LAST YEAR S RAGWEED POLLEN CONCENTRATIONS IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE CARPATHIAN BASIN

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1 The 11th Symposium on Analytical and Environmental problems,, 24 September 24, LAST YEAR S RAGWEED POLLEN CONCENTRATIONS IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE CARPATHIAN BASIN Juhász M. (), Juhász I.E.(), Gallovich E.(), P. Radišič (), N. Ianovici (),R. Peternel (), A. Kofol-Seliger (). Research group of DEPISZ, juhaszm@bio.u-szeged.hu ABSTRACT During the past 5 years growing scientific interest in airborne ragweed pollen in relation to pollinosis has spread over Carpathian Basin. Starting from Hungary, a country with a more rich history in aerobiological studies of Ambrosia, new pollen-counting stations have been installed in some Mid-East European countries, as Romania, Serbia and Montenegro, Croatia and Slovenia at the end of last century. The ragweed pollen concentrations in the last five years (20-24) were studied in some cities, as,,,, and, within the framework of Euroregional Polleninformation Service. Some parameters of Ambrosia pollen, as annual sums of daily averages, maximum daily concentration per year, duration of pollen release of ragweed, number of days exceeding threshold value of clinical symptoms, were examined. These pollen concentrations were very high in the 5 of studied cities, with the exception of. Annual peak days also were investigated. Ambrosia pollen number reached in the year of 21: pollen grains (PG) per cubic meter (m3) in, and PG/m3 in, while its maximum was in only 387. Duration of days when has been found ragweed pollen in air was between 44 days () and 113 days (). The threshold value for clinical symptoms is considered to be 30 PG/m3. Number of days when the daily pollen count was higher than threshold value often reached days/year in the some cities of euroregions. INTRODUCTION The Carpathian Basin is probably most polluted area by ragweed pollen in Europe. In the last time very high ragweed pollen concentrations were measured in (Croatia), (Serbia),, Kecskemét, Debrecen, Nyiregyháza (Hungary. If we compared the ratios of different pollen types which are presented in annual pollen counts, the ragweed pollen reached a predominate position. In the relation of seasonal pollen production, its dominance is more characteristic. Ragweed pollen concentration depends from climatic conditions. Temperature of Carpathian Basin from year to year is slowly increasing. Meantime of the adaptive radiation of ragweed are occupied new and new territories on the Carpathian Basin from south to north and northeaster territories. On the part of Transdanubia, when this occupation started earlier, ragweed invasion reached Austria and Slovakia, where newly also has been found high ragweed pollen concentration in the air. Within the framework of Euroregional Polleninformation Service an international working group is studying permanently the actual Ambrosia pollen concentrations, since 20.

2 The 11th Symposium on Analytical and Environmental problems,, 24 September 24, Members of this group: Miklós Juhász and Imola Juhász from (Hungary), Erzsébet Gallovich from (Hungary), Predrag Radišič and Branko Sikoparija from (Serbia and Montenegro), Nicoleta Ianovici and Aurel Faur from (Romania), Renata Peternel from and Zdenka čuljak from Osijek (Croatia) and Andrea KofolSeliger from (Slovenia). In present paper will be dealing with the results of aeropalynological observations on concentrations of airborne ragweed pollen in various southern Carpathian cities. Fig.1.: Map of southern part of the Carpathian Basin 1= Danube-Cris- Mures- Tisza Euroregion; 2= Danube Drava-Sava Euroregion MATERIALS AND METHODS Airborne ragweed pollen concentrations, measured continuously with a volumetric method at six sites, are compared with respect to both their quantitative and seasonal aspects. In all six stations 7-day volumetric pollen traps were used, developed from the Hirst spore trap. In, Timisoara and the Lanzoni model was used, in, and the Burkard model. Descriptions of the trap and the methods used for the preparation and scanning of the slides can be found in Ogden et al. (1974), and Käpylä & Penttinen (1981). RESULTS

3 The 11th Symposium on Analytical and Environmental problems,, 24 September 24, ) Total pollen concentrations of ragweed Table I. Annual sums of average daily airborne pollen concentrations (average number per m3 in 24 hours) For a general outline of the airborne ragweed pollen situation in the compared cities, Table I. gives the annual sums at the six stations in the five years of observation. It shows that, generally, Ambrosia pollen concentrations always are higher in,, and than in Timisoara and, but also that the Serbian annual sums are more variable from year to year than the values of the two Hungarian cities. The annual sums for ragweed pollen are rather high in Timisoara, very low and rather constant in. 22 being a poor ragweed pollen season at some stations. 2) Annual peak days Table II. Number of ragweed pollen on the annual peak day (number of pollen per m3 in 24 hours) In average, the maximum daily concentration per year of Ambrosia pollen is very variable, the lowest found in, the highest in (2.104 PG/m3 in 21; it is probably European record!) and slightly less in (also in 21: PG/m3). Averagely, peak day pollen concentrations are slightly higher in, and than in other cities. 3) Duration of ragweed pollen pollution The starting date of the pollination period varies widely, mostly between 20 June and 13 July, whereas the finishing date (between October) show much more limited range. The start period of Ambrosia pollen before late summer season, with fairly low concentrations is about days later in than other 5 cities. This start to be inversely correlated with the air temperature in June and July, suggesting a postponing influence on pollen release of higher temperatures, stimulating vegetative growth during the warm summer period.

4 The 11th Symposium on Analytical and Environmental problems,, 24 September 24, Generally, the highest ragweed concentrations in our euroregion are observed at the end of August and the beginning of September, whereas end of June and the first half of July is mostly the start ragweed pollen period and the finish of flowering period is in the middle of October. According to the data set examined, the main period between 15 August and 15 September can be considered to be the one most polluted by ragweed pollen in air, hence the most dangerous one for pollinosis. Table III. Number of days when have been found Ambrosia pollen in air ) NUMBER of days with high ragweed pollen concentrations It is noted that the threshold value for clinical symptoms for the majority of sensitised patients considered to be 30 pollen grains per m3 of air. According to some authors, 20 pollen grains per m3 of air is the threshold value (Jäger, 1998; Thibaudon, 1998). Ragweed pollen counts for the examined 5 years and the number of days with higher pollen grains than threshold value are found in Table IV. Table IV. Number of days when daily ragweed concentration was over the threshold value (30 PG/m3) CONCLUSIONS During the examined period both the annual sums of daily averages and count of peak days changed with fluctuations. Diurnal ragweed pollen counts were over 30 pollen grains for 6-57 days of its 2-3 months long season, which means severe pollen release of the air. According to the data, the number of days with higher than threshold value not increased in the last five years in the examined cities. Ragweed pollen composition of is far from other five cities, because the ragweed pollen pollution in the Slovenian capital is low. Parameters of ragweed pollen (annual sums of daily averages, maximum daily pollen concentration per year, duration of ragweed pollen release, number of days exceeding threshold value of clinical symptoms) show that territories of southern part of Carpathian Basin) are strongly polluted by Ambrosia artemisiifolia pollen. What is the secret of spreading of Ambrosia in the euroregion?

5 The 11th Symposium on Analytical and Environmental problems,, 24 September 24, Its wide ecological tolerance, the ability to function efficiently even under suboptimal circumstances, and the ability of fast recovery are among the ecological attributes, which enable ragweed to be a successful pioneer in secondary succession and a widespread weed in abandoned croplands, on roadsides, vacant lots and other disturbed habitats. Although the ragweed invasion is promoted mostly by man-made disturbance, the area of potential distribution is limited by climatic factors. That is why in most of European countries it is still absent or rare enough to be almost absolutely unknown for allergologists. However global climatic change is probably going to enhance its further spread towards North and Northwest, and than other millions of allergic patients have to get to know this simple plant in the near future.) LIST OF REFERENCES Jäger, S. (1998): Global aspects of ragweed in Europe. - In: Spieksma, F.Th.M. (ed.) Satellite Symposium Proceedings: Ragweed in Europe. 6th International Congress on Aerobiology, Perugia (Italy), Alk Abello Horsholm, p Juhász, M. (1998): History of ragweed in Europe. - In: Spieksma, F.Th.M. (ed.) Satellite Symposium Proceedings: Ragweed in Europe. 6th International Congress on Aerobiology,Perugia (Italy), Alk Abello Horsholm, p Juhász M.(20) : Dominancy of ragweed in the late summer pollen season in Hungary.2nd European Symp.on Aerobiology,Vienna, Sep.5-9, 20, Abstr. p. 34. Juhász M.,Oravecz, A., Radišič, P., Ianovici, N. és Juhász I. (21): A DKMT Eurorégió levegőjének szennyezettsége parlagfű pollennel. (Airpollution of DCMT Euroregion by ragweed pollen.) In: Galbács Z. (ed.) Proceed. 8th Symposium on Analytical and Environmental Problems, SZAB,, p Juhász, M., Juhász, I.E., Radišič, P., Faur, A., Ianovici, N. (22): Seasonal pollen concentration of allergenic plants in the DCMT Euroregion. Abstracts of 4th Regional Conference on Environment and Health,, p. 42. Juhász, I. E., Juhász, M. and Radišič, P. (23): Adaptive radiation of ragweed in the Carpathian Basin. - 3rd European Symposium on Aerobiology, Worcester (UK), August 30th to September 4th. Abstracts P 19.1, p.98. Juhász I. E., Makra, L. and Juhász, M. (23): Effect of climatological parameters in pollen production of ragweed (Ambrosia). -3rd European Symposium on Aerobiology, Worcester (UK), August 30th to September 4th. Abstracts P 19.4, p.162. Käpylä, M., Penttinen, A. (1981): An evaluation of the microscopically counting methods of tape in Hirst-Burkard pollen and spore trap. - Grana, 20, p Makra, L., Juhász, M., Borsos, E., Béczi, R. (24): Meteorological variables connected with airborne ragweed pollen in Southern Hungary. - Int. J. Biometeorol., 49, p Ogden, E.C., Raynor, G.S., Hayes, J. V., Lewis, D. M., Haines, J. H. (1974): Manual for sampling airborne pollen. - Hafner Press, New York, pp.182. Thibaudon, M. (1998): Ragweed in France. - In: Spieksma, F.Th.M. (ed.) Satellite Symposium Proceedings: Ragweed in Europe. 6th International Congress on Aerobiology, Perugia (Italy), Alk Abello Horsholm, p.15.