ANALYSIS OF ATMOSPHERIC POLLEN GRAINS IN DURSUNBEY (BALIKESİR), TURKEY

Abstract

In this study, airborne pollen grains in the atmosphere of Dursunbey (Balıkesir, Turkey) were collected using a gravimetric method. The pollen grains were investigated by light microscopy and a total of 6265 pollen grains per cm2 were counted. 42 different pollen types were identified of which 24 belonged to the arboreal plants (86.17% of the annual pollen index) and 18 to non-arboreal plants (13.16% of the annual pollen index). A small portion of the pollens (42 grains, 0.67%) were not identified. The most frequent pollen types, which constituted more than 1% of annual pollen count were regarded as the predominating pollen types for the region. The predominating group was determined to be consisted of pollens of Pinus L. (48.23%), Cupressaceae Rich. ex Bartl./Taxaceae Gray (16.74%), Poaceae Barnhart (8.32%), Quercus L.(5.31%), Acer L. (4.07%), Platanus L. (3.10%), Juglans L. (2.26%), Abies Mill. (1.75%), Plantago L. (1.25%), Amaranthaceae Juss. (1.22%) and Olea europaea L. (1.16%). The highest pollen count was determined in May and it is striking that most of the determined predominant pollen types have previously been reported as main causes of pollinosis.

Keywords

• pollen fall
• atmospheric monitoring
• gravimetric method
• pollen calendar
• allergy
• pollen fall
• atmospheric monitoring
• gravimetric method
• pollen calendar
• allergy