title: The long-range transport of Pinaceae pollen: an example in Kraków (southern Poland).
abstract: High Pinaceae pollen concentrations in the air and on the surface of puddles before the main pollen season started were observed in Kraków (southern Poland) in May 2013. The paper presents the results of detailed studies of the composition and source of the "yellow rain" in 2013, and as a comparison, the Pinaceae pollen concentrations and samples collected from the ground surface in 2014 were considered. The air samples were collected using the volumetric method (Hirst-type device), while pollen grains sampled from the ground surface were processed using a modified Erdtman acetolysis method. Finally, all samples were studied using a light microscope. In 2013, the period of higherAbies,PiceaandPinuspollen concentrations was observed from the 5 to 12 of May, earlier than the main pollen season occurred. The presence of rainfall on the 12 and 13 of May 2013 caused the pollen deposition on the ground surface, where the prevalence of Pinaceae pollen was found. The synoptic situation and the analysis of the back-trajectories and air mass advection at the beginning of May 2013 indicated that Pinaceae pollen grains could have been transported from Ukraine, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia. In contrast, Pinaceae pollen grains deposited on the ground surface as a "yellow" film in May 2014, originated from local sources.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Botany, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland.
authors.forename: Kazimierz
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Szczepanek
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Environmental Allergology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland.
authors.forename: Dorota
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-1493-3990
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Myszkowska
authors.affiliation: W. Szafer Institute of Botany, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland.
authors.forename: Elżbieta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Worobiec
authors.affiliation: Institute of Geography and Spatial Management, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland.
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Piotrowicz
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Environmental Allergology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland.
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ziemianin
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Earth Science, University of Silesia, Sosnowiec, Poland.
authors.forename: Zuzanna
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Bielec-Bąkowska
keywords: Abies; Back-trajectory analysis; Meteorological conditions; Picea; Pinus pollen