Aerobiological study of Las Rozas de Madrid city and implementation of the results in the allergenic pollen control

Tesis inédita de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Facultad de Farmacia, Departamento de Biología Vegetal II, leída el 13/01/2016La presencia de polen aerovagante tiene un papel importante en la salud de la población, como responsable de reacciones alérgicas que afectan a un alto porcentaje de la población. Por ello la Comunidad de Madrid creó en 1993 la Red Palinológica de la Comunidad de Madrid (Red PALINOCAM) un dispositivo de vigilancia que analiza y cuantifica diariamente, durante todo el año, los niveles polínicos en nuestra región. En su diseño se tuvo en cuenta, el mapa de vegetación y el mapa de zonificación sanitaria, ubicándose los captadores en las zonas más densamente pobladas y procurando que estuvieran representadas las diferencias biogeográficas del territorio. En 2008 se amplío la red con un nuevo punto de muestreo dependiente del Laboratorio Municipal de las Rozas, que interesaba para completar la información de polen en el eje centro- noroeste de nuestra comunidad. Este ocupa una posición intermedia entre el límite metropolitano al oeste de la capital, y el extremo más rural al norte en Collado Villalba, y cubre un área cuya población es superior a los 200.000 habitantes. Su contribución por tanto al conocimiento de la variabilidad y dinámica estacional del polen atmosférico en Madrid es importante y por ello nos planteamos esta tesis, una vez que contamos con datos suficientes, 5 años completos, desde 2009 a 2013...Presence of airborne pollen has an important role in population health, as the responsible of allergic reactions which affects a high rate of the population. Therefore, the Community of Madrid founded the Palinological network of Community of Madrid (Red PALINOCAM) in 1993, a security network which analyzes and quantifies the daily pollinic levels in our region for all year round. In the design, the vegetation map and the health map were taken into account settling permanent Hirst-type samplers in the most densely-populated areas and attempting to be represented the biogeographic differences in the territory. In 2008 the network was expanded with a new point of sampling, which it lies on Municipal Laboratory of Las Rozas, due to its interest in order to fill out the pollen information in the Central-Northwest axis of our Community. This sampler takes up an intermediate position between metropolitan limit, to the West of the capital, and the most rural edge, to the North in Collado-Villalba, reaching an area whose population is over 200.000 inhabitants. Its contribution to the knowledge of variability and seasonal dynamic of atmospheric pollen in Madrid is remarkable, that is the reason why we focus on it this dissertation, since we can make use of enough data, from 2009 to 2013, five complete years...Depto. de Farmacología, Farmacognosia y BotánicaFac. de FarmaciaTRUEunpu

Atmospheric pollen in Las Rozas (Madrid). Results of the first year of aerobiological sampling

We present the results of the airborne pollen content for one year (july 2008-june 2009) from the aerobiological station of Las Rozas (Madrid), belonging to the Palinocam Network. This is a strategic point due to its geographic situation and because it is representative of the most important population centres in the area northeast of Madrid. A total of 38 pollen types have been identified (19 from trees and 12 from herbs). There was a predominance of Quercus pollen, which represents 39.0% of the annual total, followed by Cupressaceae/Taxaceae (16.9%), Platanus (8.6%), Olea (6.8%) and Poaceae (5.3%). The concentrations obtained for the period in the study are high (62.319 grains a year) compared to other sampling points on the Palinocam Network. The highest concentrations of pollen occur in march, april and may, when 75.2% of the total pollen was recorded. In Las Rozas, the months of maximum risk for hay-fever sufferers are march (Cupressaceae/Taxaceae-Platanus), and may, when there are highly allergenic pollen types in the air such as Olea, Poaceae, Plantago, etc.Presentamos los resultados del contenido de polen atmosférico en la estación aerobiológica de Las Rozas (Madrid), perteneciente a la RED Palinocam, durante un año (julio 2008-junio 2009). Se trata de un punto estratégico por su situación geográfica y por ser representativo de los importantes núcleos de población de la zona noroeste de Madrid. Se han identificado un total de 38 tipos polínicos (19 de procedencia arbórea y 12 de origen herbáceo). Ha predominado el polen de Quercus, que representa el 39,0% del total anual, seguido de Cupressaceae/Taxaceae (16,9%), Platanus (8,6%), Olea (6,8%) y Poaceae (5,3%). Las concentraciones de granos de polen detectadas, durante el periodo estudiado, se sitúan en niveles altos (62.319 granos anuales) con respecto a otros puntos de muestreo de la RED Palinocam. Las mayores concentraciones polínicas se producen en los meses de marzo, abril y mayo, meses en los que se concentra el 75,2% del polen total contabilizado. En Las Rozas, los meses de más riesgo para las personas con polinosis son marzo (Cupressaceae/Taxaceae-Platanus) y mayo, mes en el que están presentes en el aire tipos polínicos muy alergénicos como Olea, Poaceae, Plantago, etc

Higher airborne pollen concentrations correlated with increased SARS-CoV-2 infection rates, as evidenced from 31 countries across the globe

Pollen exposure weakens the immunity against certain seasonal respiratory viruses by diminishing the antiviral interferon response. Here we investigate whether the same applies to the pandemic severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which is sensitive to antiviral interferons, if infection waves coincide with high airborne pollen concentrations. Our original hypothesis was that more airborne pollen would lead to increases in infection rates. To examine this, we performed a cross-sectional and longitudinal data analysis on SARS-CoV-2 infection, airborne pollen, and meteorological factors. Our dataset is the most comprehensive, largest possible worldwide from 130 stations, across 31 countries and five continents. To explicitly investigate the effects of social contact, we additionally considered population density of each study area, as well as lockdown effects, in all possible combinations: without any lockdown, with mixed lockdown−no lockdown regime, and under complete lockdown. We found that airborne pollen, sometimes in synergy with humidity and temperature, explained, on average, 44% of the infection rate variability. Infection rates increased after higher pollen concentrations most frequently during the four previous days. Without lockdown, an increase of pollen abundance by 100 pollen/m3 resulted in a 4% average increase of infection rates. Lockdown halved infection rates under similar pollen concentrations. As there can be no preventive measures against airborne pollen exposure, we suggest wide dissemination of pollen−virus coexposure dire effect information to encourage high-risk individuals to wear particle filter masks during high springtime pollen concentrations