Abstract
A comparison of Betula pollen, animportant European aeroallergen, was undertakenat two sites of similar latitude, Derby, UnitedKingdom and Poznan, Poland from 1995–1999. Bothsites routinely monitor Betula pollenusing a Burkard continuous volumetric sampler.Daily and two-hourly March–June Betulapollen counts per cubic metre of air werestudied at both sites, together withcorresponding meteorological data. Detailedanalysis was undertaken to compare start dates,duration and quantity of Betula pollen.Derby usually had an earlier start of seasonthan Poznan, and both cities showed very littledifference between start dates determined byusing the SUM 75 or 2.5% method. The longestseasonal durations at Derby and Poznan yieldedthe lowest seasonal pollen indexes. Every yearfrom 1995–1999 the Betula seasonal pollenindex was higher in Poznan than in Derby. Poznanhad more daily counts of Betula pollengrains per cubic metre above 500, and at leastone daily count of 1000, each year. At bothsites the yearly seasonal variation correlatedwith the number of April days per year having amaximum temperature of 17 °C or above.There was a similar diurnal periodicity ofApril Betula pollen in Derby and Poznan.Although the two cities, at approximately thesame latitude, have different regional andmeteorological characteristics, the weatherappears to influence Betula pollenseasons in a similar manner. Local clinicianscould use the SUM 75 method as indicative ofthe start of the Betula pollen season atboth sites.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Anderson T.B.: 1991, A model to predict the beginning of the pollen season. Grana 30, 269-275.
Corden J., Millington W., Bailey J., Brookes M., Caulton E., Emberlin J., Mullins J., Simpson C. and Wood A.: 2000, UK regional variations in Betula pollen (1993-1997). Aerobiologia 16, 227-232.
Driessen M.N.B.M., van Herpen R.M.A. and Smithuis L.O.M.J.: 1990, Prediction of the start of the grass pollen season for the southern part of the Netherlands. Grana 29, 79-86.
Emberlin J.: 1994, The effects of patterns in climate and pollen abundance on allergy. Allergy 49, 15-20.
Emberlin J., Mullins J., Corden J., Millington W., Brooke M., Savage M. and Jones S.: 1997, The trend to earlier Birch pollen seasons in the UK: A biotic response to changes in weather conditions? Grana 36, 29-33.
Hart M.L., Wentworth, J.E. and Bailey J.P.: 1994, The effects of trap height and weather variables on recorded pollen concentration in Leicester. Grana 33, 100-103.
Hirst J.M.: 1952, An automatic volumetric spore trap. Annals of Applied Biology 39, 257-265.
Hjelmroos M.: 1992, Long-distance transport of Betula pollen grains and allergenic symptoms. Aerobiologia 8, 231-236.
Jäger S., Spieksma F.Th.M. and Nolard N.: 1991, Fluctuations and trends in airborne concentrations of some abundent pollen types, monitored at Vienna, Leiden and Brussels. Grana 30, 309-312.
Mandrioli P., Comtois P. and Levizzani V.: 1998, The dimensionless nature of pollen count summations. Methods in Aerobiology. Pitagora Editrice: Bologna, Appendix 2, p. 257.
Matthiesen F., Ipsen H. and Løwenstein H.: 1991, Pollen Allergens. In: G. D'Amato, F.Th.M. Spieksma and S. Bonini (eds), Allergenic Pollen and Pollenosis in Europe. Blackwell Scientific Publications, pp. 36-44.
Molkhou P.: 2000, Food Allergies. Present and future problems. UCB Institute of Allergy, pp. 52 and 97.
Morrow Brown H. and Jackson F.A.: 1978, Aerobiological studies based in Derby. I. A simplified volumetric spore trap. Clinical Allergy 8, 589-597.
Oei H.D., Spieksma F.T.M. and Bruynzeel L.B.: 1986, Birch Pollen Asthma in The Netherlands. Allergy 41, 435-441.
Nilsson S. and Persson S.: 1981, Tree pollen spectra in the Stockholm region (Sweden), 1973-1980. Grana 20, 179-182.
Pehkonen E. and Rantio-Lehtimäki A.: 1995, Sensitivity of IgG-ELISA for detecting airborne pollen antigens of Betulaceae. Grana 34, 350-356.
Spieskma F.Th.M., Emberlin J.C., Hjelmroos, M., Jäger S. and Leuschner R.M.: 1995, Atmospheric birch (Betula) pollen in Europe: Trends and fluctuations in annual quantities and the starting dates of the seasons. Grana 34, 51-57.
Stach, A.: 1996, Pollen Fall of certain allergic plants in Poznan 1992-1995. Contribution to compilation of pollen calendar for Poznan and surrounding area. Ann Agric Environ Med 3, 99-108.
Stach, A.: 2000, Variation in pollen concentration of the most allergenic taxa in Poznan (Poland), 1995-1996. Aerobiologia 16, 63-68.
Rapiejko P., Lipiec A., Juriewicz D. and Zawisza E.: 1998, Pollen count at different height and distance. 6th International Congress on Aerobiology Abstracts, p. 59.
Vik H., Florvaag E. and Elsayed S.: 1991, Pollen Allergens. In: G. D’ Amato, F.Th.M. Spieksma and S. Bonini (eds), Allergenic Pollen and Pollenosis in Europe. Blackwell Scientific Publications, pp. 36-44.
Wos A.: 1994, The Climate of the Wielkopolska Lowland. Wyd. Naukowe Uniwesytetu im. A Mickiewicza, Poznan, p. 192.
Zawisza E. and Samolinska-Zawisza U.: 1991, Airborne pollen survey of the Warsaw area. An assessment of skin tests and air sampling data. Grana 30, 171-179.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Corden, J., Stach, A. & Millington, W. A comparison of Betula pollen seasons at two European sites; Derby, United Kingdom and Poznan, Poland (1995–1999).. Aerobiologia 18, 45–53 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1014953527763
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1014953527763