Air pollution worsens pollen allergies

It is now undeniable that pollution, especially air pollution, poses a risk to the health of citizens - and to the ecosystem in general. Indeed, lung diseases, respiratory infections and asthma are just some of the consequences of prolonged exposure to air pollutants. A study by the University of Krakow, however, has investigated another aspect of the impact of air pollution on health: dirty air also promotes pollen allergies. 

According to the study, air pollution contributes to tree pollen becoming more allergenic - and thus increasingly triggering allergies in the population. An interesting discovery that not only clarifies the link between pollutants and health, but also explains why more allergic cases occur in cities than in the countryside. Although exposure to allergens, at least in the case of flower and tree pollen, is more likely in the countryside, air pollution levels in densely populated areas favour the development of allergic reactions.  

To find out, the research team from Poland collected samples of unopened birch flowers - known for their allergenic effects - from seven different locations with varying levels of air pollution. These included three locations in the big city of Krakow, three in smaller towns and one in a forest to compare urban and rural environments. The result? Pollen from areas with heavily polluted air had higher levels of the primary allergen protein Bet-V1 than in those from small towns and forests, for example. This, in turn, suggests that harmful air emissions can change the nature of the tree pollen involved - and are therefore among those responsible for the increase in allergic diseases observed in urban areas. 

At the same time, the study also clarifies the extent to which plants and trees themselves are negatively affected by harmful air pollutants. A factor that, in the eyes of the researchers, should be taken into account in the design of future green spaces in order to prevent highly allergic plants such as alder or birch from being planted in areas with high air pollution in the first place. But much more, the study from Krakow exemplifies the inseparability of cause and effect when it comes to pollution, the natural ecosystem and human health. In this respect, it shows how important it is to reduce the level of pollutants in the air. With comprehensive measures ranging from environmental zones to diesel driving bans and the planned EU-wide ban on internal combustion vehicles.  

Because if climate and environmental arguments are not yet convincing enough for many, health risks could perhaps persuade sceptics and critics to finally take the problem of pollution and climate change seriously.