Dossier
Hay fever and pollen
Hay fever is an allergic reaction that is caused by pollen from trees, grasses and herbaceous plants. When this pollen is dispersed by the wind, people with hay fever suffer from sneezing, red and itchy eyes and a stuffy nose.
Weather conditions determine when 'hay fever plants' flower and how much pollen they release into the atmosphere. Every year, the progression of hay fever symptoms can differ. The daily pollen concentration in the atmosphere in the Netherlands is measured by the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) and Elkerliek Hospital in Helmond.
As part of the Nature’s Calendar observation programme, secondary school students and volunteers keep track of when various hay fever plants begin flowering. The students who conduct observations are also involved with the GLOBE Programme, an international education programme on the environmental sciences established in 1995 by Al Gore.
Knowledge about hay fever is limited
Ambrosia
One plant species that is known world-wide for causing hay fever symptoms is Ambrosia. This species, which is an exotic in the Netherlands, produces large amounts of strongly allergenic pollen. Moreover, the plant flowers late in the year, so the hay fever season for people who are sensitive to Ambrosia can be up to two months longer. Ambrosia originated from North America and has become widespread in the Netherlands because its seeds are unintentionally present in birdseed and wildflower mixtures. By removing plants before they begin flowering, nuisance from the pollen can be prevented, and the species is less likely to spread.
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Publications on hay fever and pollen
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WUR start groot onderzoek naar oprukkende aaltjes
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WUR start groot Europees onderzoek naar oprukkende aaltjes
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Kringloopbestendig telen in grond en in zandbedden : LWV19101
Wageningen: Wageningen Plant Research (Rapport / Stichting Wageningen Research, Wageningen Plant Research, Business unit Glastuinbouw WPR-1290) -
De Nederlandse agrarische sector in internationaal verband
Wageningen: Wageningen Economic Research (Rapport / Wageningen Economic Research 2024-002) -
Plant-parasitic nematodes on the rise: WUR launches major research project
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Analysekader doeltreffendheid en doelmatigheid van stikstof- en natuurbeleid : Monitoring en evaluatie van het Programma Stikstofreductie en Natuurverbetering
Den Haag: PBL Planbureau voor de Leefomgeving (PBL-publication 5294) -
Ziekmakende aaltjes rukken op: WUR start grootschalig onderzoek
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Measuring water activity: key points and pitfalls
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Win-Wind eindrapport : De eerste stap in het concreet vormgeven van passieve visserij op Noordzeekrab en Europese kreeft als een vorm van medegebruik
IJmuiden: Wageningen Marine Research (Wageningen Marine Research rapport C007/24) -
Data used in the paper: Hydrological drought forecasts using precipitation data depend on catchment properties and human activities