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.
- Unfortunately, your cookie settings do not allow videos to be displayed. - check your settings
Publications on hay fever and pollen
-
Management practices influence biocontrol potential of generalist predators in maize cropping systems
Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata (2024), Volume: 172, Issue: 2 - ISSN 0013-8703 - p. 132-144. -
Automatic trait estimation in floriculture using computer vision and deep learning
Smart Agricultural Technology (2024), Volume: 7 - ISSN 2772-3755 -
A large-scale passage evaluation for multiple fish species: Lessons from 82 fishways in lowland rivers and brooks
Ecological Engineering (2024), Volume: 199 - ISSN 0925-8574 -
Hidden risk of terrestrial food chain contamination from organochlorine insecticides in a vegetable cultivation area of Northwest Bangladesh
Science of the Total Environment (2024), Volume: 912 - ISSN 0048-9697 -
Ultrafiltration (UF) and biological oxygen-dosed activated carbon (BODAC) filtration to prevent fouling of reversed osmosis (RO) membranes : A mass balance analysis
Journal of Water Process Engineering (2024), Volume: 57 - ISSN 2214-7144 -
Combining colloid milling and twin screw pressing for oleosome extraction
Journal of Food Engineering (2024), Volume: 368 - ISSN 0260-8774 -
Peripheral inflammation-induced changes in songbird brain gene expression : 3’ mRNA transcriptomic approach
Developmental and Comparative Immunology (2024), Volume: 151 - ISSN 0145-305X -
Understanding the vulnerability of surface–groundwater interactions to climate change: insights from a Bavarian Forest headwater catchment
Environmental Earth Sciences (2024), Volume: 83 - ISSN 1866-6280 -
Ambiguity attitudes and demand for weather index insurance with and without a credit bundle : experimental evidence from Kenya
Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance (2024), Volume: 41 - ISSN 2214-6350 -
‘Conceptualizations and implementation of user engagement in Weather and climate services: A climate services providers’ perspective
Heliyon (2024), Volume: 10, Issue: 1 - ISSN 2405-8440