The analysis of grass pollen season in northern Poland in 2016

This paper presents the course of the pollen season of grass (Poaceae) in Szczecin, Drawsko Pomorskie, Bydgoszcz, Olsztyn, Piotrkow Trybunalski, Warsaw and Bialystok in 2016. Grass are typical wind-pollinated plants and the most important agent causing pollinosis in Europe. Many species of grasses growing in Poland have distribution ranges that extend far to the north, indicating their tolerance of severe arctic climate. Measurements were performed by the volumetric method (Burkard and Lanzoni pollen samplers). Pollen season was defined as the period in which 98% of the annual total catch occurred. Seasonal Pollen Index (SPI) was estimated as the annual sum of daily average pollen concentrations. The pollen season of Poaceae started first in Warsaw, on the 10th of May (one week earlier than the other cities) lasted till the 8th of September. The differences of pollen seasons duration were slight. The highest, record airborne concentration of 458 pollen grains/m3 was noted in Olsztyn on the 15th of June. The maximum values of seasonal pollen count occurred between of 4th June and 29th of June in all cities. The highest grass pollen allergen hazard occurred in 2016 in Warsaw, Drawsko Pomorskie and Olsztyn.