Changes in the concentration of pollen over an 11-year period in a Polish urban environment

Recent studies suggest that climate change can influence plant reproductive systems and have an impact on the increase in allergenic pollen in atmospheric air; highly allergenic pollen may intensify the allergic response in people. The aim of our study was to evaluate the seasonal dynamic concentration of the most allergenic pollen taxa, i.e., the following trees: Alnus, Corylus, Betula, and herbaceous plants: grasses (Poaceae), Artemisia, and Ambrosia, in the long-term period of 2003–2013 in the city of Lodz, Poland. Weekly airborne pollen concentrations were evaluated with a volumetric Lansoni pollen trap. The beginning and the end of the season were calculated by the 98% method. The birch (Betula) pollen was at the highest level and accounted for 79%, followed by alder (Alnus) – 19%, and hazel (Corylus) – 2%. Among the herbaceous taxa, grasses (Poaceae) pollen dominated – 79%, followed by mugwort (Artemisia) – 18%, and ragweed (Ambrosia) – 3%. Our findings indicate a lack of qualitative and quantitative change in the pollen produced over the 11-year period

Forecasting model of Corylus, Alnus, and Betula pollen concentration levels using spatiotemporal correlation properties of pollen count

The aim of the study was to create and evaluate models for predicting high levels of daily pollen concentration of Corylus, Alnus, and Betula using a spatiotemporal correlation of pollen count. For each taxon, a high pollen count level was established according to the first allergy symptoms during exposure. The dataset was divided into a training set and a test set, using a stratified random split. For each taxon and city, the model was built using a random forest method. Corylus models performed poorly. However, the study revealed the possibility of predicting with substantial accuracy the occurrence of days with high pollen concentrations of Alnus and Betula using past pollen count data from monitoring sites. These results can be used for building (1) simpler models, which require data only from aerobiological monitoring sites, and (2) combined meteorological and aerobiological models for predicting high levels of pollen concentration

Grass pollen seasons in Poland against a background of the meteorological conditions

Artykuł dotyczy oceny sezonów pyłkowych Poaceae w Polsce w wybranych regionach. Celem pracy było przedstawienie wieloletniej zmienności początku, końca i długości sezonów pyłkowych traw oraz sezonowego indeksu pyłkowego (wartość SPI) w Polsce na tle warunków meteorologicznych. Badania były prowadzone w ośmiu miastach Polski, w okresie 1992-2014 (sezony 2003-2012 były wspólne dla wszystkich miast). Początek sezonu pyłkowego był względnie stały w okresie badawczym, sezony rozpoczynały się około 10 maja, nieco wcześniej w południowej części Polski. Koniec sezonu pyłkowego był bardziej zmienny w porównaniu do początku, jego termin wahał się od połowy lipca do połowy września. SPI wyraźnie zależał od temperatury i opadów w okresie kwiecień–sierpień. Dobowe stężenie maksymalne pyłku były odnotowywane pomiędzy końcem maja a pierwszą dekadą lipca, nie wykazano wyraźnej zależności pomiędzy dniem stężenia maksymalnego i warunkami pogodowymi, z wyjątkiem 2004 roku.The paper refers to the estimation of Poaceae pollen seasons in Poland in selected areas. The aim of the study was to present the long-term variability of the start, end and duration of grass pollen seasons and the seasonal pollen index (SPI) in Poland against a background of the meteorological conditions over pollen seasons. The study was performed in eight Polish cities in 1992-2014 (the common seasons were 2003-2012). Pollen season start was relatively stable in the studied period, the seasons began about the 10th of May, a bit earlier in the south part of Poland. Pollen season ends were more changeable in comparison to the season start and fluctuated from the middle of July to the middle of September. SPI clearly depended on temperature and precipitation in April-August. Daily maximum pollen concentrations were achieved between the end of May and the first decade of July and no evident relationship between this day and weather conditions was found, apart from 2004

Grass pollen seasons in Poland against a background of the meteorological conditions

The paper refers to the estimation of Poaceae pollen seasons in Poland in selected areas. The aim of the study was to present the long-term variability of the start, end and duration of grass pollen seasons and the seasonal pollen index (SPI) in Poland against a background of the meteorological conditions over pollen seasons. The study was performed in eight Polish cities in 1992-2014 (the common seasons were 2003-2012). Pollen season start was relatively stable in the studied period, the seasons began about the 10th of May, a bit earlier in the south part of Poland. Pollen season ends were more changeable in comparison to the season start and fluctuated from the middle of July to the middle of September. SPI clearly depended on temperature and precipitation in April-August. Daily maximum pollen concentrations were achieved between the end of May and the first decade of July and no evident relationship between this day and weather conditions was found, apart from 2004

Co-occurrence of Artemisia and Ambrosia pollen seasons against the background of the synoptic situations in Poland

The Asteraceae family is one of the largest families, comprising 67 genera and 264 species in Poland. However, only a few genera, including Artemisia and Ambrosia are potential allergenic sources. The aim of the study was to estimate how often and to what degree Artemisia and Ambrosia pollen seasons co-occur intensifying human health risk, and how synoptic situations influence frequency of days with high pollen concentrations of both taxa. Artemisia and Ambrosia pollen data were collected, using the volumetric method, at 8 sites in Poland. Daily concentrations of Artemisia pollen equal to 30 grains or more and Ambrosia pollen equal to 10 grains or more were accepted as high values. Concentrations of more than 10 pollen grains were defined as high in the case of Ambrosia because its allergenicity is considered higher. High concentrations were confronted with synoptic situations. Analysis was performed on the basis of two calendars on circulation types of atmosphere in Poland (Niedźwiedź, 2006, 2015). Co-occurrence of Artemisia and Ambrosia pollen seasons is being found most often, when Ambrosia pollen season starts in the first half of August. If it happens in the last 10 days of August high pollen concentrations of Artemisia and Ambrosia do not occur at the same days. At three sites (Sosnowiec, Rzeszów, Lublin) high Ambrosia pollen concentrations during the Artemisia pollen season appear more often than in other sites under question. The high Artemisia pollen concentrations occur, when continental or polar maritime old air masses inflow into Poland. The impact of air masses on high Ambrosia pollen concentrations depends on site localizations. It is likely, that in the south-eastern part of Poland high Ambrosia pollen concentrations result from the pollen transport from east-south-south-westerly directions and the local sources. Co-occurrence of both taxa pollen seasons depends on the air masses inflow and appears more often in a southeastern part of Poland

The analysis of hornbeam (Carpinus) pollen count in selected Polish cities in 2007

Praca przedstawia przebieg sezonu pylenia grabu w 2007 r. w Sosnowcu, Białymstoku, Krakowie, Lublinie, Łodzi, Olsztynie, Warszawie, we Wrocławiu i w Szczecinie. Badania prowadzono metodą objętościową przy zastosowaniu aparatów typu Burkard i Lanzoni. Sezon pyłkowy wyznaczono metodą 98%. Najwcześniej pyłek grabu zarejestrowano w Lublinie (24 marca), a we Wrocławiu, w Warszawie, Krakowie i Szczecinie w ciągu kolejnych trzech dni. Najwyższe wartości stężeń średniodobowych zanotowano w Lublinie 19 kwietnia (133 z/m3), najniższe w Łodzi (29 z/m3).The article presents a record of the 2007 hornbeam pollination season in Sosnowiec, Białystok, Kraków, Łódź, Olsztyn, Warszawa, Wrocław and Szczecin. The research was carried out by means of the volumetric method with the use of Burkard and Lanzoni devices. The pollen season was determined by means of the 98 % method. Hornbeam pollen was earliest recorded in Lublin (24 March), it was recorded in Wrocław, Warszawa, Kraków and Szczecin during the next three days and latest in Łódź – on 4 April. The highest concentration values were recorded in Lublin on 19 April (133 grains/m3) and the lowest in Łódź (29 grains/m3)

The grass pollen in the air of selected Polish cities in 2007

Praca przedstawia przebieg sezonu pylenia traw w roku 2007 w Białymstoku, Bydgoszczy, Krakowie, Lublinie, Łodzi, Rzeszowie, Sosnowcu, Szczecinie, Warszawie i we Wrocławiu. Badania prowadzono metodą objętościową przy zastosowaniu aparatów typu Burkard i Lanzoni. Sezon pyłkowy wyznaczono metodą 98%. Najwcześniej pyłek traw zarejestrowano we Wrocławiu i w Krakowie (20, 30 kwietnia), najpóźniej w Białymstoku (13 maja). Największą maksymalną koncentrację pyłku zanotowano w Łodzi (513 ziaren/m3), najniższą w Krakowie (106 ziaren/m3). Okres maksymalnych stężeń pyłku traw rejestrowano między 29 maja i 21 czerwca.This paper presents the curse of grass pollination seasons in the cities Białystok, Bydgoszcz, Kraków, Lublin, Łódź, Rzeszów, Sosnowiec, Szczecin, Warszawa and Wrocław in 2007. Measurements were performed by the volumetric method with the use of a Burkard and Lanzoni Spore Trap. The duration of the pollen seasons was defined as the period in which 98 % of the annual total catch occurred. The pollen seasons of grass started first in Wrocław and Kraków (20, 30 April), the latest in Białystok (13 May). The highest concentration of pollen grains was noted in Łódź (513 z/m3), the lowest in Kraków (106 z/m3). The period of the maximum concentrations was recorded in 29 May and the off 21 June

Goosefoot pollen in the air of selected Polish cities in 2011

W pracy przedstawiono przebieg sezonu pylenia komosy w 2011 roku. Badania prowadzono w Sosnowcu, Szczecinie, Wrocławiu, Krakowie, Warszawie, Lublinie, Bydgoszczy, Piotrkowie Trybunalskim, Drawsku Pomorskim i Łodzi z zastosowaniem metody wolumetrycznej przy użyciu aparatów typu Burkard i Lanzoni. Sezon pyłkowy wyznaczono metodą 98% rocznej sumy ziarn pyłku. Najwcześniej pyłek komosy zarejestrowano w Szczecinie (31 maja), najpóźniej w Lublinie (13 czerwca). Najwyższe stężenie pyłku komosy, wynoszące 63 z/m3, zanotowano w Szczecinie 3 lipca.This paper presents the course of goosefoot pollen season in selected cities of Poland in 2011. The measurements were performed in Sosnowiec, Szczecin, Kraków, Wrocław, Warszawa, Lublin, Bydgoszcz, Piotrków Trybunalski, Drawsko Pomorskie and Łódź, use of volumetric method with Burkard and Lanzoni Spore Trap. The duration of the pollen seasons was defined as the period in which 98% of the annual total catch occurred. The pollen seasons of goosefoot started first in Szczecin (31th May), the latest in goosefoot 63 pollen grains/m3, was recorded in Szczecin on the 3th of July