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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Code underlying the publication: Poaching pressure on African rhinos is still at all-time high
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Op zoek naar habitat voor kievitskuikens
De Levende Natuur (2024), Volume: 125, Issue: 1 - ISSN 0024-1520 - p. 14-19. -
Comparative study of basil cultivation in Fieldlab Vertical Farming : Second comparative trial on the cultivation of basil in vertical farm cells at Delphy Improvement Centre, Logiqs, Vertify & Philips Horticulture LED Solutions
Wageningen: Wageningen Plant Research (Report / Stichting Wageningen Research, Wageningen Plant Research, Business Unit Greenhouse Horticulture WPR-1288) -
Classroom management learning at the workplace: how to support student teachers?
Platform Samen Opleiden & Professionaliseren (Kwaliteitsreeks/ Verdieping ) -
Quantification of three-dimensional architecture of axial muscle fibres in larval fish
In: SICB 2024 The Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology with the American Microscopical Society, Minorities in Shark Sciences, The Crustacean Society - SICB - p. 317-317. -
Mariene bouwstenen : Een verkenning van de mogelijkheden van benutting van schelpen in cement- en betonproductie
Den Helder: Wageningen Marine Research (Wageningen Marine Research rapport C002/24) -
Live&Learn
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Veel verzet tegen nieuwe centrale in Nijmegen, maar is dat wel terecht?
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Gemengde hagen rond om boomgarden
Wageningen: Wageningen Plant Research -
Zoektocht naar betere vermeerdering bloembollen