Operational pollen monitoring networks have developed across Europe, and the world more generally, in response to the increasing prevalence of pollen allergy and asthma. Routine pollen observations are in large part currently still based on time-intensive manual techniques developed in the 1950s. These methods suffer from low temporal resolution and long delays in data availability. Recent technological

Airborne pollen and meteorological-related variables have proved to be a good indicator of flowering, olive fruit production and to predict harvest of upcoming crop, thus enabling efficient management and marketing strategies. This study describes the first forecasting models of the olive fruit production based on pre-peak airborne annual pollen integral (APIn) from Olea europaea L. and meteorological

Pollen allergies are one of the most important problems among respiratory diseases in today’s society. The creation and development of aerobiological information tools are useful to provide information to patients and doctors. In this work, we analysed the pollen spectrum of Extremadura to generate pollen calendars for Badajoz, Cáceres, Don Benito, Plasencia and Zafra. Additionally, we analysed regional

The most common fungal diseases of Vitis vinifera are powdery mildew (Erysiphe necator (Schw.) Burr.), grey mould (Botrytis cinerea Pers.) and downy mildew (Plasmopara viticola (Berk. and Curt.) Berk. and de Toni). Knowledge about the concentration of their spores in the atmosphere of the vineyard is important in order to ascertain the fungal load in the vineyard during the reproductive vine cycle

The goal of this study was to compare hazel pollen seasons in Sosnowiec in 1997–2019 and to analyse the impact of weather conditions on these seasons. The measurements were conducted using a volumetric method with a Burkard spore trap. The duration of pollen seasons was determined using the 98% method. SPI (Seasonal Pollen Index) was calculated as the sum of daily pollen concentrations in a given season

In this work, we completed the first identification and quantification of internal lipids for allergenic Phleum pratense pollen grains (PGs). We have extracted PGs with aqueous solvent under different extraction procedures and observed release of extra amount of unsaturated fatty acids (α-linolenic and linoleic acids) when PGs were broken during extraction. We showed that rupture of PGs is necessary

Artemisia pollen is an important aeroallergen in late summer, especially in central and eastern Europe where distinct anemophilous Artemisia spp. produce high amounts of pollen grains. The study aims at: (i) analyzing the temporal pattern of and changes in the Artemisia spp. pollen season; (ii) identifying the Artemisia species responsible for the local airborne pollen load. Daily pollen concentration

The investigation of bioaerosols in the recent years has become more important both indoors and outdoors. Due to expanding of livestock farm capacity, raising attention is paid to this source of emissions. The objective of the present study was to estimate the distribution of bioaerosols in the animal husbandry and its surroundings. Over 2 fattening periods with different animal ages and weights, the

An increase in the cultivation of olive trees was prompted in the Northwestern Spain during recent years favored by the agricultural politics in the region. The aim of this study is to know the phenological and aerobiological behavior of the olive trees at the northern limit of the Mediterranean bioclimatic area in order to determine their thermal requirements for the development of predictive agro-phenological

Hirst-type sampler (HTS) is the standard equipment for pollen sampling while cascade impactors are commonly used for particulate matter (PM) samplings. In this work, we investigated the feasibility of using such devices to reliably assess the atmospheric PM adhesion onto pollen grains (PGs). Birch PGs were deposited on sampling substrates and then exposed to ambient PM in each type of sampling device

Cultural property preserved in indoor environments is subjected to fungal deterioration which resulted from air biocontamination and can lead to a heavy cultural loss. This study aimed to monitor and assess the biodiversity and concentration of airborne fungi for all areas of the Grand Egyptian Museum—Conservation Center (GEM-CC), such as conservation laboratories, scientific laboratories, corridors

As the main biological components of the air ecosystem, airborne microorganisms play an important role in ecosystem function, and most existing studies focus on their health and environmental effects, while ignoring ecological effects. In this study, air microbial samples from two sampling points in the coastal city of Qingdao were collected by a large volume air sampler. The Illumina MiSeq and PacBio

Measurement of atmospheric pollen concentrations is inexact, yet pollen concentrations are universally reported without estimate of accuracy. These imprecise values are nevertheless used for modelling, forecasting and public health decision-making. Estimation of the variability in reported pollen concentrations would help resolve associations between weather and pollen aerobiology as well as associations

For the first time, the composition of micromycetes communities was investigated in both photic and aphotic entrance zones of seven caves in Montenegro: Obodska Pećina, Golubinja Pećina, Veluštica Pećina, Vrbacka jama, Jama ER-1, Njegoš Pećina, and an unnamed cave. In total, 72 species of micromycetes were identified: 46 species from illuminated photic zones of the caves, including 43 species on phototrophs

Bioaerosols are reported to affect human health and cause chronic inflammation to the respiratory system, leading to its temporary or permanent damage. This study aims to perform the qualitative assessment of ambient air of Barrackpore, an industrial township of West Bengal, India, by analysing the airborne fungal spore diversity for two consecutive years. The spores of ambient air were trapped using

Aeroallergen sensitization is increasing worldwide. The optimal management of allergic disease requires the identification of the allergic sensitivities of the patient. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the profile of specific IgE reactivity of patients with clinically suspected allergic diseases seeking medical care in Algiers. The prevalence of 29 aeroallergens’ sensitization was investigated

The air in public facilities contains microorganisms which may cause a wide variety of clinical syndromes in humans. This is particularly important in primary healthcare units, where patients with reduced immunity and staff are directly exposed to microbial pathogens. Air samples were collected from dispensing areas (customer areas) of five pharmacies using MAS-100 air sampler. The concentration of

A method based on the use of electromagnetic radiation (EMR) in the radiofrequency band was experimented to eliminate heterotrophic organisms from biofilms encrusting linen canvasses used for paintings. Artificial biofilms were used for exposure to EMR. Biofilms were grown on fragments of canvasses sampled from the backside of a painting. The fragments, after sterilization, were inoculated with several

Grasses are a taxonomic group of considerable environmental importance, playing a major ecological role as well as making a significant contribution to the world’s economy, since they include valuable crop and pasture species. Grass pollen allergens are also among the main causes of respiratory allergies worldwide. The interpretation of airborne grass pollen concentrations is a particularly complex

Abstract Air pollution in urban areas is one of the main problems because of its effects on human health and the environment. The levels of critical pollutants such as ozone and airborne particles and their impacts on human health have been widely studied, neglecting the microbiological communities present in the air, which alone or in combination with chemical contaminants can have detrimental effects

In this study, atmospheric bioaerosol particles were collected from March to December 2015 in the coastal region of Qingdao. The dominant fungi were identified, and the concentrations and size distributions of bacteria, total fungi and dominant fungi were measured. The most dominant fungal taxon was Cladosporium, followed by Alternaria, Penicillium and Aspergillus. The concentrations of fungi showed

Biological pollution directly affects our health and quality of life. In urban areas, people spend most time in indoor environments including means of transports where can be exposed to pollution sick building syndrome. Despite the importance of this issue, studies on the biological particles exposure in indoor transports are scarce and poorly documented. This study characterizes by using volumetric

Cupressaceae pollen is one of the major airborne allergens of the Mediterranean region and in other regions around the world. Pollen production of these species causes considerable allergic problems during winter, being this type of pollen the most abundant in this period of the year. This work aims to relate phenology, meteorology and airborne pollen records in these species. Aerobiological sampling

The aim of present study is to assess the seasonal effects during five different seasons on endotoxins levels at various sections (aeration tank, sludge bed, grit chamber and final settlement tank) of a sewage treatment plant. Samples for endotoxins were collected using a three-stage cascade impactor. The sampler collects particulate matters in three different sizes, viz. PM1, PM2.5 and PM10. We mainly

Fungal spores have a recognized allergenicity, but in recent years, fungal fragments have also been reported as inducers of Type I allergy. However, airborne hyphae are scarcely studied in tropical regions. The objective of this research was to analyze the fungal composition of the Havana aerosol during 2017 and 2018, emphasizing the presence of hyphae fragments. Air sampling was performed using a

The direct effect of fungi on human health makes the fungal diversity in the air an important and necessary subject for examination. Studies that determine fungal diversity generally depends on culture methods. Developed culture-independent methods eliminate many disadvantages of existing culture-dependent methods. In our study, duplicate air samples were collected on 5 different days at a Microbiology

Epidemiological analyses of airborne allergenic pollen often use concentration measurements from a single station to represent exposure across a city, but this approach does not account for the spatial variation of concentrations within the city. Because there are few descriptions of urban-scale variation, the resulting exposure measurement error is unknown but potentially important for epidemiological

Estimates of airborne pollen concentrations at the urban scale would be useful for epidemiologists, land managers, and allergy sufferers. Mechanistic models could be well suited for this task, but their development will require data on pollen production across cities, including estimates of pollen production by individual trees. In this study, we developed predictive models for pollen production as

The presence of fungal particulate matter in libraries air is a key issue due to its dual impact on the valuable artifacts and on humans. Indoor air fungal composition has been investigated with a volumetric culture-based method only once before in a National Library. The qualitative and quantitative spatiotemporal fluctuations of airborne fungi were evaluated in the National Library of Greece. A portable

The present research was conducted to assess the role of aeromycoflora around world heritage sites of Taxila and its relation with biodeterioration of stone monuments. The aerial mycoflora of six archaeological sites was recorded for one year to monitor the seasonal variations and transportation of fungal spores. Thirty-two fungal species belonging to twenty genera were isolated throughout the whole

Microbial organisms can cause huge crises in decorated caves, as seen in emblematic sites such as Lascaux cave. The preservation of such sites involves understanding the healthy microbial behavior of caves before the damage occurs. Indeed, knowledge of normal cave behavior is a prerequisite to identifying potential imbalance. This study seeks to determine whether models of aerobiological behavior could

Microorganisms are ubiquitous in the atmosphere with hundreds of taxa being identified in air samples collected around the world. Despite their importance on human and ecosystem health, the majority of air microbiological studies have been limited to cultivation-based methods that may not capture all of the microbial diversity in the air. The present study used pyrosequencing analysis of 16S rDNA fragments

Airborne pollen assemblage depends on the land cover of the area surrounding the volumetric trap and the flow of air masses. In urban contexts, the amount of airborne pollen is the result of the contribution of both local green areas and extra-urban vegetation, in addition to wind direction and speed. The present study focused on the combined effects of land cover and wind on the airborne pollen recorded

University students’ health may be adversely affected by exposure to indoor bacterial contaminants on their campuses. This study aims (1) to quantify culturable bacterial concentrations in three indoor environments at a university, (2) to investigate the influence of meteorological factors and gender, to assess the relationship between indoor and outdoor, and (3) to estimate the bacterial dose for

Aerobiological studies in urban areas are quite abundant in recent decades, but not in rural areas with a high environmental value. In this work, we analyze the airborne levels of pollen and fern spores in year 2012 collected by means of a volumetric sampler located in an ecological vineyard and in the Biosphere Reserve “Sierras de Béjar y Francia.” The results showed a high atmospheric representation

In India, since 2001, false smut disease of rice has been observed in severe form among major rice growing states. This disease is difficult to tackle, because pathogens infect the plant during flowering stage, and the symptoms are only visible after emergence of the panicle. Thus, disease forecasting is necessary to predict the chance of disease in a certain set of conditions. We analysed 3 years

Japanese cedar pollen and cypress pollen are the most common causes of seasonal allergic rhinitis in Japan. In the present study, we examined the relationship between climate factors and Japanese cedar and cypress pollen counts in Tsu city, Mie prefecture, Japan. Cedar and cypress pollen measurements were taken between 2009 and 2018 using a gravitational method (Durham’s sampler). Each year, during

Araucaria angustifolia is an anemophilous conifer native to Southern America threatened with extinction, with a noticeable decrease in its distribution area and seed production. To better understand the reproductive dynamics, the aerobiological curves obtained with Hirst methodology were analyzed during 7 years in San Antonio (Misiones, Argentina), including productivity, seasonality, start, end, duration

The influence of atmospheric circulation conditions on pollen concentrations of two taxons (Betula and Alnus) in Wroclaw, Poland, for the years 2005–2014 was analysed. Pollen concentration was analysed separately for twenty circulation types that were determined using objective classification. The results indicate the atmospheric circulation conditions favourable for both low and high pollen concentrations

The article Indoor air fungal pollution of a historical museum, Egypt: a case study, written by Abdel Hameed A. Awad, Yuosra Saeed, Alia A. Shakour, Nasser M. Abdellatif, Yasser H. Ibrahim, Manal Elghanam and Fatma Elwakeel was originally published electronically on the publisher’s Internet portal https://doi.org/10.1007/s10453-019-09623-w on 02 January 2020 with open access.

The adverse impact of sewage treatment plants on the environment, resulting from the emission of harmful biological agents to the atmosphere, depends mainly on the size of the facility, the quantity and composition of treated sewage as well as the technologies and equipment used. The aim of the conducted research was to determine the microbiological quality of atmospheric air at Municipal-Industrial

Airborne bacteria and fungi in hospital environments are of great concern due to their potential role as a source of nosocomial infections. The aim of this study was to evaluate concentration and diversity of airborne bacteria and fungi in relation to particle mass concentration in sensitive wards of a pediatric hospital. The study was performed in the cardiac care unit (CCU), the neonatal intensive

The exposure to airborne dusts and microorganisms is associated with respiratory diseases and other health effects. Currently, research concerning fungal aerosol and particulate matter levels in animal enclosures of zoological gardens is very scarce. Such premises are characterized by numerous sources of air contamination, and they are both working environment and popular tourist attractions. This

The present work has studied the trends in pollen seasons of winter flowering trees (Alnus, Cupressaceae, Fraxinus, Populus and Ulmus) in Córdoba, Granada and Málaga (Andalusia, Spain) over the years 1994–2017. The influence of meteorological parameters on the seasonal airborne pollen has been also analyzed. Pollen concentrations were recorded using Hirst-type volumetric spore traps, following the

Fungi can cause serious damages to historical works of art. This study aims to evaluate fungal pollution in the indoor air environment, deposited dust and surfaces of works of art in a historic house museum “Prince’s Mohamed Ali museum”, Giza, Egypt. Fungal pollution was evaluated at six museum’s buildings differed in size, design, location and content, for 2 years of campaign. The deposited dust was

Since the end of the 1990s, the aerobiological network managed by the Regional Environmental Agency in Emilia-Romagna, Italy, started a systematic monitoring of different types of fungal spores, in particular Alternaria. This activity is of outstanding interest due to the various detrimental effects on human beings and on vegetation associated with Alternaria spores presence in the atmosphere. Daily

Ambrosia artemisiifolia L., known as common ragweed, is an invasive and allergenic plant that has begun to expand its presence in Turkey. Although ragweed pollen has been monitored for a long time—especially in the atmosphere of cities in Northern Anatolia—the invasion of the plant is more limited compared to that of other European countries. Here, we present the highest ragweed pollen concentration

Grass pollen grains are an important source of aeroallergens eliciting respiratory allergic diseases worldwide. In the field of allergology, Phleum pratense pollen is considered as a model for other grass taxa. Upon contact with the aqueous phase of mucosa membranes, lipids are co-delivered from pollen grains with allergens. Lipid molecular species have pro-allergic, pro-inflammatory and immunomodulatory

We present some first insights into hourly automatic pollen measurements from two campaigns performed at MeteoSwiss (spring to early summer 2015 and 2016). While the focus of the campaigns was on device validation, the data obtained provided the possibility to carry out a statistical analysis to estimate airborne pollen concentrations at hourly resolution. We compare the time series from the automatic

Cladosporium spp. and Alternaria spp. spores are dominating the airspora of Denmark. Currently, little is known about the influence of climate change on the fungal spore abundance in the air. The aim of this study was to examine temporal changes in airborne Alternaria and Cladosporium spores over 26 years. This is the first report of long-term airborne Cladosporium spore occurrence in Denmark. Air

Ragweed Pollen Alarm System (R-PAS) has been running since 2014 to provide pollen information for countries in the Pannonian biogeographical region (PBR). The aim of this study was to develop forecast models of the representative aerobiological monitoring stations, identified by analysis based on a neural network computation. Monitoring stations with 7-day Hirst-type pollen trap having 10-year long

From anther dehiscence to its atmospheric journey, airborne pollen grains can come into contact with other particulate matter (PM) and the external wall of pollen grains can be polluted by adhered atmospheric particles. Pollen and PM are some of the most common asthma triggers. The aim of this review was to discuss literature reporting pollen–particle complexes in the outdoor environment so their potential

Historical facilities such as churches, crypts, libraries and museums are crucial for preserving cultural heritage but at the same time, they are frequently visited tourist objects and working environment. The aim of this study was to assess whether there are differences in the concentration and size distribution of bacterial and fungal aerosol in the mentioned groups of historical objects in Kraków

In the modern world, healthy habits and physical and mental fitness are more important than ever. A growing number of people participate in sports to improve their overall health. However, the conditions in which people exercise are seldom examined. It is obvious that the air in buildings, including sports facilities, can be contaminated with pathogenic microorganisms, causing infections and allergies

Airborne pollen reflects local vegetative composition and is a proxy for flowering phase. Long-term pollen data might reflect changes in biodiversity and phenology, attributable also to the effect of climate change. The present study, based on pollen data collected within the Italian aerobiological network POLLnet, aimed to verify whether there is any evidence of temporal changes in pollen season timing

Caves and mines have a suitable microclimate in terms of temperature, humidity and air purity that could be exploited for speleotherapy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the current load of allergenic airborne bioparticles of a subterranean environment being considered as a potential site for treating respiratory allergies. Sampling was performed over 12 months (2015–2016) inside and outside the

Biological particles in heritage-related indoor environments (museums, libraries, archives) represent a hazard to artifacts (biodeteriogenic action), operators and visitors’ health. The aim of the study was to evaluate environmental biological contamination and microclimate conditions in different periods of the year in De Rossi room of the historical Palatina Library in Parma. Microclimatic measurements

Airborne pollen is an important and potent source of allergens. Allergenic protein components located in the cytoplasm of pollen, so-called pollen cytoplasmic granules, are released upon contact with moisture, thereby inducing allergic symptoms. However, few studies have compared factors affecting pollen rupture and protein release from allergenic pollen. This study investigated the dynamics of pollen

In Belgium, ~ 10% of the people is estimated to suffer from allergies due to pollen emitted by the birch family trees. Timely information on forthcoming pollen exposure episodes using a forecasting system can allow patients to take preventive measures. To date, the only available information on pollen concentrations in Belgium comes from five stations that monitor daily airborne birch pollen concentrations