Europe’s extreme pollen triggered symptoms in those not known to have allergies, data shows | Hay fever
Pollen levels were so extreme in certain parts of Europe in the spring that even people who do not know how to suffer from allergies have felt the effects of hay fever, showed data.
The Copernicus atmosphere monitoring service (CAMS) has observed a seasonal increase in the release and transport of grass pollen and olive across southern Europe and the “extreme levels” of birch pollen in the northeast regions, he said on Thursday.
Finland, in particular, has experienced “daily daily means of birch pollen” in May “which led to symptoms even in people without known allergies,” said the EU agency in its latest air quality update.
Scientists say that the climate crisis is changing the production and distribution of pollen and spores, as more and more people say they are developing allergy symptoms.
While the winter frost is the time earlier and spring warms up, plants and trees flourish earlier, extending the pollen season and misery for allergic people.
About a quarter of adults in Europe suffer from airborne allergies, including serious asthma. The proportion between children is 30% to 40%.
This figure should reach half of Europeans by 2050, according to the World Health Organization.
Laurence Rouil, CAMS director, said that extremely high pollen access was not unusual in the spring, but noted the particular “gravity and extent” of the episode of this year.
Atmospheric pollution can also increase the sensitivity of people to allergens, while invasive species propagate in new regions and cause new waves of allergies.
Between March and May, air quality across Europe was also affected by forest fires.
The April Kingdom’s fire emissions have been the second highest since 2003, while the Netherlands recorded unprecedented forest emission levels during this time of the year, Cams said.
Further on, large forest fires in eastern Russia have sent significant smoke to China and Japan and plumes of the main flames in Canada were observed in Europe at the end of May, he added.
