Aeropollen of weeds of the western United States Gulf Coast.
Volumetric air sampling was performed near Corpus Christi, Texas during all of 1988. The most significant weeds releasing airborne pollen, besides the Asteraceae, were the Amaranthaceae and Chenopodiaceae at 14.8% of total pollen captured, which peaked in September and October. Greater pollen capture (74%) occurred from a peak at 11 PM at a time when inversions are frequent to 9 AM than during the period from late morning to 9 PM. Frequency of amaranth-chenopod pollen capture in the western Gulf Coast region showed no relationship with frequencies along the northern and eastern Gulf Coast nor in eastern North America generally, but rather with western North America where these grains have also been sampled at high levels. As in the West, therefore, amaranth-chenopod aeropollen is sufficiently frequent to be a major source of allergens in the western Gulf Coast region. Other weedy plants, Cannabis/Humulus, Rumex, and the Urticaceae (Parieteria/Urtica) each account for only about 1% of the total annual pollen shed, and consequently they are not nearly as potentially relevant here in pollinosis as are the amaranth-chenopods and Asteraceae. Plantago pollen is very infrequently sampled (less than 0.1%) even though several species are common in the area. Acalypha is newly reported as releasing airborne pollen, a genus related to Mercurialis known to release allergenic pollen in Europe.
Lewis
W H
WH
Department of Biology, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri.
Dixit
A B
AB
Wedner
H J
HJ
D000397:Air Pollution / Q000032:analysis*; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D011058:Pollen / Q000032:analysis* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012621:Seasons; D015206:Southwestern United States