Airborne Pollen, Allergens, and Proteins: A Comparative Study of Three Sampling Methods

Chiara Suanno, Silvia Sandrini, Iris Aloisi, Paola De Nuntiis, Maria Cristina Facchini, Stefano Del Duca () and Delia Fernández-González
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Chiara Suanno: Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Via Irnerio 42, 40126 Bologna, Italy
Silvia Sandrini: National Research Council of Italy-Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate (CNR-ISAC), Via Gobetti 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy
Iris Aloisi: Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Via Irnerio 42, 40126 Bologna, Italy
Paola De Nuntiis: National Research Council of Italy-Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate (CNR-ISAC), Via Gobetti 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy
Maria Cristina Facchini: National Research Council of Italy-Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate (CNR-ISAC), Via Gobetti 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy
Stefano Del Duca: Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Via Irnerio 42, 40126 Bologna, Italy
Delia Fernández-González: National Research Council of Italy-Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate (CNR-ISAC), Via Gobetti 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 19, 1-20

Abstract: Nowadays, there is a wide range of different methods available for the monitoring of pollen and allergens, but their relative efficiency is sometimes unclear, as conventional pollen monitoring does not thoroughly describe pollen allergenicity. This study aims to evaluate airborne pollen, allergen, and protein levels, associating them with meteorological and chemical parameters. The sampling was performed in Bologna (Italy) during the grass flowering period, with three different devices: a Cyclone sampler (CS), a Dicothomous sampler (DS), and a Berner impactor (BI). Total proteins were extracted from aerosol samples, and grass allergens Phl p 1 and Phl p 5 were quantified by ELISA. Airborne Poaceae pollen concentrations were also evaluated, using a Hirst-type trap. Proteins and allergens collected by CS resulted about ten times higher than those collected by the other two instruments, possibly due to their different cut-offs, while DS and BI results appeared consistent only for the total proteins collected in the fine fraction (1.3 vs. 1.6 μg/m 3 ). Airborne proteins correlated neither with Poaceae pollen nor with its aeroallergens, while aeroallergens correlated with pollen only in the coarse particulate, indicating the presence of pollen-independent aeroallergens in the fine particulate, promoted by high wind speed.

Keywords: aeroallergens; aerobiology; air samplers; aerosol; Cyclone sampler; Berner impactor; Dicothomous sampler; pollen; atmosphere; airborne proteins (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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