THE EFFECT OF GLOBAL WARMING ON AEROBIOLOGY: Fungal Spores and Pollen Grains


Bican Süerdem T., Akyalçın H.

Uluslararası küresel İklim değişikliği Kongresi, Çanakkale, Turkey, 3 - 05 June 2021, pp.101-107

  • Publication Type: Conference Paper / Full Text
  • City: Çanakkale
  • Country: Turkey
  • Page Numbers: pp.101-107
  • Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

In the current century, climate change and global warming are one of the biggest problems in the world. The impact of climate change on the environment, biosphere and biodiversity has become more evident in recent years. Climate change and the resulting global warming affect the amount, density and frequency of precipitation, as well as the frequency of extraordinary natural events such as heat waves, storms, floods, hurricanes and droughts. As a result of the increase in human activities, the amount of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), ozone (O3), water vapor (H2O) in the atmosphere also increases, and as a result, the temperature of the earth increases.

With the effect of global climate change, the pollen grains and allergy at the beginning of the pollen season, its duration and intensity are also changing. Studies have shown that plants exhibit improved photosynthesis and reproductive activities and produce more pollen grains in response to high atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels. As a result of heavy rains and high temperatures, fungal density also increases and rainy storms are responsible for severe asthma. In addition, this increase in fungal density causes respiratory and asthma-related conditions as well as many other allergic symptoms (allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis, allergic fungal rhinosinusitis and hypersensitivity pneumonia, etc.). Pollen allergy and fungal allergy is often used to evaluate the relationship between air pollution and allergic respiratory diseases such as rhinitis and asthma. Storms that occur during the pollen seasons can aggravate respiratory allergy and asthma in patients with hay fever. Airborne fungal spores are usually found in high numbers in the outdoor air throughout the year and often exceed pollen grains concentrations 100 to 1,000 times depending on environmental factors such as water-nutrient availability, temperature and wind.

As a result, it is observed that the time, duration and density of pollen grains and fungal spores, which are allergy factors in humans, change in the atmosphere with changing climatic conditions, and accordingly, allergy seasons are prolonged and changed. While this situation indirectly affects allergies and asthma in people with high sensitivity to fungal spores and pollen grains, it may create serious respiratory hazards in terms of health. For this, taking a series of measures to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is also important in terms of health.

Key words : allergy, pollen grains, fungal spore, global warming, biodiversity