Airborne grass and ragweed pollen in the southern Panonnian valley - Consideration of rural and urban environment

Abstract

The aims of this study were to describe and compare the characteristics of grass and ragweed airborne pollen in rural and urban areas in the southern Panonnian Valley. Airborne pollen data were collected by using Hirst type volumetric samplers simultaneously in rural and urban localities. If rural and urban environment are considered, both grass and ragweed daily pollen concentrations showed a significant degree of association. Observed parameters (pollen index, maximum daily concentration, number of days during which the pollen is recorded in the air and start day of main pollen season), showed year-to-year variations for both grass and ragweed aeropollen. Average values of these parameters were higher in the rural environment, but the difference was statistically significant only for grass pollen index. Such a low difference indicates the possibility for conducting dose response clinical trials based on data obtained from one sampling station. The least year-to-year variations as well as the least difference between rural and urban environment, have been observed in the case of start date of the MPS. Such a situation suggests the possibility for using data obtained in one type of environment for the development of long-term forecast models for an entire region.