Pollen monitoring
AEROBIOLOGY
The scientific discipline focused on the study of airborne organisms and biological material (their release to the air, dispersion, passive transport, deposition and impacts on living systems and on the environment).
The term AEROBIOLOGY was coined by Meier (1930) that substituted the term Aeroplancton proposed by Molish (1912).
In 1964 The International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU) set up the International Biological Program (IBP), whose major objective was to study the biological basis for productivity of the world’s ecosystems. This Program officially finished in 1974 when it was recognized that the studies on Aerobiology at international level should be continued.
International Association on Aerobiology (IAA) was founded at the 1st International Congress of Ecology at Hague in 1974.
Aerobiology as a scientific discipline has an interdisciplinary character. The results of the aerobiological observations are used in the other disciplines: palynology, ecology, botany, mycology, phenology, climatology, meteorology, agriculture, forensic, medicine.
The results of pollen and spore monitoring is helpful for allergology. They are used in:
- diagnostic of pollen allergy (pollen grains and fungal spores – the sources of allergens)
- the monitoring of symptomatic treatment and specific-immunotherapy
- estimation of the efficacy of the pollen allergy treatment
- prophylaxis of pollen allergy
HISTORY OF AEROBIOLOGY IN KRAKOW
First interest in a study on pollen and fungal spore concentrations in the air took place in Poland in the first half of the XX century. First publication referring to deposition speed and long distance transport were released in 1937-1939 (J. Dyakowska, M. Bremówna, M. Sobolewska). In 1939 professor Mieczysław Obtułowicz, Nestor of the Polish allergology, presented in: About pollen rhinitis, first calendars of flowering and pollination of allergenic plants in the area of Krakow. The development of the aerobiological studies in Kraków was associated with a high level of palynology (Department of Palynology, Jagiellonian University) and close co-operation between palynologists and allergologists. The aerobiological observation started anew at Krystyna Obtułowicz, allergologist, suggestion. In 1982 Kazimierz Szczepanek (Institute of Botany, Jagiellonian University) initiated aeropalynological analyses, using the gravimetric method, in several sites in Kraków and in the nearest neighborhood.
At that time the co-operation with professor Siwert Nilsson in Palinologiska Laboratoriet in Stockholm, the then leading monitoring center in Europe, came into existence. In 1986 professor Nilsson visited Kraków, in 1987 professor Obtułowicz was trained in Stockholm and in 1990 she participated in the 4th International Congress on Aerobiology in Stockholm presenting preliminary aerobiological results. These events marked the way of the aerobiology development in Kraków. The aerobiological station in Kraków received the first Burkard trap from professor Nilsson which enabled introduction of the volumetric method in our studies. Presently pollen monitoring is carried out in the Aerobiological Monitoring Station located in the Department of Clinical and Environmental Allergology, Jagiellonian University Medical College. Our Monitoring Station co-operates with administration in Kraków especially with the Provincial Inspectorate for Environmental Protection.
Volumetric monitoring is performer using a Hirst type sampler (VPPS 2000 f. Lanzoni or 7-day Recording Volumetric Spore Trap f. Burkard), located at the city centre, on the roof of Collegium Śniadeckich building (25 m a.g.l.). Slides preparation, pollen counting and calculations are made according to the recommendations of European Aerobiology Society. Currently all pollen grains and fungal spores of two genera: Alternaria and Cladosporium are counted routinely.
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Links to the pollen reports:
For Małopolska region:
www.toksy-alergo.cm-uj.krakow.pl
For Poland:
For Europe:
