TEMPORAL AND SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF POACEAE POLLEN IN AREAS OF SOUTHERN UNITED KINGDOM, SPAIN AND PORTUGAL

Overall, longer Poaceae pollen seasons coincided with earlier pollen season start dates. Winter rainfall noticeably affects the intensity of Poaceae pollen seasons in Mediterranean areas, but this was not as important in Worcester. Weekly data from Worcester followed a similar pattern to that of Badajoz and Évora but at a distance of more than 1500 km and 4-5 weeks later

Mechanical Behavior of Natural Hydraulic Lime Mortars

Natural hydraulic lime (NHL) mortars are widely used for restoration works due to their good compatibility with the substrate material in terms of physical, chemical, and mechanical properties. Regarding their mechanical characterization, there is still a need for further understanding of their fracture behavior and the influence of their dosage methodology on the mechanical properties. Thus, this chapter focuses on the mechanical characterization of NHL mortars, such as flexural, compressive, and splitting tensile strengths, elastic modulus, and fracture energy. Moreover, the influence of the composition and production process on such properties was studied as well. Furthermore, the loading rate effect on the fracture behavior was also presented. The results show that NHL mortars have shape and size effect on the compressive strength. In addition, NHL mortar is rate sensitive, mainly due to the viscous effects caused by the presence of free water in the porous structure

Seasonal and Spatial Variations of Indoor Pollen in a Hospital

The airborne indoor pollen in a hospital of Badajoz (Spain) was monitored over two years using a personal Burkard sampler. The air was sampled in four places indoors—one closed room and one open ward on each of the ground and the third floors—and one place outdoors at the entrance to the hospital. The results were compared with data from a continuous volumetric sampler. While 32 pollen types were identified, nearly 75% of the total counts were represented by just five of them. These were: Quercus, Cupressaceae, Poaceae, Olea, and Plantago. The average indoor concentration was 25.2 grains/m3, and the average indoor/outdoor ratio was 0.27. A strong seasonal pattern was found, with the highest levels in spring and winter, and the indoor concentrations were correlated with the outdoor one. Indoor air movement led to great homogeneity in the airborne pollen presence: the indoor results were not influenced by whether or not the room was isolated, the floor level, or the number of people in or transiting the site during sampling. The presence of ornamental vegetation in the area surrounding the building affected the indoor counts directly as sources of the pollen

Identification of potential sources of airborne 0lea pollen in the southwest Iberian Peninsula

Regional scale transport of olive pollen can result in increased nighttime concentrations of this important aeroallergen. This could be particularly important in Mediterranean countries where people can be outdoors during this time due to climate and lifestyle. Such studies are valuable for allergy sufferers and health care professionals because the information can be incorporated into forecasts, the outputs of which are used for avoiding exposure to aeroallergens and planning medication. The results of studies of this nature can also be used for examining gene flow in this important agricultural crop

The effects of dosage and production process on the mechanical and physical properties of natural hydraulic lime mortars

Natural Hydraulic Lime (NHL) mortars are well-extended in restoration works presently. However, there is still a lack of standardization on their dosage methodology. Thus, seven types of mortar were fabricated and five factors which have an influence on their properties have been studied, in particular the water-binder ratio, the mold material, the aggregate size and type and the different curing conditions. Furthermore, an advanced mechanical characterization has been performed on these mortars, including the measurement of the fracture energy. Finally, some empirical equations for determining the relationships between these mechanical properties were proposed, which could be helpful when simulating the numerical models of historical constructions

Producing Urban Aerobiological Risk Map for Cupressaceae Family in the SW Iberian Peninsula from LiDAR Technology

Given the rise in the global population and the consequently high levels of pollution, urban green areas, such as those that include plants in the Cupressaceae family, are suitable to reduce the pollution levels, improving the air quality. However, some species with ornamental value are also very allergenic species whose planting should be regulated and their pollen production reduced by suitable pruning. The Aerobiological Index to create Risk maps for Ornamental Trees (AIROT), in its previous version, already included parameters that other indexes did not consider, such as the width of the streets, the height of buildings and the geographical characteristics of cities. It can be considered by working with LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) data from five urban areas, which were used to create the DEM and DSM (digital elevation and surface models) needed to create one of the parameters. Pollen production is proposed as a parameter (α) based on characteristics and uses in the forms of hedges or trees that will be incorporated into the index. It will allow the comparison of different species for the evaluation of the pruning effect when aerobiological risks are established

Urban aerobiological risk mapping of ornamental trees using a new index based on LiDAR and Kriging: A case study of plane trees

Ornamental trees bring benefits for human health, including reducing urban pollution. However, some species, such as plane trees (Platanus sp.), produce allergenic pollen. Consequently, urban maps are a valuable tool for allergic patients and allergists, but they often fail to include variables that contribute to the “building downwash effect”, such as the width and shape of streets and the height of buildings. Other factors that directly influence pollen dispersion (slopes and other geographical features) also have not traditionally been discussed. The LiDAR (Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging) technique enables one to consider these variables with high accuracy. This work proposes an Aerobiological Index to create Risk maps for Ornamental Trees (AIROT) and the establishment of potential areas of risk of exposure to Platanus pollen. LiDAR data from five urban areas were used to create the DEM and DSM (Digital Elevation and Surface Models) needed to perform further analysis. GIS software was used to map the points for each city and to create risk maps by Kriging, with stable (3 cases) and exponential function (2 cases) as the optimal models. In short, the AIROT index was a useful tool to map possible biological risks in cities. Since AIROT allows each city to consider its own characteristics, including geographical specifications, by using remote sensing and geostatistics techniques, the establishment of risk maps and healthy itineraries is valuable for allergic patients, allergists, architects and urban planners. This new aerobiological index provides a new decision-making tool related to urban planning and allergenicity assessment

Estacionalidade do Aspergillus no ar exterior em Badajoz

The airborne presence of Aspergillus in both outdoor and indoor air is important from the point of view of environmental and public health. The aim of this work was to study the seasonal presence of Aspergillus in outdoor air using viable methods. The exterior atmosphere of the city of Badajoz (SW Spain) was sampled at the University of Extremadura for two years from March 25, 2009, to March 25, 2011, using 3 types of viable portable volumetric samplers: two Burkard samplers–one provided with a device having a conical structure (Bd) and another one fitted with a sieve (Bs)– and one Sampl’air sampler (AES). The aspiration flow rate was 20 liters per minute for the Burkard samplers and 100 liters per minute for the AES sampler. Two kinds of culture media were used: Agar Dextrose Sabouraud (SDA) and Agar Extract Malt (MEA). During the first sampling period (March 25, 2009 - March 26, 2010) sampling was done with Bd and Bs and with SDA, whereas during the second sampling period (March 30, 2010 - March 25, 2011) AES and Bs and MEA were used. Data are provided in colony-forming units per cubic meter (CFU/m3). A total of 610 colonies of Aspergillus were counted during the overall period. The daily average concentration was 17 CFU/m3 throughout the period. A total of 15 Aspergillus species were identified, the most frequent being, in descending order: A. niger, A. candidus, A. fumigatus, A. niveus and A. versicolor. Some species were characterized by marked seasonality, predominating during autumn or winter or being absent in the summer. Others showed no marked seasonality. On average, Aspergillus concentration was highest in autumn and lowest in spring; the values in summer and winter were intermediate. Significant differences were found considering the three samplers used (χ2=28.491, p<0.001).La presencia de Aspergillus en el aire exterior e interior es importante para la salud pública. El objetivo de este trabajo fue estudiar la presencia estacional de Aspergillus en el aire exterior. Se muestreó la atmósfera exterior de Badajoz (SO España) en la Universidad de Extremadura durante dos años, desde el 25 de marzo de 2009 hasta el 25 de marzo de 2011, utilizando 3 tipos de captadores volumétricos portátiles viables: dos captadores Burkard, uno con un dispositivo con estructura cónica (Bc) y otro con un tamiz (Bt), y un captador Sampl’air (AES). La velocidad de flujo de aspiración fue 20 L/min. para los captadores Burkard y 100 para AES. Se emplearon dos tipos de medio de cultivo Agar Sabouraud Dextrosa (SDA) y Agar Extracto de Malta (MEA). En un primer periodo (25/03/2009-26/03/2010) se muestreó con Bc y Bt y con SDA, mientras que en el segundo (30/03/2010-25/03/2011) se muestreó con AES y Bt y con MEA. Los datos se proporcionan en unidades formadoras de colonias por metro cúbico (CFU/m3). Se contabilizaron un total de 610 colonias de Aspergillus en el periodo total estudiado. La concentración promedio diaria fue de 17 CFU/m3 en todo el periodo. Se identificaron 15 especies de Aspergillus siendo las más frecuentes: A. niger, A. candidus, A. fumigatus, A. niveus y A. versicolor. Algunas especies se caracterizaron por una marcada estacionalidad, con predominancia en otoño o invierno, o ausencia en verano. Otras no mostraron estacionalidad predominante. En promedio la concentración de Aspergillus fue máxima en otoño y mínima en primavera; en verano e invierno los valores fueron intermedios. Se han encontrado diferencias significativas teniendo en cuenta los tres captadores empleados (χ2=28,491, p<0,001).A presença do Aspergillus no ar exterior e interior é importante do ponto de vista da saúde pública. O objetivo do presente trabalho é estudar a abundância sazonal do Aspergillus no ar exterior. Recolheram-se amostras da atmosfera exterior de Badajoz (SO Espanha), na Universidade de Extremadura, durante dois anos, a partir de 25 de março de 2009 até 25 de março de 2011. Foram utilizados três tipos de sensores volumétricos portáteis viáveis: dois sensores Burkard, um com um dispositivo de estrutura cónica (Bc) e outro com uma peneira (Bt), e Sampl’air (AES). O caudal de aspiração foi de 20 litros/minuto para os sensores Burkard e 100 litros/minuto para o AES. Foram utilizados dois tipos de meio de cultura Sabouraud Dextrose Agar (SDA) e extrato de malte Agar (MEA). No primeiro período de amostragem (2009-03-25 a 2010-03-26) operou-se com Bc e Bp e SDA, enquanto no segundo período de amostragem (2010-03-30 a 2011-03-25) operou-se com AES e Bp e MEA. Os dados são fornecidos em unidades formadoras de colônias por metro cúbico (UFC/m3). Foi contabilizado um total de 610 colónias de Aspergillus. A concentração média foi de 17 UFC/m3.Foram identificadas 15 espécies do Aspergillus. As mais frequentes por ordem decrescente foram A. niger, A. candidus, A. fumigatus, A. niveus e A. versicolor. Algumas das espécies são caracterizadas por uma assinalada estacionariedade, com predomínio no outono ou no inverno, ou ausência no verão. Outras não mostraram estacionariedade predominante. Em média a concentração do Aspergillus foi máxima no outono e mínima na primavera, no verão e no inverno os valores foram intermédios. Registaram-se diferenças significativas tendo em conta os três captadores usados (χ2=28.491, p<0.001)

Relationship of NDVI and oak (Quercus)pollen including a predictive model in the SW Mediterranean region

Techniques of remote sensing are being used to develop phenological studies. Our goal is to study the correlation among the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) related with oak trees included in three set data polygons (15, 25 and 50 km to aerobiological sampling point as NDVI-15, 25 and 50), and oak (Quercus) daily average pollen counts from 1994 to 2013. The study was developed in the SW Mediterranean region with continuous pollen recording within the mean pollen season of each studied year. These pollen concentrations were compared with NDVI values in the locations containing the vegetation under a study based on two cartographic sources: the Extremadura Forest Map (MFEx) of Spain and the Fifth National Forest Inventory (IFN5) from Portugal. The importance of this work is to propose the relationship among data related in space and time by Spearman and Granger causality tests. 9 out of 20 studied years have shown significant results with the Granger causality test between NDVI and pollen concentration, and in 12 years, significant values were obtained by Spearman test. The distances of influence on the contribution of Quercus pollen to the sampler showed statistically significant results depending on the year. Moreover, a predictive model by using Artificial Neural Network (ANN) was applied with better results in NDVI25 than for NDVI15 or NDVI50. The addition of NDVI25 with the lag of 5 days and some weather parameters in the model was applied with a RMSE of 4.26 (Spearman coefficient r = 0.77) between observed and predicted values. Based on these results, NDVI seems to be a useful parameter to predict airborne pollen

EVALUATING FUNGI INDOOR PRESENCE IN HOMES THROUGH VIABLE AND NON-VIABLE SAMPLING

Moulds are common and important allergens. They are more abundant outdoors but patients affected by mould allergy stay indoors much longer than outdoors. So, indoor sampling could help to assess the influence of the concentration of allergens in allergic symptoms. The aim of this study was to assess the relative efficiencies of two air sampling methods, viable and non viable, for the quantification of airborne indoor fungi in the homes of patients sensitized to Alternaria. Furthermore, outdoor sampling was carried out to compare results. Samples were taken over six months in Badajoz (SW Spain). Two houses were selected according to the presence of allergic patients to Alternaria. They were sampled once a month using both viable and non viable personal samplers at solar noon. A Burkard personal sampler was used to record spores and a Sampl’air AES Chemunex sampler was used for colonies. Three rooms were selected in each home: living room, kitchen and bathroom. Temperature and relative humidity were registered at each sample. Outdoor sampling was performed one day per week at the Faculty of Science, using a seven day Burkard sampler for spores and the same personal sampler for colonies. On average, 200-300 CFU/ m3 were found from more than 40 taxa identified. The highest number of colonies was recorded in the kitchen, then in the bathroom and finally in the living room. Nevertheless, there were minor differences between rooms. The houses studied showed a similar temporal pattern, with maximum values in December and minimum in January. Cladosporium colonies showed statistical differences between homes, but these differences were not found with Alternaria, Aspergillus or Penicillium colonies. Differences between rooms appeared for Alternaria colonies and Cladosporium herbarium spores. Temperature was positively correlated in most cases and relative humidity negatively with Alternaria spores. The number of spores collected was as twice as that of colonies, with an average concentration between 600-700 colonies/m3 , and nearly 1400 spores/m3 as maximum concentration. The temporal pattern of spores was similar to that found for colonies. Comparing colonies to spores, Alternaria and AspergillusPenicillium showed similar values. Notwithstanding, Cladosporium spores were nearly five times more abundant than colonies. The advantage of viable methods is the identification to species level, but they have the disadvantage that spores from some ubiquitous species, as Cladosporium, do not always grow in those media, which raises the interest to use additional non-viable methods