Pollen Monitoring in the City of Ivano-Frankivsk, Western Ukraine

Abstract

The results of aeropalynological studies in Ivano-Frankivsk during 2013–2015 are presented in this article. The studies were conducted using a specially designed gravimetric Durham pollen trap installed at a height of 24 m from the ground. We determined that pollen grains of the following taxa dominate in the city’s aeropalynological spectrum: Corylus, Alnus, Betula, Populus, Fraxinus, Salix, Carpinus, Quercus, Pinus, Picea, Poaceae, Urticaceae, Artemisia, and Ambrosia. Pollen grains from woody plants dominate the aeropalynological spectrum. The considerable presence of the tree pollen grains in the ambient air is due to the geographical location of Ivano-Frankivsk in the forest-steppe zone of Ukraine. Pollen season of allergenic plants lasts from the second week of February to early October. The most unfavorable period for patients with pollen allergy in Ivano-Frankivsk is April, when there is a simultaneous appearance of high concentrations airborne allergenic pollen of Betula, Fraxinus, and Carpinus. From the second week of May to mid-July, high (>50 pollen grains/m3) concentrations of allergenic pollen of the Poaceae family members are detected in the air. In the second half of August and early September, high concentrations of allergenic Ambrosia pollen were recorded in the city air. Conducting of pollen monitoring in the city is extremely necessary for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of pollen allergy.

Keywords

• aeropalynological spectrum
• pollen concentration
• pollen seasons
• allergenic pollen