‘Pollen Potency’: The Relationship Between Atmospheric Pollen Counts and Allergen Exposure

Details

• Personal Author:
  Borchers Arriagada N ; Dickinson JL ; Green, Brett J. ; Johnston FH ; Jones PJ ; Tegart LJ ; Workman A
• Description:
  Pollen allergies are responsible for a considerable global public health burden, and understanding exposure is critical to addressing the health impacts. Atmospheric pollen counts are routinely used as a predictor of risk; however, immune responses are triggered by specific proteins known as allergens, which occur both within and on the surface of the pollen grain. The ratio between atmospheric pollen counts and allergen concentrations ('pollen potency') has been shown to be inconsistent, with potentially important implications for pollen monitoring practice. Despite this, there has been no previous synthesis of the literature and our understanding of the factors that influence pollen potency remains poor. We conducted a scoping review with the aim of deriving a current understanding of: (a) the factors that influence pollen potency; (b) its variation through time, between taxa and by location; and (c) the implications for pollen monitoring practice. Our synthesis found that pollen potency is highly variable within and between seasons, and between locations; however, much of this variability remains unexplained and has not been deeply investigated. We found no predictable pollen potency patterns relating to taxon, geography or time, and inconclusive evidence regarding possible driving factors. With respect to human health, the studies in our synthesis generally reported larger associations between atmospheric allergen loads and allergy symptoms than whole pollen counts. This suggests that pollen potency influences public health risk; however, the evidence base remains limited. Further research is needed to better understand both pollen potency variability and its implications for health. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Hypersensitivity Occupational Health Public Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Aeroallergens Aerobiology Allergens Allergies Author Keywords: Pollen Health Effects Monitoring Systems Pollen Potency Proteins Public Health Seasonal Factors

  More +
• ISSN:
  0393-5965
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 3 ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  HELD - Health Effects Laboratory Division
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  37
• Issue:
  4
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20063619
• Citation:
  Aerobiologia 2021 Dec; 37(4):825-841
• Contact Point Address:
  Penelope Jones, Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, 17 Liverpool Street, Hobart, TAS 7000, Australia
• Email:
  Penelope.Jones@utas.edu.au
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2022
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  Aerobiologia
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:b702de2e687978a75586b2268ec9efe40062bffd2ab96f288d18c2084b3a1ff227b24700edcce37e2f981c87c56dec28ba09fdf18b36031a34469f3aa22f7a0f
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/222191/cdc_222191_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.80 MB ]