a meteorological station in the center of Zhanjiang City to assess the relationship between the distribution of airborne pollen and meteorological parameters. Our main findings and conclusions are as follows: (1) We identified 15 major pollen types, including Pinus, Castanopsis, Myrica, Euphorbiaceae, Compositae, Gramineae, Microlepia and Polypodiaceae. From the vegetation survey, we found that the pollen from these taxa represented more than 75% of local pollen, while the pollen of Podocarpus, Dacrydium and other regional pollen types represented less than 25%. (2) The pollen concentrations varied significantly in different seasons. The pollen concentrations were at a maximum in spring, consisting mainly of tree pollen; the pollen concentrations were at an intermediate level in autumn and winter, consisting mainly of herb pollen and fern spores; and the pollen concentrations in summer were the lowest, consisting mainly of fern spores. (3) Analysis of the relationship between airborne pollen concentrations and meteorological parameters showed that variations in the pollen concentrations were mainly affected by temperature and relative humidity. In addition, there were substantial differences in these relationships in different seasons. In spring, pollen concentrations were mainly affected by temperature; in summer, they were mainly affected by the direction of the maximum wind speed; in autumn, they were mainly affected by relative humidity and temperature; and in winter, they were mainly affected by relative humidity and wind speed. Temperature and relative humidity promote plant growth and flowering. Notably, the variable wind direction in summer and the increased wind speed in winter and spring are conductive to pollen transmission. (4) Of the 15 major pollen types, Moraceae, Artemisia and Gramineae are the main allergenic pollen types, with peaks in concentration during April-May, August-September, and October-December, respectively. (5) Atypical weather conditions have substantial effects on pollen dispersal. In South China, the pollen concentrations in the sunny day were usually significantly higher than that of the rainy day. The pollen concentrations increased in short rainy days, which usually came from the Herb and Fern pollen. The pollen concentrations decreased in continuous rainy days especially for the Tree and Shrub pollen. the pollen concentrations in the sunny days were usually significantly higher than that in the rainy days. The pollen concentrations increased in short and strong rainfall.
BACKGROUND: Since fungi spores have high concentrations in the atmosphere during most of the year, they have an important place in respiratory allergies. In this regard, the preparation of calendars showing fungi spore loads for residential areas has much importance in the treatment of the patients. The first aim of this study was to present the airborne fungal spore research results from Eastern Anatolia in Turkey. Then, the mold spores’ relationships with the meteorological parameters and skin prick test results were also evaluated. The presence of fungal spores was investigated using a volumetric spore trap in 2018 year. METHODS: In this study, fungal spores within the atmosphere of the Elaz?? city of Turkey was measured through the volumetric method, using a Lanzoni VPPS 2000 device (VPPS 2000 Lanzoni, Bologna, Italy), in 2018 year. Annual data of temperature, humidity, precipitation and wind speed were used for comparing meteorological data with airborne fungal spore counts. In addition, 637 children who were admitted to a pediatric allergy clinic with allergic complaints were enrolled in the study. RESULTS: A total of 145,099 spores/m(3) and 20 fungal taxa belonging to the molds were recorded. Ustilago was the predominant genus (18.10%), followed by Oidium (18.01%), Drechslera (12.82%), and Fusarium (11.60%), which were the most common fungal spores found in Elazig’s atmosphere. The total mold spores in the atmosphere reached the highest level, with 28,153 spores/m(3), in July (mid-summer). Moreover, we found a positive correlation between the mold spores and the temperature, but negative correlations with the humidity and wind speed. In the skin prick tests in the children with allergic complaints, we detected sensitization to Alternaria alternata in 4.4%, Cladosporium herbarum in 3.0%, Penicillium notatum in 1.4%, and Aspergillus fumigatus in 1.1%. Additionally, there was no correlation between fungal spore concentration in the atmosphere with fungal spores sensitization in the skin prick test. CONCLUSIONS: This study was the first aerofungal survey of the Eastern Anatolia region in Turkey; therefore, new information has been introduced in the field of aerobiology in Turkey.
