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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An AI ethics ‘David and Goliath’: Value conflicts between large tech companies and their employees
AI and Society (2024), Volume: 39, Issue: 2 - ISSN 0951-5666 - p. 557-572. -
Fossilized conservation, or the unsustainability of saving nature in South Africa
Environment and Planning E: Nature and Space (2024), Volume: 7, Issue: 1 - ISSN 2514-8486 - p. 50-68. -
8. Geïntegreerd gewasmanagement (ICM) van bladschimmels in tarwe
Wageningen: Wageningen Plant Research (Factsheet 8) -
Wflow_sbm simulation results underlying the publication: Simulation of long-term dynamics of headwater reservoirs across the globe using public cloud computing infrastructure
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Gene drive technology as human intervention into nature : On the fate of environmental ethics in the anthropocene
Wageningen University. Promotor(en): B. Bovenkerk, co-promotor(en): D. Ludwig - Wageningen: Wageningen University -
‘We must do some serious soul-searching’
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Exposing metabolic health : Insights in the effects of environmental chemicals, nuclear receptors and SLC25A47 on hepatic metabolism
Wageningen University. Promotor(en): A.H. Kersten - Wageningen: Wageningen University - ISBN: 9789464698299 -
Leefomgevingskwaliteit in de transitie van het landelijk gebied : Een analyse van de de twaalf provinciale gebiedsprogramma’s
Wageningen: Wageningen Environmental Research (Rapport / Wageningen Environmental Research 3334) -
Soil health risks caused by interactions of microplastics and pesticides
Wageningen University. Promotor(en): V. Geissen, co-promotor(en): X. Yang - Wageningen: Wageningen University -
Code for land cover fraction mapping using Markov chains