Keywords
Hirst trap
cypress
EN 16868:2019
pollen grain
ruptured pollen
aerobiological network of the Region of Murcia
How to Cite
Abstract
The concentration of airborne pollen grains causes allergic diseases, which are monitored by aerobiological networks, in an initiative pending legislative regulation in Spain. Following the guidelines of the Spanish Aerobiology Network, this study quantified pollen grain concentrations in accordance with the standardised method UNE-EN 16868:2020 (EN 16868:2019). This method was used to investigate the concentration of pollen and ruptured pollen between 2010 and 2024 in Cartagena, Lorca and Murcia, cities that make up the Aerobiological Network of the Region of Murcia (REAREMUR). With more than 100 pollen grains/m3 of Annual Pollen Index (APIn), 23 types were identified in Cartagena and 25 in Murcia and Lorca as the most common pollen types. Among the most common types, up to 10 were reported to have ruptured pollen grains. More than 100 ruptured pollen grains/m3 were detected as the APIn of the Cupressaceae pollen type in the three cities and only Casuarina in Murcia. The largest contribution to the concentration of ruptured pollen grains was due to the cypress pollen type, whose reproduction and propagation mechanism involves the rupture of the exine, which multiplies the allergenic vectors. This situation indicates the advisability of monitoring ruptured Cupressaceae pollen grains for better information and avoidance of exposure for patients suffering from this allergy.
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