Airborne birch pollen in Poland and Latvia in the light of data obtained from aerobiological monitoring and tauber traps in relation to mean air temperature

Birch pollen contains allergens belonging to those with the strongest allergenic properties. In order to trace pollen season patterns of this taxon and pollen annual sums at a wider regional scale, cooperation was established with the University of Latvia in Riga (Latvia). A comparison of the results obtained in the years 2003-2008 in Lublin and in Riga, using volumetric samplers, shows that there was a similar trend in the abundance of birch pollen. The highest sums were noted at both sites in 2003. In all the study years, more birch pollen grains were recorded in Lublin than in Riga, on the average by 7110. The birch pollen seasons started earlier in Lublin than in Riga, on the average by 6 days, and they ended earlier in Lublin, on the average by 18 days. In Riga the birch pollen seasons were longer and less abundant than in Lublin. In addition, in both the regions, i.e. in SE Poland (the Roztocze area) and in Latvia (the area of Marupe near Riga, Taurene, Teici and Rucava), there is pollen data series available obtained from annual pollen deposition monitoring conducted using the modified Tauber traps. These pollen counts have been carried out under the Pollen Monitoring Programme (http://pmp.oulu.fi) since 1998. The 11- year data series in Roztocze and the 10-year data series in Latvia allowed the trends in the occurrence of years of abundant or poor birch pollen release to be traced. In Roztocze maximum Betula pollen deposition occurred in the year 2003, in Latvia - in 1999. The absence of a significant correlation between SE Poland and Latvia with regard to the trends in the occurrence of years of abundant Betula pollen deposition induced the authors to seek climatic factors responsible for increased birch pollen production. The analysis of the Spearman's rank correlation coefficients between annual Betula pollen sums in Roztocze and mean air temperature in June, July and August in the year preceding pollen emission as well as in spring (January-April) of the year of pollen emission showed a statistically significant negative correlation with air temperature in February of the year of pollen emission.

Abstract licence: CC BY

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