Pollen can’t be sneezed at
‘Thunderstorm asthma’ is becoming more common in certain parts of the world
SCIENTISTS predict that pollen counts will quadruple in the next 20 to 30 years, making life unbearable for those with pollen sensitivity and have called for an increase in pollen monitoring in the country.
A spike in pollen production has been flagged by local scientists, who are calling for an urgent expansion of the country’s pollen monitoring programme.
As head of the allergy unit at UCT’s Lung Institute, Jonny Peter is responsible for monitoring pollen in South Africa, where it has now become crucial to keep a closer eye on pollen as seasons worsen globally.
“There are several factors related to climate change that fuel increases in allergies. These include carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases that are causing the Earth’s temperature to rise,” he explained.
This, in turn, he said, increases the growth rate of plants and the amount and potency of pollen in the air.
“To sum it up, carbon dioxide is like miracle fertiliser for pollen and we are producing it at a rapid rate,” he said.
Peter said due to funding constraints the unit has only been able to consistently track pollen in Cape Town for the past 30 years, while other parts of the country have been monitored only sporadically.
Aerobiologist Dilys Berman said that grass pollen in Cape Town had already increased four-fold last spring after the 2015 to 2017 rain-scarce winters, signalling a warning of times to come.
“Monitoring pollen on a more sustainable basis will help us to better understand the impact of climate change on pollen seasons specific to our region and how pollen is evolving in order to develop more effective treatments for local conditions,” Berman said
Due to the changing weather patterns, ‘thunderstorm asthma’ is becoming more common in certain parts of the world.
“Pollen allergies present one of the strongest examples of how global warming poses an increasing risk to public health. Already more than 17 million South Africans suffer from hay fever, which is set to increase,” Berman said.
“Having a better handle on pollen will help us to tease out the impact that climate change and other factors have on pollen production, while providing relief to patients,” said Peter.