Dossier
Hay fever and pollen
Hay fever is an allergic reaction that is caused by pollen from trees, grasses and herbaceous plants. When this pollen is dispersed by the wind, people with hay fever suffer from sneezing, red and itchy eyes and a stuffy nose.
Weather conditions determine when 'hay fever plants' flower and how much pollen they release into the atmosphere. Every year, the progression of hay fever symptoms can differ. The daily pollen concentration in the atmosphere in the Netherlands is measured by the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) and Elkerliek Hospital in Helmond.
As part of the Nature’s Calendar observation programme, secondary school students and volunteers keep track of when various hay fever plants begin flowering. The students who conduct observations are also involved with the GLOBE Programme, an international education programme on the environmental sciences established in 1995 by Al Gore.
Knowledge about hay fever is limited
Ambrosia
One plant species that is known world-wide for causing hay fever symptoms is Ambrosia. This species, which is an exotic in the Netherlands, produces large amounts of strongly allergenic pollen. Moreover, the plant flowers late in the year, so the hay fever season for people who are sensitive to Ambrosia can be up to two months longer. Ambrosia originated from North America and has become widespread in the Netherlands because its seeds are unintentionally present in birdseed and wildflower mixtures. By removing plants before they begin flowering, nuisance from the pollen can be prevented, and the species is less likely to spread.
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Publications on hay fever and pollen
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Veerkrachtig platteland
Geografie (2024), Volume: 33, Issue: 3 - ISSN 0926-3837 - p. 6-8. -
(Un)believably Green : The Role of Information Credibility in Green Food Product Communications
Environmental Communication (2024) - ISSN 1752-4032 -
Mobile clinics in rural Africa: Seven times more jabs
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Plasma-assisted pyrolysis for converting oil palm fronds into reduced graphite oxide
IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science (2024), Volume: 1309, Issue: 1 - ISSN 1755-1307 -
Participatory analysis of water-related conflict risks in complex adaptive systems–the case of the Inner Niger Delta in Mali
Water International (2024), Volume: 49, Issue: 1 - ISSN 0250-8060 - p. 104-127. -
Gelia Castillo, de tweede vrouwelijke eredoctor van Wageningen University (1983)
Wageningen: Wageningen University & Research -
Ons voedsel is te goedkoop, de echte prijs ligt veel hoger
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Weerdinger Couple: Mysterious Double Murder
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‘A reason to get out of bed in the morning’: The benefits of care farms
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Mosquitoes escape looming threats by actively flying with the bow wave induced by the attacker
Current Biology (2024), Volume: 34, Issue: 6 - ISSN 0960-9822 - p. 1194-1205.e7.