Abstract

In 2016, the highest birch (Betula spp.) pollen concentrations were recorded in Kraków (Poland) since the beginning of pollen observations in 1991. The aim of this study was to ascertain the reason for this phenomenon, taking the local sources of pollen in Poland and long-range transport (LRT) episodes associated with the pollen influx from other European countries into account. Three periods of higher pollen concentrations in Kraków in 2016 were investigated with the use of pollen data, phenological data, meteorological data and the HYSPLIT numerical model to calculate trajectories up to 4 days back (96 h) at the selected Polish sites. From 5 to 8 April, the birch pollen concentrations increased in Kraków up to 4000 Pollen/m³, although no full flowering of birch trees in the city was observed. The synoptic situation with air masses advection from the South as well as backward trajectories and the general birch pollen occurrence in Europe confirm that pollen was transported mainly from Serbia, Hungary, Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, into Poland. The second analyzed period (13–14 April) was related largely to the local flowering of birches, while the third one in May (6–7 May) mostly resulted from the birch pollen transport from Fennoscandia and the Baltic countries. Unusual high pollen concentrations at the beginning of the pollen season can augment the symptomatic burden of birch pollen allergy sufferers and should be considered during therapy. Such incidents also affect the estimation of pollen seasons timing and severity.

Graphical Abstract

中文翻译：

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2016年波兰异常高的桦树（Betula spp。）花粉浓度与远程运输（LRT）和区域花粉发生有关

摘要

自1991年开始进行花粉观察以来，2016年桦木（桦木）花粉浓度最高记录在克拉科夫（波兰）。本研究的目的是确定这种现象的原因，利用当地花粉的来源。波兰和与欧洲其他国家/地区的花粉流入有关的远程运输（LRT）事件已得到考虑。利用花粉数据，物候数据，气象数据和HYSPLIT数值模型，研究了克拉科夫2016年三个较高花粉浓度的时期，以计算选定波兰地点长达4天（96小时）的轨迹。从4月5日至8日，克拉科夫的桦树花粉浓度增加到4000花粉/ m ^3。，尽管在该城市没有观察到桦树完全开花。来自南方的空气平流以及后向轨迹的天气情况以及欧洲桦木花粉的普遍发生证实了花粉主要从塞尔维亚，匈牙利，奥地利，捷克共和国，斯洛伐克运输到波兰。分析的第二个时期（4月13日至14日）主要与桦树的局部开花有关，而5月的第三个时期（5月6日至7日）主要来自芬诺斯堪的亚和波罗的海国家的桦树花粉运输。花粉季节开始时异常高的花粉浓度会增加桦树花粉过敏症患者的症状负担，应在治疗期间予以考虑。此类事件还会影响对花粉季节时间和严重程度的估计。

图形概要