TY - JOUR
T1 - Changes to airborne pollen counts across europe
AU - Ziello, Chiara
AU - Sparks, Tim H.
AU - Estrella, Nicole
AU - Belmonte, Jordina
AU - Bergmann, Karl C.
AU - Bucher, Edith
AU - Brighetti, Maria Antonia
AU - Damialis, Athanasios
AU - Detandt, Monique
AU - Galán, Carmen
AU - Gehrig, Regula
AU - Grewling, Lukasz
AU - Bustillo, Adela M.
AU - Hallsdóttir, Margrét
AU - Kockhans-Bieda, Marie Claire
AU - Linares, de Concepción
AU - Myszkowska, Dorota
AU - Pàldy, Anna
AU - Sánchez, Adriana
AU - Smith, Matthew
AU - Thibaudon, Michel
AU - Travaglini, Alessandro
AU - Uruska, Agnieszka
AU - Valencia-Barrera, Rosa M.
AU - Vokou, Despoina
AU - Wachter, Reinhard
AU - Weger, Letty A.de
AU - Menzel, Annette
PY - 2012/4/13
Y1 - 2012/4/13
N2 - 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 (CO2) 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 CO2 levels may be influential.
AB - 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 (CO2) 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 CO2 levels may be influential.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84859710760&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1371/journal.pone.0034076
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0034076
M3 - Article
C2 - 22514618
AN - SCOPUS:84859710760
SN - 1932-6203
VL - 7
JO - PLoS ONE
JF - PLoS ONE
IS - 4
M1 - e34076
ER -
