Naslov
Interaction between Poaceae pollen, urban air pollution and temperature in Zagreb city

Autori
Herljević, Ivona ; Hrga, Ivana ; Puntarić, Dinko

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Sažeci sa skupova, sažetak, stručni

Izvornik
Abstracts of 4th ESA 2008 / Oikonen, Mervi - Turku : University of Turku, 2008

Skup
The 4th European Symposium on Aerobiology

Mjesto i datum
Turku, Finska, 12.08.2008. - 16.08.2008

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Poster

Vrsta recenzije
Međunarodna recenzija

Ključne riječi
Poaceae pollen; urban air pollution; Zagreb

Sažetak
The airborne grass pollen can produce asthma and rhinoconjuctivitis in pollen allergic individuals. Studies have demonstrated that urbanization and high levels of vehicle emissions is correlated with the increasing frequency of pollen-induced respiratory allergy and people who live in urban areas tend to be more affected by pollen-induced respiratory allergy than those of rural areas. In urban cities among the components of air pollution there are high concentrations of ozone during the summer. Ozone trends depend on substrate supply (emission of nitrogen dioxide by cars) and weather conditions and sunny days facilitate the transformation of nitrogen dioxide into ozone. Component of air pollution interact with inhalant allergens carried by pollen grains and urban air pollution affects both airborne pollen and airways of exposed subjects. Pollen grains carry allergens that can produce allergic symptoms. They also interact with air pollution (ozone, particulate matter) in producing these effects. Furthermore airway mucosal damage and impaired mucociliary clearance induced by air pollution may facilitate the access of inhaled allergens to the cells of the immune system. Vegetation reacts with air pollution and environmental conditions and influence the plant allergenicity. The city of Zagreb serves as a good model with which to study the interaction between grasses pollen- derived allergen and air pollution. It has 1 million inhabitants and very dense traffic and sunny days during the summer favour high levels of ozone. The climate favours the pollination of Poaceae which is one of the most important airborne allergen sources and which grows abundant through the entire city. The aim of the study was to determine day to day pollen variation, and the effect of temperature and concentrations of ozone on atmospheric pollen concentration in Zagreb. A study was carried out during two seasons (2005 - 2006), using a 7 - day VPPS 2000 Hirst volumetric pollen trap. The beginning of the grass pollen season is usually observed when the average daily temperature exceeds 13.5°C. The increasing in airborne concentrations of Poaceae pollen grains is a parallel with increasing of ozone levels (from May to July) and temperature. In both study years the absolute peak of concentrations occurs in the second half of May when Poaceae pollen grains reach levels of about 200 grains/ m3 of air and concentration of ozone is about 100 pg/m3. After July the production and release of Poaceae pollen grains usually decreases, while ozone levels and temperature remain high since September. The conditions of Zagreb favour the interaction between Poaceae pollen, ozone and temperature is parallel increase of ozone, temperature and Poaceae pollen grains.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Javno zdravstvo i zdravstvena zaštita

POVEZANOST RADA