Plant pollen content in the air of Lublin (central-eastern Poland) and risk of pollen allergy.

Pollen monitoring was carried out in Lublin in 2001-2012 by the volumetric method using a Hirst-type spore trap (Lanzoni VPPS 2000). Daily pollen concentrations considerably differed in the particular years. The pollen counts with the biggest variability were observed in the first half of a year when woody plants flowering. The highest annual pollen index were noted for the following taxa: Betula, Urtica, Pinaceae, Poaceae and Alnus. Betula annual total showed the greatest diversity in the study years. The number of days on which the pollen concentration exceeded the threshold values, thereby inducing allergies, was determined for the taxa producing the most allergenic pollen. The above-mentioned taxa primarily included the following: Poaceae, in the case of which the highest number of days with the risk of occurrence of pollen allergy was found (35), Betula (18), and Artemisia (10). The following taxa: Alnus (14 days), Populus (11 days), Fraxinus (10 days), and Quercus (8 days), were also characterized by a large number of days on which their pollen concentrations exceeded the threshold values. The occurrence of periods of high concentration of particular pollen types were also noted. Risk of pollen allergy appeared the earliest at the beginning of February during Alnus and Corylus blooming. High concentrations of other woody plants were recorded from the last ten days of March to about 20 May, and of herbaceous plants from the first/last half of May-beginning of October.