Concomitant occurrence of anthropogenic air pollutants, mineral dust and fungal spores during long-distance transport of ragweed pollen

Large-scale synoptic conditions are able to transport considerable amounts of airborne particles over
entire continents by creating substantial air mass movement. This phenomenon is observed in Europe in
relation to highly allergenic ragweed (Ambrosia L.) pollen grains that are transported from populations in
Central Europe (mainly the Pannonian Plain and Balkans) to the North. The path taken by atmospheric
ragweed pollen often passes through the highly industrialised mining region of Silesia in Southern
Poland, considered to be one of the most polluted areas in the EU. It is hypothesized that chemical air
pollutants released over Silesia could become mixed with biological material and be transported to less
polluted regions further North. We analysed levels of air pollution during episodes of long-distance
transport (LDT) of ragweed pollen to Poland. Results show that, concomitantly with pollen, the concentration
of air pollutants with potential health-risk, i.e. SO2, and PM10, have also significantly increased
(by 104% and 37%, respectively) in the receptor area (Western Poland). Chemical transport modelling
(EMEP) and air mass back-trajectory analysis (HYSPLIT) showed that potential sources of PM10 include
Silesia, as well as mineral dust from the Ukrainian steppe and the Sahara Desert. In addition, atmospheric
concentrations of other allergenic biological particles, i.e. Alternaria Nees ex Fr. spores, also increased
markedly (by 115%) during LDT episodes. We suggest that the LDT episodes of ragweed pollen over
Europe are not a “one-component” phenomenon, but are often related to elevated levels