Mapping allergenic pollen vegetation in UK to study environmental exposure and human health

• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.04.136
• Publication Date: 2017-05-06T00:15:49Z
• Authors: Rachel N. McInnes; Deborah Hemming; Peter Burgess; Donna Lyndsay; Nicholas J. Osborne; Carsten Ambelas S...; Sam Thomas; Sotiris Vardoulakis
• Keywords: Allergenic pollen; Social Determinants of Health; Plant Weeds; Q1; 01 natural sciences; Trees; 2305 Environmental Engineering; London; 2.2 Factors relating to the physical environment; Ambrosia Pollen; Lung; Wrf-Chem; Species distribution; Climate-Change; anzsrc-for: 3709 Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience; anzsrc-for: 37 Earth Sciences; Geographical Variation; 3. Good health; 2304 Environmental Chemistry; 2310 Pollution; Source map; Pollen; Seasons; Environmental Monitoring; Land cover; Airborne Pollen; United-Kingdom; Aeroallergen; Allergic Rhinitis (Hay Fever); Poaceae; 333; Article; Humans; Grass-Pollen; Cities; 0105 earth and related environmental sciences; 580; Inflammatory and immune system; Human health; 37 Earth Sciences; Environmental Exposure; 3709 Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience; Allergens; 15. Life on land; Asthma; 2311 Waste Management and Disposal; 13. Climate action; Source Inventory; Japanese Cedar Pollinosis; Ragweed Pollen

Allergenic pollen is produced by the flowers of a number trees, grasses and weeds found throughout UK. Exposure to such grains can exacerbate pollen-related asthma allergenic conditions as allergic rhinitis (hay fever). Maps showing location these taxa have many applications: they be used provide advice on risk assessments; combined with health data inform research impacts respiratory hospital admissions; weather improve forecasting systems; or inputs emission models. In this study we present 1km resolution maps 12 grass in We selected main species recorded UK network. The mapped were: Alnus (alder), Fraxinus (ash), Betula (birch), Corylus (hazel), Quercus (oak), Pinus (pine) Salix (willow), Poaceae (grass), Artemisia (mugwort), Plantago (plantain), Rumex (dock, sorrels) Urtica (nettle). also focus one high population centre local level detail around city London. Our results show different geographical distributions grass, which plants associated allergy asthma. These been order environmental exposure human health, although there are possible applications. This novel method not only provides plant types, but at across regions UK, uniquely key using consistent methodology. To consider impact due grains, it important timing release, its dispersal, well effect air quality, discussed here.