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Werchan M, Werchan B, Bogawski P, Mousavi F, Metz M, Bergmann KC. An emerging aeroallergen in Europe: Tree-of-Heaven (Ailanthus altissima [Mill.] Swingle) inventory and pollen concentrations - Taking a metropolitan region in Germany as an example. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 930:172519. [PMID: 38636870 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2023] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
Urban areas are often hotspots for the dissemination of non-native (invasive) plant species, some of which release (potentially) allergenic pollen. Given the high population density in cities, a considerable number of people can be regularly and potentially intensively exposed to the pollen from these plants. This study delves into the Tree-of-Heaven (Ailanthus altissima, [Mill.] Swingle), native to East Asia, which is known for its high invasiveness in temperate regions worldwide, particularly favoring urban colonization. This study explores the botanical and aerobiological dimensions of this species using the central European metropolitan region of Berlin, Germany, as a case study, and provides a comprehensive global overview of allergological insights. The number of Ailanthus trees decreased markedly from the center to the periphery of Berlin City, following a temperature gradient. The same spatial trend was mirrored by airborne Ailanthus pollen concentrations measured with volumetric spore traps (Hirst-type) at five sites using seven traps. Ailanthus pollen was most abundant around midday and in the afternoon, with concentrations tenfold higher at street level than at roof level. The Ailanthus flowering period in June and July coincided well with the pollen season. To the best of our knowledge this is the first study to investigate Ailanthus altissima pollen production. On average, 5539 pollen grains were found per anther. A literature review on the allergy relevance of Ailanthus altissima pollen indicates the high allergenic potential of pollen from this species. Considering the anticipated expansion of suitable habitats for Ailanthus owing to global warming and the allergological significance of its pollen, it is recommended to include Ailanthus pollen in routine pollen monitoring, particularly in areas colonized by this species. This comprehensive study provides new insights into a pollen taxon whose significance as an emerging aeroallergen should be factored into plant selection and greenspace management in all temperate regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Werchan
- German Pollen Information Service Foundation, Berlin, Germany; Institute of Allergology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Barbora Werchan
- German Pollen Information Service Foundation, Berlin, Germany
| | - Paweł Bogawski
- Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Faculty of Biology, Department of Systematic and Environmental Botany, Poznań, Poland
| | - Fateme Mousavi
- Air and Space Physiology Research Group, Aerospace Research Institute, Ministry of Science Research and Technology, Tehran, Iran
| | - Martin Metz
- Institute of Allergology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP, Immunology and Allergology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Karl-Christian Bergmann
- German Pollen Information Service Foundation, Berlin, Germany; Institute of Allergology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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Bayr D, Plaza MP, Gilles S, Kolek F, Leier-Wirtz V, Traidl-Hoffmann C, Damialis A. Pollen long-distance transport associated with symptoms in pollen allergics on the German Alps: An old story with a new ending? THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 881:163310. [PMID: 37028681 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2022] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Pollen grains are among the main causes of respiratory allergies worldwide and hence they are routinely monitored in urban environments. However, their sources can be located farther, outside cities' borders. So, the fundamental question remains as to how frequent longer-range pollen transport incidents are and if they may actually comprise high-risk allergy cases. The aim was to study the pollen exposure on a high-altitude location where only scarce vegetation exists, by biomonitoring airborne pollen and symptoms of grass pollen allergic individuals, locally. The research was carried out in 2016 in the alpine research station UFS, located at 2650 m height, on the Zugspitze Mountain in Bavaria, Germany. Airborne pollen was monitored by use of portable Hirst-type volumetric traps. As a case study, grass pollen-allergic human volunteers were registering their symptoms daily during the peak of the grass pollen season in 2016, during a 2-week stay on Zugspitze, 13-24 June. The possible origin of some pollen types was identified using back trajectory model HYSPLIT for 27 air mass backward trajectories up to 24 h. We found that episodes of high aeroallergen concentrations may occur even at such a high-altitude location. More than 1000 pollen grains m-3 of air were measured on the UFS within only 4 days. It was confirmed that the locally detected bioaerosols originated from at least Switzerland, and up to northwest France, even eastern American Continent, because of frequent long-distance transport. Such far-transported pollen may explain the observed allergic symptoms in sensitized individuals at a remarkable rate of 87 % during the study period. Long-distance transport of aeroallergens can cause allergic symptoms in sensitized individuals, as evidenced in a sparse-vegetation, low-exposure, 'low-risk' alpine environment. We strongly suggest that we need cross-border pollen monitoring to investigate long-distance pollen transport, as its occurrence seems both frequent and clinically relevant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Bayr
- Environmental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University Clinic of Augsburg & University of Augsburg, 86156 Augsburg, Germany; Institute of Environmental Medicine, Helmholtz Center Munich - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Augsburg, Germany
| | - Maria P Plaza
- Environmental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University Clinic of Augsburg & University of Augsburg, 86156 Augsburg, Germany; Institute of Environmental Medicine, Helmholtz Center Munich - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Augsburg, Germany
| | - Stefanie Gilles
- Environmental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University Clinic of Augsburg & University of Augsburg, 86156 Augsburg, Germany
| | - Franziska Kolek
- Environmental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University Clinic of Augsburg & University of Augsburg, 86156 Augsburg, Germany
| | - Vivien Leier-Wirtz
- Environmental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University Clinic of Augsburg & University of Augsburg, 86156 Augsburg, Germany
| | - Claudia Traidl-Hoffmann
- Environmental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University Clinic of Augsburg & University of Augsburg, 86156 Augsburg, Germany; Institute of Environmental Medicine, Helmholtz Center Munich - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Augsburg, Germany; Christine Kühne Center for Allergy Research and Education (CK-CARE), Davos, Switzerland
| | - Athanasios Damialis
- Environmental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University Clinic of Augsburg & University of Augsburg, 86156 Augsburg, Germany; Terrestrial Ecology and Climate Change, Department of Ecology, School of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
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Matandirotya NR, Anoruo CM. An assessment of aerosol optical depth over three AERONET sites in South Africa during the year 2020. SCIENTIFIC AFRICAN 2023; 19:e01446. [PMID: 36448048 PMCID: PMC9683855 DOI: 10.1016/j.sciaf.2022.e01446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Revised: 10/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
It is important to notice that the world health organization (WHO) on the 11th of March 2020, declared COVID-19 a global pandemic and in response governments around the world introduced lockdowns that restricted human and traffic movements including South Africa. This pandemic resulted in a total lockdown from 26 March until 16 April 2020 in South Africa with expected decrease in atmospheric aerosols. In this present study, the aerosol optical depth (AOD) over Southern Africa based on ground-based remotely sensed data derived from three AERONET sites (Durban, Skukuza and Upington) during 2020 were used to detrermine the restriction resopnse on atmospheric aerosol pollution The study used data from 2019, 2018 and 2017 as base years. The AERONET derived data was complemented with the HYSPLIT Model and NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis data. The study findings show that peak increase of AOD corresponds to Angstrom exponent (AE) enhancement for two sites Durban and Skukuza during winter (JJA) while the Upington site showed a different trend where peak AOD were observed in spring (SON). The study also observed the influence of long transport airmasses particularly those originating from the Atlantic and Indian ocean moreso for the Durban and Skukuza sites (summer and autumn) thus these sites received fresh marine aerosols however this was not the case for Upington which fell under the influence of short-range inland airmasses and was likely to receive anthropogenic and dust aerosols. The major results suggest that the lockdowns did not translate into a significant decrease in AOD levels compared to previous immediate years. The results has presented restriction response of AOD over South Africa but additional analysis is required using more locations to compare results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Newton R Matandirotya
- Derpatment of Geosciences, Faculty of Science, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, 6000, South Africa
- Centre for Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience, Kgotso Development Trust,P.O.Box 5, Beitbridge, Zimbabwe
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Martikainen MV, Tossavainen T, Hannukka N, Roponen M. Pollen, respiratory viruses, and climate change: Synergistic effects on human health. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 219:115149. [PMID: 36566960 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.115149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, evidence of the synergistic effects of pollen and viruses on respiratory health has begun to accumulate. Pollen exposure is a known risk factor for the incidence and severity of respiratory viral infections. However, recent evidence suggests that pollen exposure may also inhibit or weaken viral infections. A comprehensive summary has not been made and a consensus on the synergistic health effects has not been reached. It is highly possible that climate change will increase the significance of pollen exposure as a cause of respiratory problems and, at the same time, affect the risk of infectious disease outbreaks. It is important to accurately assess how these two factors affect human health separately and concurrently. In this review article, for the first time, the data from previous studies are combined and reviewed and potential research gaps concerning the synergistic effects of pollen and viral exposure are identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria-Viola Martikainen
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.
| | - Tarleena Tossavainen
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Noora Hannukka
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Marjut Roponen
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
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25-year retrospective longitudinal study on seasonal allergic rhinitis associations with air temperature in general practice. NPJ Prim Care Respir Med 2022; 32:54. [PMID: 36473873 PMCID: PMC9723707 DOI: 10.1038/s41533-022-00319-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Due to climate change, air temperature in the Netherlands has gradually increased. Higher temperatures lead to longer pollen seasons. Possible relations between air temperature and increased impact of seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR) in general practice have not been investigated yet. We explored trends in timing of frequent seasonal allergic rhinitis presentation to general practitioners (GPs) over 25 years and explored associations with air temperature. We performed a retrospective exploratory longitudinal study with data from our Family Medicine Network (1995-2019), including all SAR patients and their GP-encounters per week. We determined patients' GP-consultation frequency. Every year we identified seasonal periods with substantial increase in SAR related encounters: peak-periods. We determined start date and duration of the peak-period and assessed associations with air temperature in the beginning and throughout the year, respectively. The peak-period duration increased by a mean of 1.3 days (95% CI 0.23-2.45, P = 0.02) per year throughout the study period. Air temperature between February and July showed a statistically significant association with peak-period duration. We could not observe direct effects of warmer years on the start of peak-periods within distinct years (P = 0.06). SAR patients' contact frequency slightly increased by 0.01 contacts per year (95% CI 0.002-0.017, P = 0.015). These longitudinal findings may help to facilitate further research on the impact of climate change, and raise awareness of the tangible impact of climate change in general practice.
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Ziska LH. Climate, Carbon Dioxide, and Plant-Based Aero-Allergens: A Deeper Botanical Perspective. FRONTIERS IN ALLERGY 2022; 2:714724. [PMID: 35386997 PMCID: PMC8974748 DOI: 10.3389/falgy.2021.714724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
There is global evidence of a general increase in the incidence and prevalence of respiratory diseases including allergic rhinitis and associated asthma. This increase in turn, has been related, in part, to concurrent increases in carbon dioxide (CO2) and temperature on pollen production and allergic disease generated from plant-based sources of pollen. Such links to anthropogenic climate change has suggested three significant and interrelated consequences associated with respiratory allergies or disease. First, warmer temperatures and a longer frost-free growing season can influence pollen season length and temporal exposure to airborne aeroallergens. Second, both warmer temperatures and additional CO2 can increase the amount of pollen, the seasonal intensity, from spring through fall. Thirdly, there is evidence from oak and ragweed that rising levels of CO2 could increase the allergen concentration of the pollen and symptom severity. However, while these outcomes are of obvious consequence, they do not fully encompass all of the plant derived changes that could, directly or indirectly, influence aeroallergen production, exposure, and consequences for public health. In this overview, I will delve deeper into other plant-based links to climate/CO2 that are consequential either directly or indirectly to allergic rhinitis and associated disease. Such interactions range from pollen morphology to fire occurrence, from volatile organic compounds to potential changes in pesticide usage. The goal in doing so is to provide a broader context and appreciation for the interactions between plant biology and climate that can also affect allergen production and human impact but which, to date, have received little recognition or research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lewis H Ziska
- Associate Professor, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
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Li L, Hao D, Li X, Chen M, Zhou Y, Jurgens D, Asrar G, Sapkota A. Satellite-based phenology products and in-situ pollen dynamics: A comparative assessment. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 204:111937. [PMID: 34464616 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.111937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Revised: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Ongoing climate variability and change is impacting pollen exposure dynamics among sensitive populations. However, pollen data that can provide beneficial information to allergy experts and patients alike remains elusive. The lack of high spatial resolution pollen data has resulted in a growing interest in using phenology information that is derived using satellite observations to infer key pollen events including start of pollen season (SPS), timing of peak pollen season (PPS), and length of pollen season (LPS). However, it remains unclear if the agreement between satellite-based phenology information (e.g. start of season: SOS) and the in-situ pollen dynamics vary based on the type of satellite product itself or the processing methods used. To address this, we investigated the relationship between vegetation phenology indicator (SOS) derived from two separate sensor/satellite observations (MODIS, Landsat), and two different processing methods (double logistic regression (DLM) vs hybrid piecewise logistic regression (HPLM)) with in-situ pollen season dynamics (SPS, PPS, LPS) for three dominant allergenic tree pollen species (birch, oak, and poplar) that dominate the springtime allergy season in North America. Our results showed that irrespective of the data processing method (i.e. DLM vs HPLM), the MODIS-based SOS to be more closely aligned with the in-situ SPS, and PPS while upscaled Landsat based SOS had a better precision. The data products obtained using DLM processing methods tended to perform better than the HPLM based methods. We further showed that MODIS based phenology information along with temperature and latitude can be used to infer in-situ pollen dynamic for tree pollen during spring time. Our findings suggest that satellite-based phenology information may be useful in the development of early warning systems for allergic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linze Li
- School of Remote Sensing and Information Engineering, Wuhan University, Hubei, 430079, China; Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health, University of Maryland School of Public Health, College Park, MD, 20740, USA
| | - Dalai Hao
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China; Joint Global Change Research Institute, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, College Park, MD, 20740, USA; State Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing Science, Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Xuecao Li
- College of Land Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Min Chen
- Joint Global Change Research Institute, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, College Park, MD, 20740, USA; Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA
| | - Yuyu Zhou
- Department of Geology and Atmosphere Sciences, Iowa State University, IA, 50014, USA
| | - Dawn Jurgens
- Aerobiology Research Laboratories, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Ghassam Asrar
- Universities Space Research Association, Columbia, MD, 21046, USA
| | - Amir Sapkota
- Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health, University of Maryland School of Public Health, College Park, MD, 20740, USA.
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8
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Impact of Local Grasslands on Wild Grass Pollen Emission in Bavaria, Germany. LAND 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/land11020306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Meteorological conditions and the distribution of pollen sources are the two most decisive factors influencing the concentration of airborne grass pollen. However, knowledge about land-use types, their potential pollen emission, and the importance of local sources remains limited. In this study, wild grass pollen concentrations from 27 stations in Bavaria, Germany, were linked to potential pollen within a 30 km radius. Agricultural grass pollen sources were derived from the InVeKos database, which contains detailed information on agricultural land-use types and their spatial distribution. Non-agricultural grassland was identified by OpenStreetMap. Further source classification was conducted using a cultivation intensity indicator and wind direction. We show that the grassland percentage and pollen concentrations, specified as annual pollen integral and pollen peak vary strongly between pollen stations. Correlation analyses indicated that the impact of the grassland on pollen concentration was greater within 10 km of the pollen traps. At greater distances, the correlation coefficient between the grassland percentage and pollen indicators steadily declined.
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Thibaudon M, Besancenot JP. [Outdoor aeroallergens and climate change]. Rev Mal Respir 2021; 38:1025-1036. [PMID: 34794844 DOI: 10.1016/j.rmr.2021.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Pollen and fungal spore concentrations in outdoor air are partly dependent on atmospheric conditions. Since the climate is changing, there is a growing body of research on the effects of climate change on aeroallergens. The present article provides a rapid review of this literature, highlighting the points of agreement, but also drawing attention to the main mistakes to be avoided. STATE OF ART For pollen, the prevailing view is that rising temperatures lead to an earlier start to the pollen season, a longer season, increased allergenic potential and higher concentrations. However, there are exceptions: what is true for one taxon, in one place and at one time, can almost never be generalised. For fungal spores, it is even more difficult to state universal rules. PERSPECTIVES Four priorities can be set for future research: (1) to look for trends only on sufficiently long series and not to neglect possible trend reversals; (2) to give priority to the local scale and the separate consideration of the various pollen and mycological taxa; (3) not to limit oneself to temperature as an element of explanation, but also to consider the other elements of the climate; (4) not to try to explain any evolution in the abundance or seasonality of aeroallergens by climate change alone. CONCLUSIONS Many more analytical studies giving precedence to observation over reasoning are still required, without any preconceptions, before it is possible to synthesise the impacts of climate change on pollen and, even more so, on fungal spores.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Thibaudon
- Réseau national de surveillance aérobiologique (RNSA), Le Plat du Pin, 11, chemin de la Creuzille, 69690 Brussieu, France.
| | - J-P Besancenot
- Réseau national de surveillance aérobiologique (RNSA), Le Plat du Pin, 11, chemin de la Creuzille, 69690 Brussieu, France
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Jung S, Zhao F, Menzel A. Establishing the twig method for investigations on pollen characteristics of allergenic tree species. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOMETEOROLOGY 2021; 65:1983-1993. [PMID: 34043087 PMCID: PMC8536639 DOI: 10.1007/s00484-021-02154-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Revised: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The twig method in climate chambers has been shown to successfully work as a proxy for outdoor manipulations in various experimental setups. This study was conducted to further establish this method for the investigation of allergenic pollen from tree species (hazel, alder, and birch). Direct comparison under outdoor conditions revealed that the cut twigs compared to donor trees were similar in the timing of flowering and the amount of pollen produced. Cut twigs were able to flower in climate chambers and produced a sufficient amount of pollen for subsequent laboratory analysis. The addition of different plant or tissue fertilizers in the irrigation of the twigs did not have any influence; rather, the regular exchange of water and the usage of fungicide were sufficient for reaching the stage of flowering. In the experimental setup, the twigs were cut in different intervals before the actual flowering and were put under warming conditions in the climate chamber. An impact of warming on the timing of flowering/pollen characteristics could be seen for the investigated species. Therefore, the twig method is well applicable for experimental settings in pollen research simulating, e.g., accelerated warming under climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan Jung
- TUM School of Life Sciences, Department of Life Science Systems, Technical University of Munich, 85354, Freising, Germany.
| | - Feng Zhao
- Helmholtz Zentrum München - Deutsches Forschungszentrum für Gesundheit und Umwelt (GmbH), 85764, Oberschleißheim, Germany
| | - Annette Menzel
- TUM School of Life Sciences, Department of Life Science Systems, Technical University of Munich, 85354, Freising, Germany
- Institute of Advanced Study, Technical University of Munich, 85748, Garching, Germany
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Rojo J, Oteros J, Picornell A, Maya-Manzano JM, Damialis A, Zink K, Werchan M, Werchan B, Smith M, Menzel A, Timpf S, Traidl-Hoffmann C, Bergmann KC, Schmidt-Weber CB, Buters J. Effects of future climate change on birch abundance and their pollen load. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:5934-5949. [PMID: 34363285 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Climate change impacts on the structure and function of ecosystems will worsen public health issues like allergic diseases. Birch trees (Betula spp.) are important sources of aeroallergens in Central and Northern Europe. Birches are vulnerable to climate change as these trees are sensitive to increased temperatures and summer droughts. This study aims to examine the effect of climate change on airborne birch pollen concentrations in Central Europe using Bavaria in Southern Germany as a case study. Pollen data from 28 monitoring stations in Bavaria were used in this study, with time series of up 30 years long. An integrative approach was used to model airborne birch pollen concentrations taking into account drivers influencing birch tree abundance and birch pollen production and projections made according to different climate change and socioeconomic scenarios. Birch tree abundance is projected to decrease in parts of Bavaria at different rates, depending on the climate scenario, particularly in current centres of the species distribution. Climate change is expected to result in initial increases in pollen load but, due to the reduction in birch trees, the amount of airborne birch pollen will decrease at lower altitudes. Conversely, higher altitude areas will experience expansions in birch tree distribution and subsequent increases in airborne birch pollen in the future. Even considering restrictions for migration rates, increases in pollen load are likely in Southwestern areas, where positive trends have already been detected during the last three decades. Integrating models for the distribution and abundance of pollen sources and the drivers that control birch pollen production allowed us to model airborne birch pollen concentrations in the future. The magnitude of changes depends on location and climate change scenario.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesús Rojo
- Center of Allergy & Environment (ZAUM), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Technische Universität München/Helmholtz Center Munich, Munich, Germany
- Department of Pharmacology, Pharmacognosy and Botany, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jose Oteros
- Department of Botany, Ecology and Plant Physiology, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain
| | - Antonio Picornell
- Department of Botany and Plant Physiology, University of Malaga, Malaga, Spain
| | - José M Maya-Manzano
- Center of Allergy & Environment (ZAUM), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Technische Universität München/Helmholtz Center Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Athanasios Damialis
- Department of Ecology, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany
- Helmholtz Center Munich - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Augsburg, Germany
| | - Katrin Zink
- Bayerisches Landesamt für Umwelt, Schwerpunkt Klima und Energie, Referat KliZ: Klima-Zentrum, Hof/Saale, Germany
| | - Matthias Werchan
- German Pollen Information Service Foundation (PID), Berlin, Germany
| | - Barbora Werchan
- German Pollen Information Service Foundation (PID), Berlin, Germany
| | - Matt Smith
- School of Science and the Environment, University of Worcester, Worcester, UK
| | - Annette Menzel
- School of Life Sciences, Technische Universität München, Freising, Germany
| | - Sabine Timpf
- Institute of Geography, Geoinformatics Group, University of Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany
| | - Claudia Traidl-Hoffmann
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany
- Helmholtz Center Munich - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Augsburg, Germany
| | - Karl-Christian Bergmann
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Carsten B Schmidt-Weber
- Center of Allergy & Environment (ZAUM), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Technische Universität München/Helmholtz Center Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Jeroen Buters
- Center of Allergy & Environment (ZAUM), Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Technische Universität München/Helmholtz Center Munich, Munich, Germany
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12
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Jung S, Estrella N, Pfaffl MW, Hartmann S, Ewald F, Menzel A. Impact of elevated air temperature and drought on pollen characteristics of major agricultural grass species. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0248759. [PMID: 33770086 PMCID: PMC7997036 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0248759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Grass pollen allergens are known to be one of the major triggers of hay fever with an increasing number of humans affected by pollen associated health impacts. Climate change characterized by increasing air temperature and more frequent drought periods might affect plant development and pollen characteristics. In this study a one-year (2017) field experiment was conducted in Bavaria, Germany, simulating drought by excluding rain and elevated air temperature by installing a heating system to investigate their effects primarily on the allergenic potential of eight selected cultivars of the two grass species timothy and perennial ryegrass. It could be shown for timothy that especially under drought and heat conditions the allergen content is significantly lower accompanied by a decrease in pollen weight and protein content. In perennial ryegrass the response to drought and heat conditions in terms of allergen content, pollen weight, and protein content was more dependent on the respective cultivar probably due to varying requirements for their growth conditions and tolerance to drought and heat. Results support recommendations which cultivars should be grown preferentially. The optimal choice of grass species and respective cultivars under changing climate conditions should be a major key aspect for the public health sector in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan Jung
- Department of Life Science Systems, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Nicole Estrella
- Department of Life Science Systems, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Michael W. Pfaffl
- Department of Animal Physiology & Immunology, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Stephan Hartmann
- Institute for Plant Production and Plant Breeding, Bayerische Landesanstalt für Landwirtschaft, Freising, Germany
| | - Franziska Ewald
- Department of Life Science Systems, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Annette Menzel
- Department of Life Science Systems, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
- Institute of Advanced Study, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany
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