Müller-Germann I, Pickersgill D A, Paulsen H, Alberternst B, Pöschl U, Fröhlich-Nowoisky J, Després V R
Biogeochemistry and Multiphase Chemistry Departments, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Hahn-Meitner-Weg 1, 55128 Mainz, Germany.
Geosciences, Johannes Gutenberg University, Joh.-Joachim-Becher-Weg 21, 55128 Mainz, Germany.
Aerobiologia (Bologna). 2017;33(4):493-506. doi: 10.1007/s10453-017-9485-3. Epub 2017 Jun 6.
Mugwort () and ragweed () are highly allergenic Asteraceae. They often cause pollen allergies in late summer and fall. While mugwort is native to Europe, ragweed reached Europe as a neophyte from North America about 150 years ago and continued spreading ever since. To understand possible relationships between the spread of ragweed, its abundance in air, and to judge possible health risks for the public, we quantified ragweed DNA in inhalable fine as well as in coarse air particulate matter. Mugwort was chosen for comparison, as it is closely related to ragweed and grows in similar, though mainly not identical, habitats but is native to Germany. The DNA quantification was performed on atmospheric aerosol samples collected over a period of 5 years in central Europe. The DNA concentrations were highest during the characteristic pollination periods but varied greatly between different years. In the inhalable fine particle fraction, ragweed exceeds the mugwort DNA concentration fivefold, while the coarse particle fraction, bearing intact pollen grains, contains more mugwort than ragweed DNA. The higher allergenic potential of ragweed might be linked to the humidity or long-range transport-induced bursting of ragweed pollen into smaller allergenic particles, which may reach the lower airways and cause more intense allergic reactions. Airborne ragweed DNA was detected also outside the local pollination periods, which can be explained by atmospheric long-range transport. Back-trajectory analyses indicate that the air masses containing ragweed DNA during winter had originated in regions with milder climate and large ragweed populations (Southern France, Carpathian Basin).
艾蒿（）和豚草（）是高度致敏的菊科植物。它们常常在夏末和秋季引发花粉过敏。艾蒿原产于欧洲，而豚草约在150年前作为一种外来植物从北美传入欧洲，此后便持续扩散。为了解豚草扩散、其在空气中的丰度之间可能存在的关系，并判断对公众可能的健康风险，我们对可吸入细颗粒物以及粗颗粒物中的豚草DNA进行了量化。选择艾蒿作比较，是因为它与豚草亲缘关系密切，生长在相似但主要不完全相同的栖息地，且原产于德国。DNA量化是对在中欧5年期间收集的大气气溶胶样本进行的。DNA浓度在典型授粉期最高，但不同年份之间差异很大。在可吸入细颗粒物部分，豚草的DNA浓度超过艾蒿五倍，而含有完整花粉粒的粗颗粒物部分，艾蒿DNA含量多于豚草。豚草较高的致敏潜力可能与湿度或长距离传输导致豚草花粉破裂成较小的致敏颗粒有关，这些颗粒可能到达下呼吸道并引发更强烈的过敏反应。在当地授粉期之外也检测到了空气中的豚草DNA，这可以用大气长距离传输来解释。反向轨迹分析表明，冬季含有豚草DNA的气团起源于气候较温和、豚草种群较大的地区（法国南部、喀尔巴阡盆地）。
