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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Praktijkervaringen met LED: groenten
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Integrale aanpak nodig
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Multi-model framework to assess food supply and demand gaps: A Pakistan case-study
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Data underlying the publication: Comparing Global Violations of Environmentally Critical Groundwater Discharge Thresholds
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Wettelijke Onderzoek Taken: WOT-05 Visserijonderzoek: Activiteitenverslag 2023
Centrum voor Visserijonderzoek (CVO) (CVO rapport CVO rapport 24.009) -
Op weg naar een toekomstbestendige akkerbouw
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Verdamping: hoeveel is ervan nodig en hoe kun je het sturen (workshop 4)?
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CamTrapAsia: a dataset of tropical forest vertebrate communities from 239 camera trapping studies
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Handboek melkveehouderij 2023-2024
Wageningen: Wageningen Livestock Research (Handboek / Wageningen Livestock Research 48) -
Vaccinatieprogramma kan vogels redden. Interview. Als er niets gebeurt, sterft de grote stern over twintig jaar uit in Nederland