Pollen alarm In the future, more and more pollen

Allergies: More pollen through climate change

05/11/2012

For allergy sufferers, there are no good news these days. Scientists predict that there will be more pollen in the future, and that the flight time through global warming is getting longer and longer. „Something is coming up to us“, warns Jeroen Buters, Professor of Molecular Allergology at the Technical University (TU) Munich.

Scientists call for better pollen early warning system for allergy sufferers
Scientists assume that in the medium term almost 50 percent of the population could be affected by allergies. Already today there are 20 million allergic persons with an increasing tendency in Germany, reports Carsten Schmidt-Weber, director of the Center for Allergy and Environment, last Friday in Munich. Scientists are now calling for politics to take action. The pollutant load will continue to rise in the next few years. This also includes an increasing number of food allergies. Until the 1950s, only two to five percent of the population suffered from allergies. In England, every second person is affected today.

Due to potential cross-allergies, pollen allergy sufferers should be wary of pome fruit and stone fruit. The European Foundation for Allergy Research (ECARF) in Berlin recommends heating the corresponding fruit before consumption. This would destroy the heat-sensitive allergens. It comes therefore to cross-allergies, because the allergens in the fruit were very similar to those of birch pollen. Because the immune system can not tell the difference, it would respond to the typical symptoms of tingling and swelling in the mouth and throat. In severe cases it could even lead to life-threatening respiratory distress situations.

Schmidt-Weber explains that the sequelae of allergies, which include asthma, are problematic. Jeroen Buters, Professor of Molecular Allergology at the Technical University (TU) Munich, confirms this and warns: „Something is coming up to us. We need a better pollen early warning system.“ Among other things, the policy is responsible for counteracting high follow-up costs for the health system.

A serious problem is also the rapidly increasing spread of the highly allergenic plant ambrosia, the researchers report. „If we wait another five to eight years, Bavaria is thoroughly infected“, Buters explains. The spread of Ambrosia would take place primarily along the west along the motorways, adds Schmidt-Weber. He suspects that the seeds stick to the cars. Many states, especially Berlin, would be affected by ambrosia.

Period of pollen exposure is prolonged due to global warming
Annette Menzel, a professor of eco-climatology at the TU, explains that not only does the number of pollen increase, but also that the period during which the pollen is active is getting longer and longer. The cause she calls global warming. „Overall, the flowering period is extended. Hazel already blooms in December.“ Even if the allergy-inducing plants have withered, ambrosia would come in many places, the expert reports. The pollen quantity has increased throughout Europe. Climate change is further increasing this trend, according to Menzel. Cause could be the increasing amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the air. Studies have shown that plants exposed to increased CO2 levels grew rapidly and produced more pollen.

Annette Menzel uses today's urban climate as a field of experimentation for future climate impacts. The city climate is already warmer and drier today and has a higher air pollution. Urban areas are therefore considered „testing ground“, to predict the climate consequences, particularly suitable. Here, the temperature is by a dense development and the formation of a so-called urban heat island by one to three degrees higher, explains Menzel. The CO2 and pollutant levels in the air are there usually higher. In urban areas, the conditions are already in place today, which could also be expected in rural areas in future, explains the expert.

According to a new study presented on Friday, the amount of pollen probably does not play the decisive role. Rather, it is the amount of allergens present in the pollen that can be very different from pollen to pollen. It depends on the maturity of pollen and how long it lasts „Have time to pump themselves full of allergens“, Buters explains. The scientists came to this conclusion in investigations in eleven European countries. „Depending on time and region, the pollen produce different amounts of protein compounds, which are ultimately responsible for the allergic immune response.“ (Ag)

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