EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE IAA 2010-2014 Pollen: a biological pollutant? PRESIDENT Dr Giuseppe Frenguelli One of the objectives of EAS during these four years is to try to develop an European Dep. Applied Biol., Univ. of Perugia Borgo XX Giugno, 74 regulation about pollen survey in Europe. We know that this topic was not accepted in 06123 Perugia (Italy) 2012 during a Fairmode presentation at the European Commission by our colleague Tel +39 075 5856406 Mikhail Sofiev, but we thought that we must use 2013 year of air quality to try to educate [email protected] the European parliament on our topic. So we write two times to the deputy Mr Janez VICE PRESIDENT Potočnik. We explain him that the European Aerobiology Society (EAS) is a non- Dr. Bernard Clot governmental organization that gathers together scientific experts working in the field of MétéoSuisse Les Invuardes, C.P. 316 aerobiology in Europe. Aerobiology is the study of airborne particle of biological origin, CH - 1530 Payerne (Switzerland) such as pollen grains, fungal spores, bacteria and allergens that are passively transported Tel +41 26 662 62 59 in the air. It is a multidisciplinary subject with applications in many areas such as [email protected] allergology, agriculture, horticulture and biosecurity. Aerobiologists are often involved SECRETARY GENERAL in monitoring atmospheric concentrations of these biological particles, evaluating their Dr Dorota Myszkowska health impact and disseminating health related information. Zaklad Alergologii Klinicznej i Srodowiskowej A great deal of regulation exists for chemical pollutants in outdoor and indoor air, but Uniwersytet Jagielloñski Collegium Medicum biological particles are not included, in spite of their huge impact on health and their 31-531 Kraków (Poland) effect on the quality of life of millions of people. The World Health Organization say ul. Sniadeckich 10 that that allergic disorders constitute an important public health problem, with 10-20% of Tel +48 12 423 11 22, 48 12 424 88 89 the total European population suffering from pollen-induced allergies. Allergic rhinitis is [email protected] closely associated with asthma suggesting the theory of “one airway, one disease”. One TREASURER of the challenges of the EAS for the next four years is to work towards establishing Dr Rui M.A. Brandao Dept. de Biologia European regulations for monitoring pollen grains and fungal spores in ambient air. The Universidade de Evora EAS has already commenced standardizing national networks but we must take this P-7000 Evora (Portugal) further and place aerobiology within a regulatory framework in the European Union. Tel (351) 266 760889 [email protected] The problem we face today is that without any European recommendation or legislation, PAST PRESIDENT it is likely that a number of European countries will no longer be able to support Dr Christine Rogers aerobiological monitoring. Environmental Health Sciences University of Massachusetts Amherst This will be a great shame, and detrimental to the European population. It is true that 639 N. Pleasant St., Morrill 1 Amherst, MA (USA) 01003-9298 pollen are not generally considered to be from anthropogenic sources but pollen grains Tel +1 413 545-3051 released from trees and grasses planted in urban areas can have a significant effect on the [email protected] allergic population. In addition, ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) is a noxious invasive WEBMASTER alien species that fits the definition of a pollutant because it is spread by anthropogenic Annalisa Ariatti activities, its impact on human health is increasing and it needs positive action from Dept of Plant Pathology European agencies to destroy it. Pennsylvania State University 218 Buckhout Lab During the recent EU funded COST Action ES 0603 “Assessment of production, release, University Park PA (USA) 16802 Tel +1 814 865 7837 distribution and health impact of allergenic pollen in Europe (EUPOL) we demonstrated [email protected] the existence of threshold levels of different pollen. We are also working towards NEWSLETTER EDITOR establishing standardised methods for the sampling and analysis of allergenic pollen and Dr Herminia García Mozo moulds present in the atmosphere. We therefore find it difficult to accept that biological Departamento de Botanica, Ecología y particles in the air cannot be included in air quality legislation. Fisiología Vegetal Edif. Celestino Mutis, Planta 3ª Each of us, in our own country, we must inform our European deputies and ask them to Campus de Rabanales take into account this important topic. Universidad de Cordoba 14071 Cordoba (Spain) Tel +34 957218719 Michel Thibaudon [email protected] EAS President 1 MEMBERS Dr A.B. Singh Editorial Note Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Delhi University Campus, Mall Road, Michel Thibaudon, the President of the European Aerobiology Society (EAS), New Delhi (India) opens this issue writing about the efforts that this society is making in order the Tel +91 11 27568525, Mob. 09811554462 European regulation includes pollen as an atmospheric pollutant. All of us know [email protected] that there is a great deal of regulation rules for chemical pollutants in outdoor Dr María Gabriela Murray and indoor air, but biological particles are not included in almost any environ- Laboratorio de Plantas Vasculares Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia mental policy around the world, in spite of their huge impact on health and their Universidad Nacional del Sur effect on the quality of life of millions of people. For this reason, Michel en- San Juan 670 courages us to inform deputies of our countries, and ask them to take into ac- Bahía Blanca 8000 (Argentina) count this important topic. One of our arguments for politicians would be the [email protected] Quality Control that our networks are developing in last years. About this sub- EX OFFICIO ject Carmen Galán, responsible of the EAS Quality Control Working Group, Dr Connie Katelaris speaks us about the last advances on this matter, presenting the external exercise Clinical Immunol. & Allergy, Westmead Hospital for proficiency testing results in the frame of EAN/EPI, where 45 technicians 308/151 Hawkesbury Rd from 15 countries have been involved. Victoria Rodinkova and Matt Smith in- Westmead 2145 NSW Australia form about the recent European Basic Course on Aerobiology, held at Vinnitsa, [email protected] Ukraine, from the 4th to the 10th of July 2013. A big number of students attend- ed this course which it has been a fully success with a great number of academic NEWSLETTER PAGE DESIGNER activities and a social program full of surprises and fun. Antonio Velasco Blanco Departamento de Botanica, Ecología y Fisiología From America, Leticia Tejera and her working group explain us the state of the Vegetal art of the Aerobiology in Uruguay. This small country of South America has Edif. Celestino Mutis, Planta 3ª started its research in the capital city, Montevideo, and this new group has al- Campus de Rabanales Universidad de Cordoba ready results for both, airborne pollen and fungal spores. From these new ad- 14071 Cordoba (Spain) vances on Aerobiology, we look back on the first steps in this science, and to Tel +34 957218632 know a little more about Fred Campbell Meier on the 75th Anniversary of his [email protected] death. Also we remember Dr. Ruth Maria Leuschner who passed away last Jan- uary 16th, 2013 in Basel, Switzerland. She was co-founder and honorary member of our International Association for Aerobi- ology (IAA), and she will remain in our memory as one of the most active members of this association. She rests in peace. Finally we inform you about recent PhD on Aerobiology and about the next events, as the 9th European Pollen Symposium to be held in October in Berlin, Germany and the 47th Annual Convention of Indian College of Allergy, Asthma & Ap- plied Immunology in December 2013 at Jaipur, India. Also Dorota Myszkowska, Secretary of the IAA, informs that pro- posals to organize the next International Congress should be submitted to the Council at least six months before the previous congress to be held in Sydney in September 2014. Best wishes and a happy summer, Herminia García Mozo Newsletter Editor (e-mail: [email protected]). 11th International Congress on Aerobiology in 2018 Dear colleagues, According to the rules of procedures of the International Association for Aerobiology, proposals for the venue and the general plan of the next Congress should be submitted to the Council at least six months before the previous Congress. As the 10th ICA will be held in Sydney in 22-26 of September 2014, complete proposals for the 2018 Congress should be sent to the Secretary General ([email protected]) up to the 28 of February 2014. In any questions, please contact also President of IAA, Prof. Giuseppe Frenguelli or V-ce President, dr Bernard Clot. Secretary General Dr Dorota Myszkowska Zakład Alergologii Klinicznej i Środowiskowej Uniwersytet Jagielloński Collegium Medicum 31-531 Kraków ul. Śniadeckich 10 Tel: 48 12 423 11 22, 48 12 424 88 89 Fax: 48 12 423 11 22 2 To a new standard for atmospheric pollen survey! If a lot of national networks follow the IAA guidelines for pollen sampling and pollen analysis, it become necessary to devel- op a new standard at the European level. Since 2004, Italy has developed an Italian standard (UNI 11108), others standards exist about biological particles sampling, but we think necessary to present shortly a new European standard whose title will be “Ambient air – Sampling and analysis of airborne pollen grains and fungal spores – Volumetric Hirst principle”. The orig- inality of this standard will be on the two characteristic of Hirst sampler which are “volumetric” and “continuous”. Other chapter of the standard will concern devices, reagents, analysis and so on. After some meeting in France, AFNOR (French agency for normalization) accepted to present in a CEN meeting in Vienna during this spring a new item about our purpose.