title: Airborne Quercus pollen in SW Spain: Identifying favourable conditions for atmospheric transport and potential source areas.
abstract: The pollen grains of Quercus spp. (oak trees) are allergenic. This study investigates airborne Quercus pollen in SW Spain with the aim identifying favourable conditions for atmospheric transport and potential sources areas. Two types of Quercus distribution maps were produced. Airborne Quercus pollen concentrations were measured at three sites located in the Extremadura region (SW Spain) for 3 consecutive years. The seasonal occurrence of Quercus pollen in the air was investigated, as well as days with pollen concentrations ≥80Pm(-3). The distance that Quercus pollen can be transported in appreciable numbers was calculated using clusters of back trajectories representing the air mass movement above the source areas (oak woodlands), and by using a state-of-the-art dispersion model. The two main potential sources of Quercus airborne pollen captured in SW Spain are Q. ilex subsp. ballota and Q. suber. The minimum distances between aerobiological stations and Quercus woodlands have been estimated as: 40km (Plasencia), 66km (Don Benito), 62km (Zafra) from the context of this study. Daily mean Quercus pollen concentration can exceed 1,700Pm(-3), levels reached not less than 24 days in a single year. High Quercus pollen concentration were mostly associated with moderate wind speed events (6-10ms(-1)), whereas that a high wind speed (16-20ms(-1)) seems to be associated with low concentrations.
authors.affiliation: University of Extremadura, Department of Plant Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences, Faculty of Science, Avda Elvas s/n, 06006 Badajoz, Spain.
authors.forename: José María
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Maya-Manzano
authors.affiliation: University of Extremadura, Department of Construction, School of Technology, Avda Universidad s/n, 10003 Cáceres, Spain. Electronic address: santiferro@unex.es.
authors.forename: Santiago
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fernández-Rodríguez
authors.affiliation: Institute of Science and the Environment, University of Worcester, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Matt
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: University of Extremadura, Department of Plant Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences, Faculty of Science, Avda Elvas s/n, 06006 Badajoz, Spain.
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tormo-Molina
authors.affiliation: Rothamsted Research, West Common, Harpenden, AL5 2JQ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Andrew M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Reynolds
authors.affiliation: University of Extremadura, Department of Applied Physics, Engineering Agricultural School, 06006 Badajoz, Spain.
authors.forename: Inmaculada
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Silva-Palacios
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitario Infanta Cristina, Department of Allergology, 06080 Badajoz, Spain.
authors.forename: Ángela
authors.initials: Á
authors.lastname: Gonzalo-Garijo
authors.affiliation: Rothamsted Research, West Common, Harpenden, AL5 2JQ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sadyś
mesh_terms: D000392:Air Movements; D000485:Allergens / Q000032:analysis; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D011058:Pollen / Q000502:physiology*; D029963:Quercus / Q000502:physiology*; D013030:Spain
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens
keywords: Aerobiology; Back-trajectory analysis; Bioaerosol transport; HYSPLIT; Holm and cork oak pollen sources