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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Habitatverlies van alken en zeekoeten in en rondom offshore windpark Gemini : Onderzoek naar de ruimtelijke verspreiding van zeevogels middels digitale vliegtuig surveys in een groot referentiegebied en een robuuste statistische analyse in R-INLA
Den Helder: Wageningen Marine Research (Wageningen Marine Research rapport C083/23a) -
Innovative genetic tools and metabolic engineering strategies for advanced biomanufacturing : A focus on Pseudomonas putida
Wageningen University. Promotor(en): V.A.P. Martins dos Santos, R. van Kranenburg - Wageningen: Wageningen University - ISBN: 9789464699043 -
Methane and sulfide mitigation in sewers through bioelectrochemical systems
Wageningen University. Promotor(en): H.H.M. Rijnaarts, A. ter Heijne, co-promotor(en): W.-S. Chen - Wageningen: Wageningen University - ISBN: 9789464698862 -
Spray drift variability alongside the field edge of a sprayed orchard
In: International Advances in Pesticide Application - Association of Applied Biologists - p. 173-180. -
Technische briefing PBL over het meest recente PBL rapport over het halen van de stikstof- en natuurdoelen
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Kater te pakken? Dit is alles wat je wil weten, van oorzaak tot oplossing en fabels
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Houtrook is lokaal een groot probleem, laat Dieter met peperdure meetapparatuur zien
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Comparative study on lettuce cultivation within Fieldlab Vertical Farming : Comparative study on the cultivation of lettuce in indoor farms of WUR, Delphy, Logiqs, Vertify and Philips Horticulture LED Solutions
Wageningen: Wageningen Plant Research (Report / Stichting Wageningen Research, Wageningen Plant Research, BU Greenhouse Horticulture WPR-1300) -
Maden vies? 'Het zijn juist hele schone fantastische beesten'
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Water-Energy-Food Nexus: Multi-Actor Governance for Social Justice (Household survey)