Oak Pollen in the Air of Poland in 2017

Medical aerobiology Original paper

Oak pollen in the air of Poland in 2017

Małgorzata Puc1,2, Dorota Myszkowska3, Kazimiera Chłopek4, Elżbieta Weryszko-Chmielewska5, Krystyna Piotrowska-Weryszko5, Małgorzata Malkiewicz6, Agnieszka Lipiec7, Adam Rapiejko8,9, Kornel Szczygielski10, Grzegorz Siergiejko11, Ewa M. Świebocka12, Dariusz Jurkiewicz10, Piotr Rapiejko10, Alina Stacewicz1,2 1 Department of Botany and Nature Conservation, Faculty of Biology, University of Szczecin, Poland 2 Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Centre, Faculty of Biology, University of Szczecin, Poland 3 Department of Clinical and Environmental Allergology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Cracow, Poland 4 Faculty of Earth Sciences, University of Silesia, Sosnowiec, Poland 5 Department of Botany, University of Life Sciences, Lublin, Poland 6 Department of Paleobotany, Institute of Geological Sciences, University of Wroclaw, Poland 7 Department of Prevention of Environmental Hazards and Allergology, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland 8 Oxford Archaeology Ltd., Oxford, England 9 Allergen Research Center Ltd., Warsaw, Poland 10 Department of Otolaryngology with Division of Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery, Military Institute of Medicine, Warsaw, Poland 11 Pediatrics, Gastroenterology and Allergology Department, University Children Hospital, Medical University of Bialystok, Poland 12 Pediatrics, Gastroenterology and Allergology Department, University Children Hospital, Medical University of Bialystok, Poland For non-

Abstract: The aim of the study was to compare the pollen season of oak in the cities of Bialystok, Bydgoszcz, Cracow, Katowice, Piotrkow Try- bunalski, Lublin, Olsztyn, Opole, Szczecin, Warsaw, Wroclaw and Zielona Gora in 2017. Measurements were performed by the volumetric method (Hirst type pollen sampler). Seasonal Pollen Index (SPI) was estimated as the sum of daily average pollen concentrations in the given season. Pollen season wascommercial defined as the period in which 98% of the annual total catch occurred. use The pollen season only of oak started first in Szczecin, on the 1st April, and lasted till the end of May. At the latest pollen season ended in Olsztyn on the 1st June. However, in the most of other cities the season lasted till the end of May. The differences of pollen seasons duration were considerables from 28 to 56 days. The highest, record airborne concentration of 342 pollen grains/m3 was noted in Warsaw on the 17th May. The maximum values of seasonal pollen count occurred between of 11th and 20th May. The highest oak pollen allergen hazard occurred in 2017 in Piotrkow Trybunalski, Lublin and Warsaw.

Key words: allergens, pollen count, oak (Quercus), linear trend, 2017

or a person allergic to Fagales (e.g. Quercus) oak). Q. robur can tolerate urban conditions quite suc- pollen, there is a relatively long period of dis- cessfully. It often forms hybrids with Q. petrea. Oak is F comfort each year. Induced by a sudden and monoecious, wind-pollinated tree. It does not produce intense pollination, clinical manifestations are severe, as much pollen as pine-tree. However, one well deve- with and adverse impact on asthmatic patients [1]. loped crown of oak can yield more than 100 million Three species of oak occur in central Europe, pollen grains. The amount of pollen production and Quercus robur L. (pendunculate oak), Q. petrea (Matt.) distance of dispersal depend on whether the tree is Liebl. (sessile oak) and Q. pubescens Willd. (pubescent growing in dense forest or as an isolated tree, growing

124 Received: 2017.09.25 Alergoprofil 2017, Vol. 13, Nr 3, 124-128 Accepted: 2017.09.30 DOI: 10.24292/01.ap.300917 “Copyright by Medical© Education” Medical Education. For private and non-commercial use only. Downloaded from https://www.journalsmededu.pl/index.php/alergoprofil: 04.11.2020; 12:41,31 Medical aerobiology Original paper

in an open area. It is commonly accepted that its re- blin, Olsztyn, Opole, Szczecin, Warsaw, Wroclaw, Zie- lative representations in percentage pollen diagrams lona Gora in 2017. reflect more or less its actual proportional frequency in Measurements were performed by the volumet- surrounding forest communities [2]. ric method. The used devices, which are recommend- The oak pollen analysed in this paper comes ed by the IAA (International Association for Aerobi- from areas with high anthropopression and urbaniza- ology), take air samples (Burkard and Lanzoni as the tion. Traffic-related pollutants such as ozone, particu- Hirst type pollen sampler) in volumes corresponding to late matter less than 10 micrometers have been linked average human respiratory parameters. to allergic responses, asthma exacerbation and lung The duration of the pollen season was deter- development, in children and adults, especially with mined by the 98% method [5], assuming that the onset pollen allergen contact [3]. and end of the season were days with recorded 1% and Clinical symptoms of allergic disease are con- 99% of the annual total of pollen grains, respectively. nected with the concentration of aeroallergen, e.g. oak The total pollen count over this period was ex- pollen allergen the subjects are exposed to. The thresh- pressed by the SPI (Seasonal Pollen Index). old value for clinical symptoms for Quercus pollen On the basis of literature data, the number of grains for the many of sensitised patients is visible days with concentrations of the pollen of the Hazel during exposure to the concentration of 16 pollen genus exceeding the threshold values at which the con- grains in 1 m3 of air, while the clinical symptoms for secutive allergy symptoms develop were determined the most of sensitised patients is visible during expo- (tab. 1) [4]. sure to the concentration of 91 pollen grains in 1 m3 of air [4]. Results and discussion The symptoms of respiratory allergic diseases Aim is very common especially in developed areas. High The aim of the study was to compare the oak oak pollen concentrations occur from the beginning of pollen concentrations in the air of Bialystok, Byd- April to the end of May and with increased levels of air goszcz, Cracow, Katowice, Piotrkow Trybunalski, pollutants such as SO2, NO2, CO2, O3 in big cities can Lublin, ForOlsztyn, Opole, non-Szczecin, Warsaw, Wroclaw, aggravate the symptoms of allergies in patients. Also Zielona Gora in 2017. the morphological and biochemical changes within the pollen grain caused by air pollutants [6] can cause a more frequent occurrence of inhalant allergies or can Material and method lead to genetic mutations and thus to changes in aller- Measurementscommercial of bioaerosols were carried out genic protein’suse secondary structureonly [7]. in the northern cities of Poland, in Bialystok, Byd- In 2017 oak pollen season started between 1st goszcz, Cracow, Katowice, Piotrkow Trybunalski, Lu- and 26th April and lasted until the beginning of June. In

Table 1. Characteristics of oak pollen season in 2017. Features of Piotrkow Zielona Bialystok Bydgoszcz Cracow Katowice Lublin Olsztyn Opole Szczecin Warsaw Wroclaw pollen season Trybunalski Gora

Duration of 15 IV 12 IV 21 IV 15 IV 4 IV 1 IV 22 IV 5 IV 9 IV 7 IV–28 V 7 IV–29 V 26 IV–27 V pollen season –27 V –9 V –30 V –1 VI –25 V –26 V –27 V –19 V –25 V (52) (53) (32) (number of days) (43) (28) (40) (48) (52) (56) (36) (45) (47)

Seasonal Pollen 227 847 596 120 1948 2643 942 1877 735 2754 1888 1776 Index (total)

Peak value and 35 53 65 16 254 245 89 132 92 342 207 154 peak date (20 V) (12 V) (15 V) (22 IV) (20 V) (11 V) (17 V) (12 V) (15 V) (17 V) (12 V) (12 V)

Days ≥ 16 g/m3 3 24 16 1 16 23 23 16 19 20 28 31 [4]*

Days ≥ 91 g/m3 0 0 0 0 10 10 0 5 1 12 4 3 [4]**

* symptoms present in many patients; ** symptoms present in most patients.

M. Puc, D. Myszkowska, K. Chłopek, E. Weryszko-Chmielewska, K. Piotrowska-Weryszko, M. Malkiewicz, A. Lipiec, A. Rapiejko, Alergoprofil 125 K. Szczygielski, G. Siergiejko, E.M. Świebocka, D. Jurkiewicz, P. Rapiejko, A. Stacewicz: Oak pollen in the air of Poland in 2017 2017, Vol. 13, Nr 3, 124-128 © Medical Education. For private and non-commercial use only. Downloaded from https://www.journalsmededu.pl/index.php/alergoprofil: 04.11.2020; 12:41,31 Medical aerobiology Original paper

2015 the Quercus pollen season in most Poland’s cities a tendency to delay the beginning of the season by started the earliest on 16th April in Sosnowiec [8], i.e. 11 days (fig. 7). 2 weeks earlier than in 2017. The oak pollen season The highest daily pollen count of Quercus started the earliest in Szczecin. However, the early ap- was noted in 2017 in Warsaw on 17th April (342 g/ pearance of Quercus pollen in the air is due to the dif- m3) (tab. 1, fig. 1–6) and the highest annual sum of ferences in blooming of various species of oak (tab. 1, oak pollen grains (SPI) was observed also in Warsaw, fig. 1–6). Q. petrea blooms about 2 weeks earlier than a similar value was noted in Lublin; in other cities SPI Q. robur [9], which influences the multi-phasedness of value was much lower (the lowest value in Katowice the oak pollen season. In Szczecin many of the above 120). In 2015 the maximum daily concentration was species are represented, as well as Q. rubra, Q. cerris, observed between 24th April and 6th May [8]. Q. coccinea, Q. macrocarpa and others [10]. If pollen The highest Quercus pollen allergen hazard oc- allergy thresholds are exceeded, then overlapping of curred (above 91 g/m3) in Warsaw, Piotrkow Trybunal- these phases, variation in the start date of the season ski and Lublin (10–12 days). In other cities that value and the intensity are also important. Analysis of the did not exceed 4 days. The comparison of oak pollen onset of pollen season in Szczecin in 18 years showed seasons in previous years revealed that in 2015 [8]

Figure 1. Oak pollen count in Bialystok and Bydgoszcz in 2017.

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-3 350 Bialystok 300 Bydgoszcz 250 200 150 100

Pollen count × 1 m count Pollen 50 0 1For IV 4 IV 7 IV 10 IVnon- 13 IV 16 IV 19 IV 22 IV 25 IV 28 IV 1 V 4 V 7 V 10 V 13 V 16 V 19 V 22 V 25 V 28 V 31 V

Figure 2. Oak pollen count in Cracow and Katowice in 2017.

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-3 350 300 commercial use onlyKrakówCracow 250 Katowice 200 150 100