Survey of air pollen during the pollen season in Córdoba, Argentina

TEIJEIRO, A; GRANERO, S; MURRAY, M G; SONAGLIONI, M I; GURNÉ, S; CROCE, J S; RAMÓN, G D; BAENA CAGNANI, C E

Nápoles, Italia

Congreso; XXI EAACI, Congress of the European Academy of Allergology and Clinical Immunology; 2002

European Academy of Allergology and Clinical Immunology

There is no information on the pollen concentration in the air and variety in Cordoba, Argentina. The aim of this study was to collect airborne pollen grain in Cordoba city, Argentina, which allows the evaluation of the quantity and quality of pollen load in the air during the period from August 2000 to April 2001. This period encompasses the winter, spring, summer and fall, respectively, in the Southern Hemisphere. Cordoba city (31º19’S and 64º13’W) is located in the Cordoba province in the central part of Argentina. A Rotorod 40 sampler was used to collect the samples. The data were collected daily and are expressed in grains/m3 of air. Weekly mean values were obtained for assessment. The pollen grain was grouped into three mayor categories: trees, grass and weeds. The period of higher concentration of grains/m3 from trees was August-November and the most representative species were Cupressus spp., Morus sp., Fraxinus spp., Celtis tala, and Platanus sp. Grass pollen grains were more predominant from October to April. Weed-pollen grains had several peaks of concentration in the air that corresponded to different pollen types of weeds within which the most important were Amaranthus/Chenopodium (January-April), Urtica sp. (September-December), Artemisia sp. (from the third week of February to the last week of March) and Ambrosia sp. (from February to middle of March). Considering the most allergenic species according to skin prick test sensitivity, August-November is a very risk period for patients affected with seasonal symptoms caused by trees. In the case of grass and weed the period extends from October to April. This is the first calendar for pollen load in Córdoba, Argentina that has also looked at the variety of pollens. This is useful information in order to prevent the clinical manifestations of pollinosis, particularly allergic rhinoconjunctivitis.