1
|
De Linares C, Navarro D, Puigdemunt R, Belmonte J. Aspergillus Conidia and Allergens in Outdoor Environment: A Health Hazard? J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:624. [PMID: 37367560 DOI: 10.3390/jof9060624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Aspergillus is a genus of saprophytic fungus widely distributed in the environment and associated with soil, decaying vegetation, or seeds. However, some species, such as A. fumigatus, are considered opportunistic pathogens in humans. Their conidia (asexual spores) and mycelia are associated with clinical diseases known as invasive aspergillosis (IA), mainly related to the respiratory tract, such as allergic asthma, allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA), or hypersensitivity. However, they can also disseminate to other organs, particularly the central nervous system. Due to the dispersal mechanism of the conidia through the air, airborne fungal particle measurement should be used to prevent and control this mold. This study aims to measure the outdoor airborne concentration of Aspergillus conidia and the Asp f 1 allergen concentration in Bellaterra (Barcelona, Spain) during 2021 and 2022, and to compare their dynamics to improve the understanding of the biology of this genus and contribute to a better diagnosis, prevention, and therapeutic measures in the face of possible health problems. The results show that both particles were airborne nearly all year round, but their concentrations showed no correlation. Due to Asp f 1 not being present in the conidia itself but being detectable during their germination and in hyphal fragments, we report the relevance of the aero-immunological analysis as a methodology to detect the potential pathogenic hazard of this fungus.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - David Navarro
- Departament de Biologia Animal, Biologia Vegetal i Ecologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
- Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA-UAB), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Rut Puigdemunt
- Departament de Biologia Animal, Biologia Vegetal i Ecologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
- Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA-UAB), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Jordina Belmonte
- Departament de Biologia Animal, Biologia Vegetal i Ecologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
- Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA-UAB), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Vélez-Pereira AM, De Linares C, Belmonte J. Aerobiological modelling II: A review of long-range transport models. Sci Total Environ 2022; 845:157351. [PMID: 35842165 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Revised: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The long-range atmospheric transport models of pollen and fungal spores require four modules for their development: (i) Meteorological module: which contain the meteorological model, and it can be coupled to transport model with the same output configuration (spatio-temporal resolution), or uncoupled does not necessarily have the same output parameters. (ii) Emission module: settles the mass fluxes of bioaerosol, it can be done with a complex parameterization integrating phenological models and meteorological factors or by a simple emission factor. (iii) Sources of emission module, specifically refers to forestry/agronomy maps or, in the case of herbs and fungi, to potential geographical areas of emission. Obtaining the highest possible resolution in these maps allows establishing greater reliability in the modelling. (iv) Atmospheric transport module, with its respective established output parameters. The review and subsequent analysis presented in this article, were performed on published electronic scientific articles from 1998 to 2016. Of a total of 101 models applied found in 64 articles, 33 % performed forward modelling (using 15 different models) and 67 % made backward modelling (with three different models). The 88 % of the cases were applied to pollen (13 taxa) and 12 % to fungal spores (3 taxa). Regarding the emission module, 22 % used parametrization (four different parameters) and 10 % emission factors. The most used transport model was HYSPLIT (59 %: 56 % backward and 3 % forward) following by SILAM 10 % (all forward). Main conclusions were that the models of long-range transport of pollen and fungal spores had high technical-scientific requirements to development and that the major limitations were the establishment of the flow and the source of the emission.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrés M Vélez-Pereira
- Departamento de Ingeniería Mecánica, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad de Tarapacá, Arica, Chile; Laboratorio de Investigaciones Medioambientales de Zonas Áridas, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad de Tarapacá, Arica, Chile.
| | | | - Jordina Belmonte
- Institute of Environmental Science and Technology, (ICTA-UAB), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain; Department of Animal Biology, Plant Biology and Ecology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Alarcón M, Periago C, Pino D, Mazón J, Casas-Castillo MDC, Ho-Zhang JJ, De Linares C, Rodríguez-Solà R, Belmonte J. Potential contribution of distant sources to airborne Betula pollen levels in Northeastern Iberian Peninsula. Sci Total Environ 2022; 818:151827. [PMID: 34813812 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Betula (birch) pollen is one of the most important causes of respiratory allergy in Northern and Central Europe. While birch trees are abundant in Central, Northern, and Eastern Europe, they are scarce in the Mediterranean territories, especially in the Iberian Peninsula (IP), where they grow only in the northern regions and as ornamental trees in urban areas. However, the airborne birch pollen patterns in Catalonia (Northeastern IP) show abrupt high concentrations in areas with usually low local influence. The intensity of the derived health problems can be increased by outbreaks due to long-range pollen transport. The present work evaluates the different potential contributions to Catalonia from the main source regions: Pyrenees, Cantabria, and the forests of France and Central Europe. To this end, we computed the Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) back trajectories of air masses associated with the main Betula pollen peaks occurring simultaneously over different Catalan monitoring stations, and we studied their provenance over a 15-year period. The Vielha aerobiological station on the northern slopes of the Central Pyrenees was used to identify the dates of the pollen season in the Pyrenean region. In order to better understand the role of the Pyrenees, which is the nearest of the four birch forested regions, we classified the pollen peaks in the other Catalan stations into three groups based on the relationship between the peak and the pollen season in the Pyrenees. Our analysis of back-trajectory residence time, combined with the associated pollen concentration, reveals that two principal routes other than the Pyrenean forest sustain the northerly fluxes that enter Catalonia and carry significant concentrations of Betula pollen. This study has also allowed quantifying the differentiated contributions of the potential source regions. In addition, the Weather Research Forecast (WRF) mesoscale model has been used to study three specific episodes. Both models, HYSPLIT and WRF, complement each other and have allowed for better understanding of the main mechanisms governing the entry of birch pollen to the region.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marta Alarcón
- Departament de Física, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Cristina Periago
- Departament de Física, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - David Pino
- Departament de Física, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jordi Mazón
- Departament de Física, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Jiang Ji Ho-Zhang
- Departament de Física, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Concepción De Linares
- Department of Botany, University of Granada, Granada, Spain; Departament de Biologia Animal, Biologia Vegetal i Ecologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Raül Rodríguez-Solà
- Departament de Física, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jordina Belmonte
- Departament de Biologia Animal, Biologia Vegetal i Ecologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Spain; Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA-UAB), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
De Linares C, Navarro D, Puigdemunt R, Belmonte J. Airborne Alt a 1 Dynamic and Its Relationship with the Airborne Dynamics of Alternaria Conidia and Pleosporales Spores. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:jof8020125. [PMID: 35205882 PMCID: PMC8880004 DOI: 10.3390/jof8020125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Fungal spores are universal atmospheric components associated to allergic reactions. Alternaria (Ascomycota) is considered the most allergenic spore taxa. Alt a 1 is the major allergen of Alternaria and is present also in other Pleosporales. In this study, standard Hirst-based sampling and analyzing methods for measuring spore daily concentrations of Alternaria, Curvularia, Drechslera-Helminthosporium, Epicoccum, Leptosphaeria, Pithomyces, Pleospora and Stemphylium (all included in the taxon Pleosporales) have been used as well as two high-volume samplers, Burkard Cyclone (2017) and MCV CAV-A/mb (2019–2020), and ELISA kits for measuring the allergen. The detection and quantification of Alt a 1 was only possible in the samples from the MCV sampler. Although Alt a 1 was better correlated with Alternaria spores than with Pleosporales spores, the three of them showed high correlations. It is shown that there is a high and significant correlation of Alt a 1 with temperature, a negative correlation with relative humidity and no correlation with precipitation. The aerobiological monitoring of these three elements ensures the best information for understanding the affectation to allergy sufferers, but, if this is not possible, as a minimum public health service aimed at the detection, treatment and prevention of allergies, the study of the airborne Alternaria spores should be ensured.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Concepción De Linares
- Department of Botany, University of Granada, 180171 Granada, Spain
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +34-958-243-394
| | - David Navarro
- Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA-UAB), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Spain; (D.N.); (R.P.); (J.B.)
- Departament de Biologia Animal, Biologia Vegetal i Ecologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Rut Puigdemunt
- Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA-UAB), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Spain; (D.N.); (R.P.); (J.B.)
- Departament de Biologia Animal, Biologia Vegetal i Ecologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Jordina Belmonte
- Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA-UAB), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Spain; (D.N.); (R.P.); (J.B.)
- Departament de Biologia Animal, Biologia Vegetal i Ecologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Vélez-Pereira AM, De Linares C, Belmonte J. Aerobiological modeling I: A review of predictive models. Sci Total Environ 2021; 795:148783. [PMID: 34243002 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2021] [Revised: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/27/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The present work is the first of two reviews on applied modeling in the field of aerobiology. The aerobiological predictive models for pollen and fungal spores, usually defined as predictive statistical models, will, amongst other objectives, forecast airborne particles' concentration or dynamical behavior of the particles. These models can be classified into Observation Based Models (OBM), Phenological Based Models (PHM), or OTher Models (OTM). The aim of this review is to show, analyze and discuss the different predictive models used in pollen and spore aerobiological studies. The analysis was performed on published electronic scientific articles from 1998 to 2016 related to the type of model, the taxa and the modelled parameters. From a total of 503 studies, 55.5% used OBM (44.8% on pollen and 10.7% on fungal spores), 38.5% PHM (all on pollen) and 6% OTM (5.4% on pollen and 0.6% on fungal spores). OBM have been used with high frequency to forecast concentration. The most frequent model of OBM was linear regression (18.5% out of 503) on pollen and artificial neural networks (4.6%) on fungal spores. In the PHM, the principal use was to characterize the main pollen season (flowering season) based on the model of growth degree days. Finally, OTM have been used to estimate concentrations at unmonitored areas. Olea (14,5%) on pollen and Alternaria (4,8%) on fungal spores were the taxa most frequently modelled. Daily concentration was the most modelled parameter by OBM (25.2%) and season start day by PHM (35.6%). The PHM approaches include greater model diversity and use fewer independent variables than OBM. In addition, PHM show to be easier to apply than OBM; however, the wide range of criteria to define the parameters to use in PHM (e.g.: pollination start day) makes that each model is used with a lesser frequency than other models.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrés M Vélez-Pereira
- Centro de Investigación en Ecosistemas de la Patagonia (CIEP), ECO-Climático, Coyahique, Chile; Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals, (ICTA-UAB), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Concepción De Linares
- Department of Botany, Universidad de Granada, Spain; Department of Animal Biology, Plant Biology and Ecology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jordina Belmonte
- Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals, (ICTA-UAB), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain; Department of Animal Biology, Plant Biology and Ecology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Polling M, Li C, Cao L, Verbeek F, de Weger LA, Belmonte J, De Linares C, Willemse J, de Boer H, Gravendeel B. Neural networks for increased accuracy of allergenic pollen monitoring. Sci Rep 2021; 11:11357. [PMID: 34059743 PMCID: PMC8166864 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-90433-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Monitoring of airborne pollen concentrations provides an important source of information for the globally increasing number of hay fever patients. Airborne pollen is traditionally counted under the microscope, but with the latest developments in image recognition methods, automating this process has become feasible. A challenge that persists, however, is that many pollen grains cannot be distinguished beyond the genus or family level using a microscope. Here, we assess the use of Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) to increase taxonomic accuracy for airborne pollen. As a case study we use the nettle family (Urticaceae), which contains two main genera (Urtica and Parietaria) common in European landscapes which pollen cannot be separated by trained specialists. While pollen from Urtica species has very low allergenic relevance, pollen from several species of Parietaria is severely allergenic. We collect pollen from both fresh as well as from herbarium specimens and use these without the often used acetolysis step to train the CNN model. The models show that unacetolyzed Urticaceae pollen grains can be distinguished with > 98% accuracy. We then apply our model on before unseen Urticaceae pollen collected from aerobiological samples and show that the genera can be confidently distinguished, despite the more challenging input images that are often overlain by debris. Our method can also be applied to other pollen families in the future and will thus help to make allergenic pollen monitoring more specific.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Chen Li
- Leiden Institute of Advanced Computer Science (LIACS), Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Lu Cao
- Leiden Institute of Advanced Computer Science (LIACS), Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Fons Verbeek
- Leiden Institute of Advanced Computer Science (LIACS), Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Letty A de Weger
- Department of Pulmonology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Jordina Belmonte
- Institute of Environmental Sciences and Technology (ICTA-UAB), The Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
| | - Concepción De Linares
- Institute of Environmental Sciences and Technology (ICTA-UAB), The Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
| | - Joost Willemse
- Microbial Sciences, Institute of Biology, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Hugo de Boer
- Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | | |
Collapse
|
7
|
Garriga-Baraut T, Labrador-Horrillo M, Araujo G, Baltasar-Dragó MA, Basagaña-Torrento M, Campa-Falcon N, Cortés N, De Linares C, Esteso-Hontoria O, Ferré-Ybarz L, Gázquez-Garcia V, Miquel S, Padró-Casas C, Pedemonte C, Viñas M, Asensio O, Bartra J, Belmonte J, Bobolea I, Farrarons L, Muñoz-Cano R, Raga E, Moncín MDMSM. ImmunoCAT study: study of the impact of molecular diagnosis by ImmunoCAP ISAC® 112 on allergen Immunotherapy prescription in CATalonia. World Allergy Organ J 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.waojou.2020.100143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
|
8
|
Vélez-Pereira AM, De Linares C, Canela MA, Belmonte J. Logistic regression models for predicting daily airborne Alternaria and Cladosporium concentration levels in Catalonia (NE Spain). Int J Biometeorol 2019; 63:1541-1553. [PMID: 31377867 DOI: 10.1007/s00484-019-01767-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2019] [Revised: 07/12/2019] [Accepted: 07/16/2019] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Alternaria and Cladosporium are the most common airborne fungal spores responsible for health problems, as well as for crop pathologies. The study of their behavior in the air is a necessary step for establishing control and prevention measures. The aim of this paper is to develop a logistic regression model for predicting the daily concentrations of airborne Alternaria and Cladosporium fungal spores from meteorological variables. To perform the logistic regression analysis, the concentration levels are binarized using concentration thresholds. The fungal spore data have been obtained at eight aerobiological monitoring stations of the Aerobiological Network of Catalonia (NE Spain). The meteorological data used were the maximum and minimum daily temperatures and daily rainfall provided by the meteorological services. The relationship between the meteorological variables and the fungal spore levels has been modeled by means of logistic regression equations, using data from the period 1995-2012. Values from years 2013-2014 were used for validation. In the case of Alternaria, three equations for predicting the presence and the exceedance of the thresholds 10 and 30 spores/m3 have been established. For Cladosporium, four equations for the thresholds 200, 500, 1000, and 1500 spores/m3 have been established. The temperature and cumulative rainfall in the last 3 days showed a positive correlation with airborne fungal spore levels, while the rain on the same day had a negative correlation. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated to measure the predictive power of the model, showing a reasonable percentage of correct predictions (ranging from 48 to 99%). The simple equations proposed allow us to forecast the levels of fungal spores that will be in the air the next day, using only the maximum and minimum temperatures and rainfall values provided by weather forecasting services.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrés M Vélez-Pereira
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Engineering Faculty, Universidad Tecnológica de Bolívar, Cartagena, Colombia
- Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Concepción De Linares
- Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
- Department of Animal Biology, Plant Biology and Ecology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Miguel-Angel Canela
- Department of Managerial Decision Sciences, IESE Business School, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jordina Belmonte
- Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Animal Biology, Plant Biology and Ecology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
De Linares C, Alcázar P, Valle AM, Díaz de la Guardia C, Galán C. Parietaria major allergens vs pollen in the air we breathe. Environ Res 2019; 176:108514. [PMID: 31202045 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2019.05.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2019] [Revised: 05/20/2019] [Accepted: 05/29/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Parietaria and Urtica are the genera from the Urticaceae family more frequent in Mediterranean and Atlantic areas. Moreover, both genera share pollination periods, and their pollen (of the main species) is so similar that there is no aerobiological evidence of the proportion of each of them in the airborne pollen identification, except in the case of U. membranacea. However, Parietaria is one of the most important causes of pollinosis and Urtica is not. Our aim is determine if airborne Urticaceae pollen concentrations show the aerodynamics of the two major allergens of Parietaria (Par j 1 and Par j 2) as well as the allergen distribution in the different-sized particles. METHODS The air was sampled during the pollination period of Urticaceae using Hirst Volumetric Sampler and Andersen Cascade Impactor in two cities of Southern Spain (Córdoba and Granada). The samples were analysed by the methodology proposed by the Spanish Aerobiology Network (REA) and the minimum requirements of the European Aeroallergen Society (EAS) for pollen, and by ELISA immunoassay for allergens. RESULTS The patterns of airborne pollen and Par j 1-Par j 2 were present in the air during the studied period, although with irregular oscillations. Urticaceae pollen and Par j 1-Par j 2 allergens located in PM2.5 showed positive and significant correlation during the period with maximum concentrations (March to April). CONCLUSION Parietaria aeroallergens show similar pattern of Urticaceae airborne pollen. Urticaceae pollen calendar is as a good tool for allergy prevention. On the other hand, important concentrations of Par j 1 and Par j 2 were located in the breathable fraction (PM2.5), which could explain the asthmatic symptoms in the allergic population to Parietaria.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Concepción De Linares
- Unitat de Botànica and Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain.
| | - Purificación Alcázar
- Department of Botany, Ecology and Plant Physiology, University of Córdoba, Spain
| | - Ana M Valle
- Pharmacy Service, Campus de la Salud Hospital, Granada, Spain
| | | | - Carmen Galán
- Department of Botany, Ecology and Plant Physiology, University of Córdoba, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Grinn-Gofroń A, Nowosad J, Bosiacka B, Camacho I, Pashley C, Belmonte J, De Linares C, Ianovici N, Manzano JMM, Sadyś M, Skjøth C, Rodinkova V, Tormo-Molina R, Vokou D, Fernández-Rodríguez S, Damialis A. Airborne Alternaria and Cladosporium fungal spores in Europe: Forecasting possibilities and relationships with meteorological parameters. Sci Total Environ 2019; 653:938-946. [PMID: 30759619 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.10.419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2018] [Revised: 10/07/2018] [Accepted: 10/30/2018] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Airborne fungal spores are prevalent components of bioaerosols with a large impact on ecology, economy and health. Their major socioeconomic effects could be reduced by accurate and timely prediction of airborne spore concentrations. The main aim of this study was to create and evaluate models of Alternaria and Cladosporium spore concentrations based on data on a continental scale. Additional goals included assessment of the level of generalization of the models spatially and description of the main meteorological factors influencing fungal spore concentrations. Aerobiological monitoring was carried out at 18 sites in six countries across Europe over 3 to 21 years depending on site. Quantile random forest modelling was used to predict spore concentrations. Generalization of the Alternaria and Cladosporium models was tested using (i) one model for all the sites, (ii) models for groups of sites, and (iii) models for individual sites. The study revealed the possibility of reliable prediction of fungal spore levels using gridded meteorological data. The classification models also showed the capacity for providing larger scale predictions of fungal spore concentrations. Regression models were distinctly less accurate than classification models due to several factors, including measurement errors and distinct day-to-day changes of concentrations. Temperature and vapour pressure proved to be the most important variables in the regression and classification models of Alternaria and Cladosporium spore concentrations. Accurate and operational daily-scale predictive models of bioaerosol abundances contribute to the assessment and evaluation of relevant exposure and consequently more timely and efficient management of phytopathogenic and of human allergic diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Grinn-Gofroń
- Department of Plant Taxonomy and Phytogeography, Faculty of Biology, University of Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland.
| | - Jakub Nowosad
- Space Informatics Lab, University of Cincinnati, 219 Braunstein Hall, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA; Institute of Geoecology and Geoinformation, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland
| | - Beata Bosiacka
- Department of Plant Taxonomy and Phytogeography, Faculty of Biology, University of Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Irene Camacho
- Madeira University, Faculty of Life Sciences, Campus Universitário da Penteada, 9000-390 Funchal, Portugal.
| | - Catherine Pashley
- Institute for Lung Health, Department of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK.
| | - Jordina Belmonte
- Unidad de Botánica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Botany Unit, Dept. Of Animal Biology, Plant Biology and Ecology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain.
| | - Concepción De Linares
- Unidad de Botánica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Botany Unit, Dept. Of Animal Biology, Plant Biology and Ecology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
| | - Nicoleta Ianovici
- West University of Timisoara, Department of Biology, Faculty of Chemistry-Biology-Geography, Romania
| | - Jose María Maya Manzano
- University of Extremadura, Department of Plant Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences, Faculty of Science, Avda Elvas s/n, 06071 Badajoz, Spain.
| | - Magdalena Sadyś
- University of Worcester, Institute of Science and the Environment, Henwick Grove, Worcester WR2 6AJ, United Kingdom; Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service Headquarters, Performance & Information, Hindlip Park, Worcester, WR3 8SP, United Kingdom.
| | - Carsten Skjøth
- University of Worcester, Institute of Science and the Environment, Henwick Grove, Worcester WR2 6AJ, United Kingdom
| | | | - Rafael Tormo-Molina
- Department of Construction, School of Technology, University of Extremadura, Avda. de la Universidad s/n, Cáceres, Spain.
| | - Despoina Vokou
- Department of Ecology, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki GR-54124, Greece.
| | - Santiago Fernández-Rodríguez
- Department of Construction, School of Technology, University of Extremadura, Avda. de la Universidad s/n, Cáceres, Spain
| | - Athanasios Damialis
- Department of Ecology, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki GR-54124, Greece; Chair and Institute of Environmental Medicine, UNIKA-T, Technical University of Munich and Helmholtz Zentrum München, Germany - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neusaesser Str. 47, DE-86156 Augsburg, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Sicard M, Izquierdo R, Jorba O, Alarcón M, Belmonte J, Comerón A, De Linares C, Baldasano JM. Modelling of pollen dispersion in the atmosphere: evaluation with a continuous 1β+1δ lidar. EPJ Web Conf 2018. [DOI: 10.1051/epjconf/201817605006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Pollen allergenicity plays an important role on human health and wellness. It is thus of large public interest to increase our knowledge of pollen grain behavior in the atmosphere (source, emission, processes involved during their transport, etc.) at fine temporal and spatial scales. First simulations with the Barcelona Supercomputing Center NMMB/BSC-CTM model of Platanus and Pinus dispersion in the atmosphere were performed during a 5-day pollination event observed in Barcelona, Spain, between 27 – 31 March, 2015. The simulations are compared to vertical profiles measured with the continuous Barcelona Micro Pulse Lidar system. First results show that the vertical distribution is well reproduced by the model in shape, but not in intensity, the model largely underestimating in the afternoon. Guidelines are proposed to improve the dispersion of airborne pollen by numerical prediction models.
Collapse
|
12
|
Ercilla-Montserrat M, Izquierdo R, Belmonte J, Montero JI, Muñoz P, De Linares C, Rieradevall J. Building-integrated agriculture: A first assessment of aerobiological air quality in rooftop greenhouses (i-RTGs). Sci Total Environ 2017; 598:109-120. [PMID: 28437767 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.04.099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2017] [Revised: 04/12/2017] [Accepted: 04/13/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Building-integrated rooftop greenhouse (i-RTG) agriculture has intensified in recent years, due to the growing interest in the development of new agricultural spaces and in the promotion of food self-sufficiency in urban areas. This paper provides a first assessment of the indoor dynamics of bioaerosols in an i-RTG, with the aim of evaluating biological air quality in a tomato greenhouse near Barcelona. It evaluates the greenhouse workers' exposure to airborne pollen and fungal spores in order to prevent allergy problems associated with occupational tasks. Moreover, it evaluates whether the quality of the hot air accumulated in the i-RTG is adequate for recirculation to heat the building. Daily airborne pollen and fungal spore concentrations were measured simultaneously in the indoor and outdoor environments during the warm season. A total of 4,924pollengrains/m3 were observed in the i-RTG, with a peak of 334pollengrains/m3day, and a total of 295,038 fungal spores were observed, reaching a maximum concentration of 26,185spores/m3day. In general, the results showed that the most important source of pollen grains and fungal spores observed indoors was the outdoor environment. However, Solanaceae pollen and several fungal spore taxa, such as the allergenic Aspergillus/Penicillium, largely originated inside the greenhouses or were able to colonize the indoor environment under favourable growing conditions. Specific meteorological conditions and agricultural management tasks are related to the highest observed indoor concentrations of pollen grains and fungal spores. Therefore, preventive measures have been suggested in order to reduce or control the levels of bioaerosols indoors (to install a system to interrupt the recirculation of air to the building during critical periods or to implement appropriate air filters in ventilation air ducts). This first evaluation could help in making decisions to prevent the development of fungal diseases, specifically those due to Oidium and Torula.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mireia Ercilla-Montserrat
- Sostenipra Research Group (SGR 01412), Institute of Environmental Sciences and Technology (MDM-2015-0552), Z Building, Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), Campus UAB, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Rebeca Izquierdo
- AEROBIOTA Research Group (2014SGR1274), Institute of Environmental Sciences and Technology (ICTA), Z Building, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Campus UAB, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain; Departament de Biologia Animal, Biologia Vegetal i Ecologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Edifici C, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jordina Belmonte
- AEROBIOTA Research Group (2014SGR1274), Institute of Environmental Sciences and Technology (ICTA), Z Building, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Campus UAB, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain; Departament de Biologia Animal, Biologia Vegetal i Ecologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Edifici C, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Juan Ignacio Montero
- Institute of Food and Agricultural Research (IRTA), Carretera de Cabrils, km 2, 08348 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pere Muñoz
- Institute of Food and Agricultural Research (IRTA), Carretera de Cabrils, km 2, 08348 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Concepción De Linares
- AEROBIOTA Research Group (2014SGR1274), Institute of Environmental Sciences and Technology (ICTA), Z Building, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Campus UAB, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain; Departament de Biologia Animal, Biologia Vegetal i Ecologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Edifici C, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Joan Rieradevall
- Sostenipra Research Group (SGR 01412), Institute of Environmental Sciences and Technology (MDM-2015-0552), Z Building, Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), Campus UAB, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering, Building Q, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Cariñanos P, Casares-Porcel M, Díaz de la Guardia C, Aira MJ, Belmonte J, Boi M, Elvira-Rendueles B, De Linares C, Fernández-Rodriguez S, Maya-Manzano JM, Pérez-Badía R, Rodriguez-de la Cruz D, Rodríguez-Rajo FJ, Rojo-Úbeda J, Romero-Zarco C, Sánchez-Reyes E, Sánchez-Sánchez J, Tormo-Molina R, Vega Maray AM. Assessing allergenicity in urban parks: A nature-based solution to reduce the impact on public health. Environ Res 2017; 155:219-227. [PMID: 28231549 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2017.02.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2016] [Revised: 01/09/2017] [Accepted: 02/15/2017] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Urban parks play a key role in the provision of ecosystem services, actively participating in improving the quality of life and welfare of local residents. This paper reports on the application of an index designed to quantify the allergenicity of urban parks in a number of Spanish cities. The index, which records biological and biometric parameters for the tree species growing there, classifies parks in terms of the risk they pose for allergy sufferers, graded as null, low, moderate or high. In this initial phase, the index was applied to 26 green areas in 24 Spanish cities; green areas varied in type (urban park, historical or modern garden, boulevard, square or urban forest), size 1-100 ha), geographical location, species richness, number of trees and tree density (number of trees / ha.). The data obtained were used to calculate the percentage of allergenic species in each park, which varied between 17-67%; density ranged from 100 to 300 trees/ha. The index values recorded ranged from a minimum of .07 to a maximum of .87; a significant correlation was found between index value and both number of trees and tree density. Taking an index value of .30 as the threshold considered sufficient to trigger allergy symptoms in the sensitive population, 12 of the parks studied may be regarded as unhealthy at any time of the year. Corrective measures to mitigate the impact of pollen emissions include the implementation of nature-based solutions at various levels: planning and design, handling and management, and strengthening of urban green-infrastructure elements. The index proved to be a useful tool for environmental analysis, and complies with the principles of portability and scalability central to current and horizon scientific research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paloma Cariñanos
- Department of Botany, University of Granada, Spain; Andalusian Institute for Earth System Research, IISTA-CEAMA, Granada, Spain.
| | | | | | - María Jesús Aira
- Department of Botany. University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Jordina Belmonte
- Unitat de Botànica, Facultat de Ciències and Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals; Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra-Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marzia Boi
- Department of Biology, Area of Botany, University of the Balearic Islands, Spain
| | - Belén Elvira-Rendueles
- Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Polytechnic University of Cartagena, Cartagena, Spain
| | - Concepción De Linares
- Unitat de Botànica, Facultat de Ciències and Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals; Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra-Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - José María Maya-Manzano
- Department of Plant Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Extremadura, Badajoz, Spain
| | - Rosa Pérez-Badía
- Institute of Environmental Science, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Toledo, Spain
| | | | | | - Jesús Rojo-Úbeda
- Institute of Environmental Science, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Toledo, Spain
| | | | | | - José Sánchez-Sánchez
- Institute Hispano-Luso of Agricultural Research, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Rafael Tormo-Molina
- Department of Plant Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Extremadura, Badajoz, Spain
| | - Ana Mª Vega Maray
- Biodiversity and Environmental Management (Botany), University of Leon, León, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Izquierdo R, Alarcón M, Mazón J, Pino D, De Linares C, Aguinagalde X, Belmonte J. Are the Pyrenees a barrier for the transport of birch (Betula) pollen from Central Europe to the Iberian Peninsula? Sci Total Environ 2017; 575:1183-1196. [PMID: 27707665 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.09.192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2016] [Revised: 09/21/2016] [Accepted: 09/23/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
This work provides a first assessment of the possible barrier effect of the Pyrenees on the atmospheric transport of airborne pollen from Europe to the North of the Iberian Peninsula. Aerobiological data recorded in three Spanish stations located at the eastern, central and western base of the Pyrenees in the period 2004-2014 have been used to identify the possible long range transport episodes of Betula pollen. The atmospheric transport routes and the origin regions have been established by means of trajectory analysis and a source receptor model. Betula pollen outbreaks were associated with the meteorological scenario characterized by the presence of a high-pressure system overm over Morocco and Southern Iberian Peninsula. France and Central Europe have been identified as the probable source areas of Betula pollen that arrives to Northern Spain. However, the specific source areas are mainly determined by the particular prevailing atmospheric circulation of each location. Finally, the Weather Research and Forecasting model highlighted the effect of the orography on the atmospheric transport patterns, showing paths through the western and easternmost lowlands for Vitoria-Gasteiz and Bellaterra respectively, and the direct impact of air flows over Vielha through the Garona valley.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rebeca Izquierdo
- Departament de Física, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), Avda. Eduard Maristany 10-14. 08019 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marta Alarcón
- Departament de Física, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), Avda. Eduard Maristany 10-14. 08019 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Jordi Mazón
- Departament de Física, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), Avda. Eduard Maristany 10-14. 08019 Barcelona, Spain
| | - David Pino
- Departament de Física, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), Avda. Eduard Maristany 10-14. 08019 Barcelona, Spain; Institut d'Estudis Espacials de Catalunya (IEEC-UPC), Gran Capità 2-4, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Concepción De Linares
- Departament de Biologia Animal, Biologia Vegetal i Ecologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Edifici C, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain; Institut de Ciencia i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Edifici Z, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Xabier Aguinagalde
- Laboratorio de Salud Pública. Dirección de Salud Pública y Adicciones. Departamento de Salud del Gobierno Vasco, c/Santiago 11, 01008 Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
| | - Jordina Belmonte
- Departament de Biologia Animal, Biologia Vegetal i Ecologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Edifici C, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain; Institut de Ciencia i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Edifici Z, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Cariñanos P, Adinolfi C, Díaz de la Guardia C, De Linares C, Casares-Porcel M. Characterization of Allergen Emission Sources in Urban Areas. J Environ Qual 2016; 45:244-52. [PMID: 26828180 DOI: 10.2134/jeq2015.02.0075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Pollen released by urban flora-a major contributor to airborne allergen content during the pollen season-has a considerable adverse impact on human health. Using aerobiological techniques to sample and characterize airborne biological particulate matter (BPM), we can identify the main species contributing to the pollen spectrum and chart variations in counts and overall pollen dynamics throughout the year. However, given the exponential increase in the number of pollen allergy sufferers in built-up areas, new strategies are required to improve the biological quality of urban air. This paper reports on a novel characterization of the potential allergenicity of the tree species most commonly used as ornamentals in Mediterranean cities. Values were assigned to each species based on a number of intrinsic features including pollination strategy, pollen season duration, and allergenic capacity as reported in the specialist literature. Findings were used to generate a database in which groups of conifers, broadleaves, and palm trees were assigned a value of between 0 and 36, enabling their allergenicity to be rated as nil, low, moderate, high, or very high. The case study presented here focuses on the city of Granada in southern Spain. The major airborne-pollen-producing species were identified and the allergenicity of species growing in urban green zones was estimated. Corrective measures are proposed to prevent high allergen levels and thus improve biological air quality.
Collapse
|
16
|
Prado N, De Linares C, Sanz ML, Gamboa P, Villalba M, Rodríguez R, Batanero E. Pollensomes as Natural Vehicles for Pollen Allergens. J I 2015; 195:445-9. [DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1500452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2015] [Accepted: 05/12/2015] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
|
17
|
Fernández-Llamazares A, Belmonte J, Delgado R, De Linares C. A statistical approach to bioclimatic trend detection in the airborne pollen records of Catalonia (NE Spain). Int J Biometeorol 2014; 58:371-382. [PMID: 23371290 DOI: 10.1007/s00484-013-0632-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2012] [Revised: 12/30/2012] [Accepted: 01/03/2013] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Airborne pollen records are a suitable indicator for the study of climate change. The present work focuses on the role of annual pollen indices for the detection of bioclimatic trends through the analysis of the aerobiological spectra of 11 taxa of great biogeographical relevance in Catalonia over an 18-year period (1994-2011), by means of different parametric and non-parametric statistical methods. Among others, two non-parametric rank-based statistical tests were performed for detecting monotonic trends in time series data of the selected airborne pollen types and we have observed that they have similar power in detecting trends. Except for those cases in which the pollen data can be well-modeled by a normal distribution, it is better to apply non-parametric statistical methods to aerobiological studies. Our results provide a reliable representation of the pollen trends in the region and suggest that greater pollen quantities are being liberated to the atmosphere in the last years, specially by Mediterranean taxa such as Pinus, Total Quercus and Evergreen Quercus, although the trends may differ geographically. Longer aerobiological monitoring periods are required to corroborate these results and survey the increasing levels of certain pollen types that could exert an impact in terms of public health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alvaro Fernández-Llamazares
- Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193, Bellaterra, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
18
|
Ziello C, Sparks TH, Estrella N, Belmonte J, Bergmann KC, Bucher E, Brighetti MA, Damialis A, Detandt M, Galán C, Gehrig R, Grewling L, Gutiérrez Bustillo AM, Hallsdóttir M, Kockhans-Bieda MC, De Linares C, Myszkowska D, Pàldy A, Sánchez A, Smith M, Thibaudon M, Travaglini A, Uruska A, Valencia-Barrera RM, Vokou D, Wachter R, de Weger LA, Menzel A. Changes to airborne pollen counts across Europe. PLoS One 2012; 7:e34076. [PMID: 22514618 PMCID: PMC3325983 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0034076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 165] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2011] [Accepted: 02/21/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
A progressive global increase in the burden of allergic diseases has affected the industrialized world over the last half century and has been reported in the literature. The clinical evidence reveals a general increase in both incidence and prevalence of respiratory diseases, such as allergic rhinitis (common hay fever) and asthma. Such phenomena may be related not only to air pollution and changes in lifestyle, but also to an actual increase in airborne quantities of allergenic pollen. Experimental enhancements of carbon dioxide (CO[Formula: see text]) have demonstrated changes in pollen amount and allergenicity, but this has rarely been shown in the wider environment. The present analysis of a continental-scale pollen data set reveals an increasing trend in the yearly amount of airborne pollen for many taxa in Europe, which is more pronounced in urban than semi-rural/rural areas. Climate change may contribute to these changes, however increased temperatures do not appear to be a major influencing factor. Instead, we suggest the anthropogenic rise of atmospheric CO[Formula: see text] levels may be influential.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Ziello
- Technische Universität München, Freising-Weihenstephan, Germany.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
19
|
González-Muñoz MT, De Linares C, Martínez-Ruiz F, Morcillo F, Martín-Ramos D, Arias JM. Ca-Mg kutnahorite and struvite production by Idiomarina strains at modern seawater salinities. Chemosphere 2008; 72:465-472. [PMID: 18355891 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2008.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2007] [Revised: 02/04/2008] [Accepted: 02/06/2008] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
The production of Mg-rich carbonates by Idiomarina bacteria at modern seawater salinities has been investigated. With this objective, four strains: Idiomarina abyssalis (strain ATCC BAA-312), Idiomarina baltica (strain DSM 15154), Idiomarina loihiensis (strains DSM 15497 and MAH1) were used. The strain I. loihiensis MAH1 is a new isolate, identified in the scope of this work. The four moderately halophilic strains precipitated struvite (NH4MgPO4 x 6H2O) crystals that appear encased by small Ca-Mg kutnahorite [CaMg(CO3)2] spheres and dumbbells, which are also regularly distributed in the bacterial colonies. The proportion of Ca-Mg kutnahorite produced by the bacteria assayed ranged from 50% to 20%, and I. abyssalis also produced monohydrocalcite. All precipitated minerals appeared to be related to the bacterial metabolism and, consequently, can be considered biologically induced. Amino acid metabolism resulted in a release of ammonia and CO2 that increase the pH and CO(3)(2-) concentration of the culture medium, creating an alkaline environment that favoured carbonate and struvite precipitation. This precipitation may be also related to heterogeneous nucleation on negatively charged points of biological structures. Because the nature of the organic matrix determines which ion is preferentially adsorbed and, consequently, which mineral phase is formed, the uniquely high content in odd-iso-branched fatty acids of the Idiomarina suggests that their particular membrane characteristics could induce Ca-Mg kutnahorite production. The Ca-Mg kutnahorite, a mineral with a dolomite-ordered structure, production at seawater salinities is noticeable. To date, such precipitation in laboratory cultures, has only been described in hypersaline conditions. It has also been the first time that biomineralization processes have been related to Idiomarina bacteria.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- María Teresa González-Muñoz
- Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Campus Fuentenueva, Universidad de Granada, 18002 Granada, Spain.
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|