Hot Topics in environmentalsciencebyDiegoFdez-Sevilla

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2013. Hot topics in Environmental Sciences.
Research · November 2013

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.1.3308.1200
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Hot topics in Environmental sciences by Diego Fernandez Sevilla Ph.D.
I believe that it is important to keep active digesting information from different

sources and points of view in order to have a well-informed criteria. Accordingly, I
keep constantly researching on topics which satisfy my curiosity and that at the
same time I consider of certain relevance in the field of environmental sciences.
From my search through public media I have selected several links pointing to
what under my point of view are hot topics addressing relevant environmental
issues. But also with the links, there are some topics in which I have incorporated
my take on it. Since I am just searching for answers I am well aware that some of
my points of view might lack of enough information. My only intention is to share
my thoughts and seek participation and feedback in order to fill in or find out gaps
of knowledge. And for this reason I have posted most of this topics in previous
discussion groups in LinkedIn, generating some very interesting discussion.
Following same idea of creating a platform where to have multidisciplinary

feedback I have started a blog at wordpress. Just trying to share what I know by
“Filling in” as well as trying to enhance my own knowledge by “Finding out” gaps of
knowledge (even in my own). I would like your participation either to “fill in”
information or by “finding out” gaps which you might consider missing the
required attention.
I hope the topics that I point out here and the links associated are of interest for all
of you. Also I wish that you might find interesting my points of view, thoughts and
sharing. Feel free to contact me with comments if you feel like it.
My profile foundations are set on Biological Science (5 years University degree)

and Aerobiology (PhD). My professional experience has taken me also into Waste
management and Landscape design and management. All in one could be resume
as Environmental Sciences. Also I have implemented skills developed as researcher
in maket research projects. I have a strong sense of methodological care when
approaching any subject. I deeply believe that many times the answer might be in
finding the right question.
I am at this moment with no affiliation attachments searching for new projects,

free to relocate geographically worldwide so, if you have any question or comment
please don´t hesitate in contact me at my email. d.fdezsevilla (at) gmail.com
Diego Fernàndez Sevilla. Dr./Ph.D.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/diegofernandezsevilla/en
Academia.edu: http://diegofdez-sevillagoogle.academia.edu/DiegoFdezSevilla#!
Hot topics in Environmental science by Diego Fernandez Sevilla Ph.D

Index
Climate ________________________________________________________________________________________ 4
Climate variability and energy balance ___________________________________________________ 4
++Global warming brings on more pollen ________________________________________________ 5
Gathering information is often the first step towards preparing for climate change
related threats. ________________________________________________________________________________ 7
(29-04-2013 WHO) Findings of the WHO/Europe project on climate. _______________ 8
(09-09-2013 WHO) Health and Environment in the WHO European region:
Creating resilient communities and supportive environments _______________________ 9
Mission: ACRIDICON halo-db.tropos.de ___________________________________________________ 9
HALO-DB, the web platform of a data retrieval and long-term archive system ___ 10
Climate change impacts, vulnerability and adaptation _______________________________ 10
The science of climate change has led international EU-funded researchers to an
area thought to be responsible for redistributing and controlling heat around the
globe.__________________________________________________________________________________________ 11
Aerobiology __________________________________________________________________________________ 12
The significance of air pollution in aerobiology _______________________________________ 12
REVIHAAP (Review of evidence on health aspects of air pollution) and HRAPIE
(Health risks of air pollution in Europe), _______________________________________________ 12
Air Quality Standards ______________________________________________________________________ 12
++ Is pollen a pollutant? ___________________________________________________________________ 12
EFANET. Call to Action: Raise Awareness, Relieve the Burden of Respiratory
Allergies in Europe. _________________________________________________________________________ 14
PRESS RELEASE: We need to secure real-time pollen monitoring in... _____________ 15
The European pollen diary is an important long-term Europe-wide study that will
significantly aid research into pollen and hay fever __________________________________ 15
Some reading to help understanding the impact of human activity in the load
(concentration) and health related properties of atmospheric biological particles
such as Pollen and Spores._________________________________________________________________ 15
A new initiative of the CSTE/SEHIC Asthma work group is surveillance of pollen
and its relationship to respiratory conditions, such as asthma, in the United
States. Environmental Health Indicators: Asthma _____________________________________ 16
++SEHIC established a workgroup to determine indicators of climate change
recognizing Pollen as one Environmental Health Indicator for Climate Change _ 17
++Links to Climate Change and Longer, Stronger Allergy Seasons _________________ 19
Changes to Airborne Pollen Counts across Europe ____________________________________ 19

++Understanding seasonal allergy _______________________________________________________ 19

++ Visualization of the Urban-heat-island-effect responsible for alterations in the
pollen seasons of common allergenic species. _________________________________________ 20
** Resistance to glyphosate has emerged in several different weed species. ____ 20
Assessing and controlling the spread and the effects of Common ragweed in
Europe. Ecosystem Services and Biodiversity Assessment. __________________________ 22
++Potential impacts of climate change and climate variability on aeroallergens 22
++Health and environment in the WHO European region: creating resilient
communities and supportive environments ___________________________________________ 23
Science Gov. __________________________________________________________________________________ 24
NASA Technical Reports Server __________________________________________________________ 24
Air Quality ___________________________________________________________________________________ 25
EUROPA Press Release Speech: “Only one air" europa.eu. ___________________________ 25
Environment_________________________________________________________________________________ 26
++EUROPA Press Release: Commissioners Janez Potočnik and Connie Hedegaard
welcome the trilogue agreement on the new Environment Action Programme to
2020 europa.eu _____________________________________________________________________________ 26
Proposal for a new EU Environment Action Programme to 2020 ___________________ 26
Allergy ________________________________________________________________________________________ 27
Feather pillows can cause a chronic and eventually fatal breath shortness disease
according to a Catalan study. ______________________________________________________________ 27
Waste management________________________________________________________________________ 27
++Packaging and Packaging Waste Proposals New EU Proposal to reduce plastic
bag consumption. ___________________________________________________________________________ 27
Particle sampling___________________________________________________________________________ 28
'HOLLOW PARTICLES in the ATMOSPHERE--大气空心粒子的发现 If hollow particles
are common in the atmosphere, then instruments that measure pt size cannot be
used to obtain particle mass.(TSP) _______________________________________________________ 28

Climate
Climate variability and energy balance
I think that we, as specie, are so used to adapt the environment to our needs that
"we" might become the last living specie in the entire ecosystem identifying
external interferences in our humanised local environment. It is like trying to
identify the hottest day of the summer being all time at home with an air-
conditioner keeping 22 Celsius.
Only when our local humanised environment gets affected by an uncontrollable

change we start thinking that something must be going on. How hot has to be the
day when the air-conditioner is not enough... I am afraid of that if external changes
are strong enough to interfere into local ecosystems it means that the forces
involved are strong enough to interconnect separated systems reflecting the need
for a globalization in order to rebalance unstable situations.
The rest of the living species on earth are more sensitive to environmental changes
than us. They feel the environment. If there is any evidence of that other living
species are changing in the last decade in their live cycles, reproductive viability,
capacity of adaptation, migration routes and timing and that there is a change in
the survival success between already settled species I would be more than alert
about something global being going on.
My theory (sorry if I am terribly wrong or confused in my approach) is that the
energy balance between planet's surface and atmosphere could be getting
unstable. I believe water plays a major role transferring energy between systems
and I wonder if the atmosphere is getting charged with more water/pressure than
it used to (defined by the Vapour Pressure Deficit, I used this parameter to
research about the moisture contain of airborne pollen in the atmosphere vs
aerodynamic properties). An increase in atmospheric temperature would lead to
an expansion in volume, lowing pressure and increasing capacity to retain water.
This situation would be also affected by the increasing amount of aerosol in the
atmosphere due to anthropogenic and natural sources and the drop nuclei
properties of such particles. So I wonder if the alteration in the distribution and
availability of the masses of water in the terrestrial surface plus the enhanced
capacity of retaining water by the atmosphere could start changing in any way
(shape, direction, strength, ...) the connections between atmospheric cells
redistributing energy across the globe. This idea has been used about changing
currents in the oceans, what do you know about same approach for the
atmosphere?
Basically I see the role of water in our environment as Lithium in our batteries. The
energy carrier of the environment. Water has potential energy in its three different
stages as gas, liquid and solid. The potential energy carried in the structural
properties of water intervene in all the processes of our environment. Physical,
chemical and biological processes. The transformation from one stage to another
keeps moving the energy cycle at the same time that distributes energy all over the
environment. Desserts depend on energy availability same as our devices depend
on battery supply if there is no electricity socket available. And, the daily cycles of

the sun creates interruptions of energy supply with no element accessible to retain
and transport energy during sun absence as effectively as water does.
The sun could be comparable to what electricity would do with our batteries
(more efficiently actually). Thus, the cycle of energy carried by water gets
recharged by the sun.
The hardware would be the physical features in our environment which do not
take energy actively for processing, meanwhile the software would be in the form
of all those processes transforming resources actively (thus consuming energy
such as plants in photosynthesis). Here we would have an Operative system
defined by physical, biological, chemical and thermodynamic laws and applications
with defined roles. Climate ultimately would be the alterations generated in the
atmosphere as part of the process for transforming and transferring energy using
water as the carrier.
Would that make sense?
If you like the subject take a look at this article.
"Global warming slowdown linked to cooler Pacific waters"
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-23854904
++Global warming brings on more pollen

By Elizabeth Landau, CNN
Global warming brings on more pollen cnn.com

With global warming, temperature extremes are becoming a norm -- and that's bad
news for allergy sufferers.
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/03/12/health/allergies-global-
warming/index.html?sr=sharebar_linkedin&goback=.amf_3016663_47801219.gde_
3016663_member_240440423#!
-------
Pollen from grasses, trees, and weeds is the wonderful substance that allow plants
to reproduce, but it is also responsible for numerous allergic reactions people
experience. Although pollen is found naturally in the air, human activities and
choices can increase the amount of pollen in our air, and in turn, can cause people
to have more severe allergic reactions. Because human activities can increase the
amount of pollen in our air and cause adverse health effects, some people view
pollen as an air pollutant.

People commonly treat their allergies by avoiding situations where they might
have an attack, by using dehumidifiers and air filters. But, by becoming familiar
with the source of you allergies, you can also begin to make choices that can
prevent the severity of your attacks. The number of pollen particles released into
the air are studied and measured by the field of "Aerobiology" performing a "pollen
count". Pollen counts tell you the number of pollen grains per cubic meter of air.
They can also tell you which tree, grass, or plant the pollen came from. Different
plants and trees produce different amounts of pollen and knowing which plants
are the largest contributors to your allergies can influence what flowers and trees
you and your community chose to plant.

Gathering information is often the first step towards preparing for

climate change related threats.
"Eleven states at EEUU and various local governments have developed

preparedness measures to address the air quality impacts associated with climate
change, including pollen concentration. The most frequent recommendation is
developing or strengthening statewide air monitoring programs".
As this is not a local situation but the result of a major impact from human activity
in the worldwide ecosystem I really hope the scientific community manage to
persuade the EU to join this type of measures. We should keep in mind that the
biological particle content in the atmosphere not only indicates a potential risk of
exposure but also the state of health for the ecosystem in which we are living in.
NRDC: Climate Change Threatens Health: Air Pollution nrdc.org
NRDC: Rising temperatures can make smog pollution worse and increase the
number of air when it’s hard to breathe.

(29-04-2013 WHO) Findings of the WHO/Europe project on climate.
The EU strategy that will drive countries’ action on climate change is accompanied
by a Commission staff working document (CSWD), “Adaptation to climate change
impacts on human, animal ...
WHO evidence underpins new EU strategy on adapting to climate change

euro.who.int
The main findings of the WHO/Europe project on climate, environment and health
action plan and information system (CEHAPIS) underpin the health component of
the new European Union (EU) policy on climate change, launched today. The EU
strategy that will drive countries’ action on climate change is accompanied by a
Commission staff working document (CSWD), “Adaptation to climate change
impacts on human, animal and plant health”, that is based on WHO evidence and
recommendations, as well as the Commitment to Act from the Fifth Ministerial
Conference on Environment and Health. This further reinforces international
recognition of health as an essential component in adapting to climate change and
urges action on it.
CEHAPIS is the result of a joint initiative of WHO/Europe and the European

Commission to assess health risks from climate change to the EU’s population and
identify policy options to address them.
Health risks from climate change
The primary concerns in Europe are growing risks from heat-waves and extreme
precipitation events, changes in the distribution of vector-borne diseases, an
increase in food- and waterborne diseases, and air pollution.
WHO-coordinated evidence reviews and expert consultations have identified three

key tasks to protect health from climate change in the EU:
1. integrating health into policies for climate change adaptation and mitigation in
other sectors;
2. integrating climate change into policies and action for public health; and
3. increasing awareness of and intelligence on climate change and health.
Referring to the evidence and action areas, the CSWD and the strategy complement
WHO/Europe’s work to support its 53 Member States, including the 27 EU
countries, in protecting health from climate change. This work is formalized in the
WHO European regional framework for action that countries endorsed at the Fifth
Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health in 2010.

(09-09-2013 WHO) Health and Environment in the WHO European

region: Creating resilient communities and supportive environments
http://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/environment-and-
health/pages/european-process-on-environment-and-health/health-and-
environment-in-the-who-european-region-creating-resilient-communities-and-
supportive-environments
Health Issues
Some specific risks to health from climate change in Europe are:

· Food productivity is projected to decrease in parts of the European Region, potentially
threatening food security and exacerbating malnutrition;
· Warmer temperatures are expected to foster an increase in food-transmitted infections2
and waterborne diseases;
· Climate change is affecting air quality by altering wind patterns, increasing fires and
accelerating desertification, potentially worsening respiratory diseases;
· The amount of airborne pollen (which can trigger asthma and other allergic diseases4) is
increasing in Europe, and the pollen season has expanded by an average of 10–11 days over the last
30 years;
· The geographical distribution of vectors, including disease-transmitting ticks and other insects,
has significantly expanded, increasing the risk of vectorborne infections; and
· Climate change may indirectly play a role in the distribution of West Nile fever and Crimean-Congo
haemorrhagic fever.
Mission: ACRIDICON halo-db.tropos.de
Full mission name: ACRIDICON
https://halo-db.pa.op.dlr.de/list/missions
Description: Convective clouds may cause serious economic damage due to gusty
winds, heavy showers and precipitation which partly may include hail or graupel
and thunderstorms. The dynamics and vigor of these distinct weather events are
determined by microphysical processes in the course of the cloud and
precipitation formation which can be modified by aerosol particles and
interactions with atmospheric radiation. Furthermore, convective clouds
profoundly process and redistribute trace gases and aerosol particles due to
vertical transport and entrainment or detrainment. To study these interactions
between trace gases, aerosol particles, the cloud and precipitation formation, and
atmospheric radiation in extra-tropical convective clouds the HALO demo mission
“Aerosol, Cloud, Precipitation, and Radiation Interactions and Dynamics of Extra-
Tropical Convective Cloud Systems (ACRIDICON)” was proposed. ACRIDICON
contributes to two foci of the SPP 1294: “Clouds and Precipitation” and “Transport
and Dynamics in the Troposphere and Lower Stratosphere”.

HALO-DB, the web platform of a data retrieval and long-term archive

system
https://halo-db.pa.op.dlr.de/
. The system was established to hold and to manage a wide range of data based on
observations of the HALO research aircraft and data which are related to HALO
observations.
Substantial tasks
• receive of scientific data whichever are primarily related to the HALO-community
• scientific achievements are expected in the following major research fields:
1. Atmospheric chemistry and global pollution
2. Atmospheric dynamics and transport
3. Cloud research
4. Meteorological research
5. Climate research
6. Global carbon cycle
7. Polar Research
8. Earth Observation
9. Geophysics and Geodesy
• dissemination of data to maximize the scientific profit, productivity and synergy
effects across the interested scientific communities
• long-term storage and the consistent providing of data via web-services
Climate change impacts, vulnerability and adaptation

http://www.climsave.eu/climsave/index.html#!
There is widespread acceptance that the climate is changing due to human emissions of
greenhouse gases. Such changes in climate will affect all sectors of society and the
environment at all scales, ranging from the continental to the national and local. Decision-
makers and other interested citizens need to be able to access reliable science-based
information to help them respond to the risks of climate change impacts and assess
opportunities for adaptation.
CLIMSAVE is a pan-European project that is developing a user-friendly, interactive web-

based tool that will allow stakeholders to assess climate change impacts and
vulnerabilities for a range of sectors, including agriculture, forests, biodiversity, coasts,
water resources and urban development. The linking of models for the different sectors
will enable stakeholders to see how their interactions could affect European landscape
change. The tool will also enable stakeholders to explore adaptation strategies for
reducing climate change vulnerability, discovering where, when and under what

circumstances such actions may help. It will highlight the cost-effectiveness and cross-
sectoral benefits and conflicts of different adaptation options and enable uncertainties to
be investigated to better inform the development of robust policy responses.
The science of climate change has led international EU-funded

researchers to an area thought to be responsible for redistributing and
controlling heat around the globe.
Diego Fernández Sevilla, Ph.D. Environmental Research Analyst in active job

search mode worldwide
Using cutting-edge high-resolution modelling, the GATEWAYS team has discovered

that the atmosphere can impact oceanography in the Indian-Atlantic Ocean
corridor south of Africa in a way not intuitively expected. The strong winds in one
direction can generate a surface ocean current going against the wind, hence
directly driving the water transports from the Indian to the Atlantic Ocean. This
discovery was an unexpected outcome of the project, and heavily influenced the
way the team now look at wind-driven ocean currents, including strong surges of
the water exchange between the two oceans.
European Commission : CORDIS : Newsroom : International attention focuses on a

climate change \'trigger\' cordis.europa.eu
CORDIS News is a daily online news service provided by the European Union's
official research and innovation information service, CORDIS. Available in English,
French, German, Italian, Spanish and Polish, the interactive daily News service
covers all..
http://cordis.europa.eu/fetch?CALLER=EN_NEWS&ACTION=D&SESSION=&RCN=358
35&goback=.gde_4298850_member_261978563#!

Aerobiology
The significance of air pollution in aerobiology
"There is an ecological Microsystems reflecting the dynamics of aerobiological and

chemico-physical contaminants; this in turn affects the homeostasis of humans
within (or in contact ...
Taylor & Francis Online :: The significance of air pollution in aerobiology - Grana -
Volume 30, Issue 1 tandfonline.com
REVIHAAP (Review of evidence on health aspects of air pollution) and

HRAPIE (Health risks of air pollution in Europe),
WHO/Europe | Air quality - Health aspects of air pollution and review of EU policies: the
REVIHAAP and HRAPIE projects euro.who.int
WHO/Europe is coordinating the international projects REVIHAAP (Review of

evidence on health aspects of air pollution) and HRAPIE (Health risks of air
pollution in Europe), to provide the European Commission (EC) and its...
Air Quality Standards

Air Quality Standards ec.europa.eu
Humans can be adversely affected by exposure to air pollutants in ambient air. In

response, the European Union has developed an extensive body of legislation
which establishes health based standards and objectives for a number...
++ Is pollen a pollutant?
Is pollen a pollutant?
This is a question that I have received in a different Discussion group from

"Atmospheric Sciences subgroup" at American Geophysical Union in LinkedIn. And
here is the answer that I have given so I would like to know your thoughts about it.
"Pollen from grasses, trees, and weeds is the wonderful substance that allows
plants to reproduce, but it is also responsible for numerous allergic reactions
people experience. Although pollen is found naturally in the air, human activities
and choices can increase the amount of pollen in our air, and in turn, can cause
people to have more severe allergic reactions. Because human activities can
increase the amount of pollen in our air and cause adverse health effects, some
people view pollen as an air pollutant.
People commonly treat their allergies by avoiding situations where they might
have an attack, by using dehumidifiers and air filters. But, by becoming familiar
with the source of you allergies, you can also begin to make choices that can

prevent the severity of your attacks. The number of pollen particles released into
the air are studied and measured by the field of "Aerobiology" performing a "pollen
count". Pollen counts tell you the number of pollen grains per cubic meter of air.
They can also tell you which tree, grass, or plant the pollen came from. Different
plants and trees produce different amounts of pollen and knowing which plants
are the largest contributors to your allergies can influence what flowers and trees
you and your community chose to plant.
I think that there is a good explanation about the situation nowadays in this site
which can be applied not only to USA but worldwide:
http://www.nrdc.org/health/climate/airpollution.asp
As part of the topic I would like to mention that the European Commission
developed a new regulation for Air Quality standards in 2009 which didn´t include
the atmospheric monitoring of organic particles such as pollen and spores despite
of being of high relevance in the health impact assessment for atmospheric
environments outdoors. The justification behind this decision was that their
presence in the atmosphere was not the result of manmade activity. However,
there is enough evidence to support that the impact that pollen and spores
concentration in the air has in our health after exposure is the result of combining
factors such as: an increased presence of those particles in our atmosphere due to
man induced changes in climatic conditions (global climate change and strong
impact of urbanization increasing the so called “heat island effect”), the increased
presence of ornamental plant species in our communities with recognized
allergenic pollen as a result of arbitrary decisions and, the increasing allergenic
behavior of pollen as a result of interacting with manmade inorganic pollutants
present in the atmosphere. If we take into account the hazardous potential that a
particle brings to our health despite its manmade or biological origin I would
consider pollen as a pollutant. Furthermore, it is of my believe that measures
should be taken to monitor pollen atmospheric concentrations and allergenic
conditions in order to implement such information in health strategy consultancy
(bringing awareness to public and medical doctors to adopt measures beforehand)
and also to evaluate the impact of human made decisions which could worsen or
improve atmospheric environmental conditions.
Considerations by the EPA about outdoor air pollution, pollen and asthma.
http://www.epa.gov/asthma/outdoorair.html
For a more in depth reading I would suggest the following article (notice it is from
1991 so you can see this topic comes from some time ago already. The publications
coming after confirm and increase the data):
The significance of air pollution in aerobiology. M. D. Lebowitz, M. K. O'rourke

Grana Vol. 30, Iss. 1, 1991
Here I leave articles which quantify the impact of anthropogenic climate change on
pollen concentrations and on the impact of ornamental plantings. They are just an

example of scientific publications in the field mentioned. Any person interested in

further research can follow references and citations from and, including, these
studies.
About the impact of anthropogenic climate change on pollen concentrations:
* Review of the Impact of Climate Variability and Change on Aeroallergens and

Their Associated Effects (Final Report) by the EPA.
http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/cfm/recordisplay.cfm?deid=190306&goback=.gde_3016
663_member_277755872#area
* An article in which I am co-author:
Assessment between pollen seasons in areas with different urbanization level related to
local vegetation sources and differences in allergen exposure. Rodríguez-Rajo, F.; Fdez-
Sevilla, D.; Stach, A(†). & Jato, V. (2010). Aerobiologia, Vol 26-1, 1-14.
http://www.academia.edu/459629/Assessment_between_pollen_seasons_in_areas_
with_different_urbanization_level_related_to_local_vegetation_sources_and_differen
ces_in_allergen_exposure
About impact of ornamental plantings.
*Urban green zones and related pollen allergy: A review. Some guidelines for
designing spaces with low allergy impact. Paloma Cariñanos, Manuel Casares-
Porcel. Landscape and Urban Planning, Volume 101, Issue 3, 15 June 2011, Pages
205–214.
http://www.uco.es/rea/publicaciones/andalucia/granada/Urban%20green%20zo
nes-Carinanos_2011.pdf
I hope this helps.
EFANET. Call to Action: Raise Awareness, Relieve the Burden of

Respiratory Allergies in Europe.
http://www.efacallaction.net/default.aspx#!
Respiratory allergies in Europe are increasing and affect around 20%–30% of the
European population. Allergies are a real and serious disease, they place a
considerable burden on European societies, and on patients and their families. The
European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients Associations (EFA)
calls.

PRESS RELEASE: We need to secure real-time pollen monitoring in...

http://www.efanet.org/press-release-we-need-to-secure-real-time-pollen-
monitoring-in-europe/#!
Pollen emissions are not man-made and hence cannot be reduced by Member States
action. That was the Commission’s reply to a question on facilitating real-time pollen
monitoring in the EU, asked by the Italian MEP Andrea Zanoni..
The European pollen diary is an important long-term Europe-wide

study that will significantly aid research into pollen and hay fever
This is an important Europe-wide study, where hay fever sufferers are recording
their symptoms online through the European Aeroallergen Network (EAN)
Patient's Hay fever Diary. Symptoms are documented and can be compared with
concentrations of pollen in the air, to help identify which pollen individuals are
allergic to, look back at pollen levels from previous seasons and read the latest
pollen news.
https://www.pollendiary.com/Phd/
You can record your daily allergy symptoms here, to compare this information
with the actual pollen load of the main allergenic plants later. Please register to
gain access. The information presented on these pages is for personal use only
and...
Some reading to help understanding the impact of human activity in

the load (concentration) and health related properties of atmospheric
biological particles such as Pollen and Spores.
After having participated in some discussions it seems to me that, for some, there
is a gap of information, thus understanding, when judging the impact of human
activity responsible for generating “manmade pollutants” (green house gasses,
VOPs, NOx, SOx, O3 , …) in the load (concentration) and health related properties of
atmospheric biological particles such as Pollen and Spores. So I would like to
contribute suggesting some readings from some articles in the subject. From there
everybody can do their own research.

--Cities as harbingers of climate change: common ragweed, urbanization, and public

health. Ziska LH, Gebhard DE, Frenz DA, Faulkner S, Singer BD, Straka JG. J Allergy
Clin Immunol. 2003;111:290–295. [PubMed]
--Elevated Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Concentrations Amplify Alternaria alternata

Sporulation and Total Antigen Production. Wolf, Julie | O’Neill, Nichole R. | Rogers,
Christine A. | Muilenberg, Michael L. | Ziska, Lewis H. Environmental Health
Perspectives 2010;118(9):1223-1228.
--The Effects of Air Pollution on Structures, Proteins and Allergenicity of Pollen

Grains. Ahmad Majd, Abdolkarim Chehregani, Mostafa Moin, Mansour Gholami,
Shigekatsu Kohno, Takeshi Nabe, M.A. Shariatzade. Aerobiologia. June 2004, Volume
20, Issue 2, pp 111-118.
--Urban green zones and related pollen allergy: A review. Some guidelines for
designing spaces with low allergy impact. Paloma Cariñanos , Manuel Casares-
Porcel. Landscape and Urban Planning, Volume 101, Issue 3, 15 June 2011, Pages
205–214
A new initiative of the CSTE/SEHIC Asthma work group is surveillance

of pollen and its relationship to respiratory conditions, such as asthma,
in the United States. Environmental Health Indicators: Asthma
http://www.cste.org/?page=EHIndicatorsAsthma#!
Asthma:
Completed indicators include asthma inpatient hospitalization, asthma emergency

department visits, and chronic lower respiratory disease indicators. Each indicator
includes a template and how-to guide. The template describes the rationale for the
indicator, and the how-to guide includes step-by-step instructions on how to calculate the
indicator. An Excel spreadsheet can be used to compute age-adjusted prevalence rates for
the two indicators. A lessons learned summary document describes the process that was
followed by the Asthma Workgroup in developing the indicators.
A new initiative of the CSTE/SEHIC Asthma work group is surveillance of pollen and its
relationship to respiratory conditions, such as asthma, in the United States. Increased
pollen levels contribute to missed work and school days, more asthma emergency
department visits, and the use of over-the-counter medication to treat allergic rhinitis.
Climate change effects of higher temperatures and more carbon dioxide will result in
increased pollen production, especially for more allergenic types of pollen such as
ragweed, and longer pollen seasons. Current pollen activities include:
• A 2012 CSTE Conference poster demonstrating differences in the date when the
pollen season started, date it ended and the duration of the pollen season for
pollen readings made in Atlanta, GA, Baltimore, MD and Madison, WI.
• Pollen data manuscript now in preparation. It will include pollen data for Atlanta,
Baltimore, Madison, Michigan and Maine.

Persons who are interested in pollen and asthma surveillance and want to participate in
monthly asthma work group conference calls should contact Erin Simms at CSTE. Click
here for more details.
++SEHIC established a workgroup to determine indicators of climate

change recognizing Pollen as one Environmental Health Indicator for
Climate Change
http://www.cste.org/?page=EHIndicatorsClimate
“I am glad of seeing pollen load as indicator. I miss to see more inside research
applied in using the atmospheric load of biological particular matter not only as the
hazardous matter we are exposed to but also as the symptom indicating the health
state of our environment. After all, we can look into how we are going to react
towards changes in our environment, but I wonder if we are missing valuable
information about how our biological environment is reacting already by simply
overlooking the symptoms. I think it would be of great help to reach the point where
we could be able of identify the health state of a ecosystem by looking into the nature,
quantity and quality of its atmospheric load.”
“In 2012 I prepared an analysis about “Research Priorities in Aerobiology” which I

presented to a University Department in UK looking for funding. One of the focus
points I tried to highlight was the need for more inside research applied in using the
atmospheric load of biological particular matter not only to characterize the
hazardous matter we are exposed to but also to identify the health state of an
environment… At this moment I am still searching for funding or any affiliation
willing to allow me access to resources for further research. In EEUU it seems that
pollen has been recognized by major centers of research as an element from which
obtain information for environmental research meanwhile in Europe it is difficult to
obtain funding in this direction.
I can tell you though that pollen, being a male gametophyte, reflects the state of
metabolism in the live cycle of plants as you could identify also in humans. Situations
of stress, overstimulation, malnutrition and exposure to pollutants affect the
quantity, quality and viability of pollen grains (like humans). Same as finding mold in
your house is indicative of an unhealthy environment for humans, the aerobiological
load found in a localization could tell the state of your environment by knowing what
kind of plants are living in your neighborhood and under which conditions.”
Climate Change:
Background: Current literature documents the potential adverse human health

impacts presented by climate change. For this reason, for state health departments.
SEHIC began with a comprehensive review of the scientific literature to identify
outcomes and actions related to climate change that could inform
recommendations about the development of a suite of climate change
environmental health indicators. Priority was then given to identifying
longitudinal data sets that were applicable at the state and community level. The

work group recognized that indicators are needed to measure current

vulnerability to climate variability and change. Indicators are also needed to track
possible changes in health outcomes to determine if climate change is actually
affecting their state, local, or regional population.
Indicator Pilot: The climate change subcommittee developed 24 climate change

indicators including a instructions on how to calculate each indicator and a
template to facilitate organizing and recording the data. Each indicator’s
description and accompanying instructions were pilot tested in 2011 to improve
and finalize the implementing instructions and to generate multistate data for each
indicator. With the results from this pilot, CSTE finalized the climate change
indicator documents.
Completed Indicators: Some indicators are measures of environmental variables

that either directly or indirectly can affect human health, such as maximum and
minimum temperature extremes. Other indicators can be used to project future
health impacts based on changes in exposure, assuming exposure-response
relationships remain constant over temporal and spatial scales.
Climate Change
Environmental indicators
1 Greenhouse gas emissions
2 Air mass stagnation events
3 Max/min and diurnal temperature
4 Pollen indicator
1. Beggs PJ, Bambrick HJ. Is the Global Rise of Asthma an Early Impact of
Anthropogenic Climate Change? Environ Health Perspect 113:915–919 (2005).
2. Levetin E and Van de Water P. Changing Pollen

Types/Concentrations/Distributions in the United States: Fact or Fiction? Current
Allergy and Asthma Reports 8:418-424 (2008).
3. Shea KM, Truckner RT, Weber RW, Peden DB. Climate change and allergic disease.
J Allergy Clin Immunol 2008;122:443-53.
4. English PB, Sinclair AH, Ross Z, Anderson H, Boothe V, Davis C, Ebi K, Kagey B,
Malecki K, Schultz R, Simms E. Environmental Health Indicators of Climate Change for
the United States: Findings from the State Environmental Health Indicator
Collaborative.
Environ Health Perspect 117:1673–1681 (2009).
5. American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, National Allergy Bureau.

“Frequently Asked Questions about Pollen,” www.aaaai.org/nab/index.cfm?p=faq,
Access Date: 4-6-2010.
5 Number of fires and percent of total acres impacted by state

6 Positive test results in sentinels and reservoirs
++Links to Climate Change and Longer, Stronger Allergy Seasons

Links to Climate Change and Longer, Stronger Allergy Seasons | Reporting on Health
reporting onhealth.org
http://www.reportingonhealth.org/2013/08/21/climate-change-appears-be-
making-allergy-seasons-longer-stronger#!
Allergic disorders, including asthma and allergies, are one of the leading causes of
chronic illness, affecting more than 50 million Americans and...
Changes to Airborne Pollen Counts across Europe

plosone.org
http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.003407
6
A progressive global increase in the burden of allergic diseases has affected the
industrialized world over the last half century and has been reported in the literature. The
clinical evidence reveals a general increase in both incidence and prevalence of
respiratory diseases, such as allergic rhinitis (common hay fever) and asthma. Such
phenomena may be related not only to air pollution and changes in lifestyle, but also to an
actual increase in airborne quantities of allergenic pollen. Experimental enhancements of
carbon dioxide (CO ) have demonstrated changes in pollen amount and allergenicity, but
this has rarely been shown in the wider environment. The present analysis of a
continental-scale pollen data set reveals an increasing trend in the yearly amount of
airborne pollen for many taxa in Europe, which is more pronounced in urban than semi-
rural/rural areas. Climate change may contribute to these changes, however increased
temperatures do not appear to be a major influencing factor. Instead, we suggest the
anthropogenic rise of atmospheric CO levels may be influential.
++Understanding seasonal allergy
Here there is an article with helpful and useful information to understand Seasonal
Allergies and few tips to deal with them.
Allergy Season Hits U.S. with a Vengeance articles.mercola.com
Understanding seasonal allergies and hay fever.
Dr. Mercola's Comments:
 Evidence Climate Change is Making Allergies Worse

 How and Why Do Allergies Develop?

 How a Cleaner Home May Actually WORSEN Your Allergies

 Provocation Neutralization Allergy Treatment is Nothing to Sneeze At
 Natural Treatments: Dietary Friends and Foes
 Other Tips For Making Allergy Season a Breeze
 A Few Things to AVOID…
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/08/24/allergy-season-
hits-us-with-a-vengeance.aspx#!
++ Visualization of the Urban-heat-island-effect responsible for

alterations in the pollen seasons of common allergenic species.
Visualization of the Urban-heat-island-effect greeneconomypost.com
A very nice graph representing the urban-heat-island-effect which creates a

perturbation in the temp profile of an area, being linked with alterations in the
pollen seasons of several common allergenic species in our towns across the
world.
I have chosen this graph to be posted because I believe it gives a nice

representation of an effect which has been described in several different papers.
(for example one in which I am co-author Rodriguez-Rajo, J.; Fdez-Sevilla, D.; et al.
2010
http://www.academia.edu/459629/Assessment_between_pollen_seasons_in_area
s_with_different_urbanization_level_related_to_local_vegetation_sources_and_differ
ences_in_allergen_exposure).
However in the following link you can find more information

http://www.reportingonhealth.org/2013/08/21/climate-change-appears-be-
making-allergy-seasons-longer-stronger
** Resistance to glyphosate has emerged in several different weed

species.
Resistance to glyphosate has emerged in several different weed species. Such

situation has direct implications in Agriculture but also in Health related issues
since we can find among them various species of Ragweed (Ambrosia trifida and A.
artemisiifolia). Ragweed is well known in Aerobiological studies by being one of
the fastest spreading pollen types being main cause of allergy and pollen asthma in
North America and Central Europe. Here I leave a link to a survey designed to
monitor the evolution of herbicide-resistant weeds and assess their impact
throughout the world.

International Survey of Herbicide Resistant Weeds Wednesday,... weedscience.org
There are currently 403 unique cases (species x site of action) of herbicide
resistant weeds globally, with 218 species (129 dicots and 89 monocots). Weeds
have evolved resistance to 21 of the 25 known herbicide sites of action and to
148...
I believe it is worthy of mention the question about the part played by GMO´s in the
equation for the development of resistance to glyphosate based on publications
like this one:Gene flow from glyphosate-resistant crops.Pest Manag Sci. 2008
Apr;64(4):428-40. doi: 10.1002/ps.1517.Gene flow from transgenic glyphosate-
resistant crops can result in the adventitious presence of the transgene, which may
negatively impact markets. Gene flow can also produce glyphosate-resistant plants
that may interfere with weed management systems. The objective of this article is
to review the gene flow literature as it pertains to glyphosate-resistant crops. Gene
flow is a natural phenomenon not unique to transgenic crops and can occur via
pollen, seed and, in some cases, vegetative propagules. Gene flow via pollen can
occur in all crops, even those that are considered to be self-pollinated, because all
have low levels of outcrossing. Gene flow via seed or vegetative propagules occurs
when they are moved naturally or by humans during crop production and
commercialization. There are many factors that influence gene flow; therefore, it is
difficult to prevent or predict. Gene flow via pollen and seed from glyphosate-
resistant canola and creeping bentgrass fields has been documented. The
adventitious presence of the transgene responsible for glyphosate resistance has
been found in commercial seed lots of canola, corn and soybeans. In general, the
glyphosate-resistant trait is not considered to provide an ecological advantage.
However, regulators should consider the examples of gene flow from glyphosate-
resistant crops when formulating rules for the release of crops with traits that
could negatively impact the environment or human health.
link to the article Gene flow from glyphosate-resistant crops.Pest Manag Sci. 2008
Apr;64(4):428-40. doi:
10.1002/ps.1517.http://www.cof.orst.edu/cof/teach/agbio2011/Readings%2020
11/Mallory-Smith%20and%20Zapiola%20Gene%20flow%20from%20glypho-
resist%20crops%202008.pdf
Just a thought, It seems to me that it is coming to a point in which it seems that

"survival of the fittest" means being prepared to a new type of natural pressure.
And that is not coming from adapting either the metabolism to new demands due
to alterations in the genotype as a result of environmentally induced mutagenesis,
faulty transcription, missed repositioning of genes and all those mechanisms
involved in genotype evolution. We have to bear in mind that evolution starts with
adapting changes in molecular demand into a metabolism design. There is no
survival in an individual capable of synthesizing a protein which energy and
carbon demands collapses the expression of others involved in key areas of energy
production and assimilation. It is not also an adaptation of characteristics linked
with self preservation against depredators or environmental demands (soil, water
supply …). There is a completely new concept of pressure coming from having to
be able of accommodating metabolic alterations in order to survive to man

selected genetic new design. Since the new design is the result from combining
snippets of code from completely different species, even inserting animal DNA into
plants, that means introducing the capability of generating molecules with a
structure ready to affect the metabolism of organisms sharing genetic origin. So we
can have plants producing biopharmaceutical compounds, good for animal health,
and, plants producing toxins, bad for animal health. And now that we have put
enough pressure to make plants evolve their molecular performance to a new level
of inter-kingdom interference we will have to admit that we have helped allowing
transgenetic evolution to be in place in a period of time much shorter than the one
our metabolism might need to adapt to the new amount of molecular compounds
created in the new natural kingdoms resultant (biopharmaceutical and toxins). Our
immune system reacts against molecules that recognise as invasive or harmful
triggering allergenic reactions. Vegetables particles such as those found in pollen
and vegetables should not be identified by our immune system as harmful since
the proteins and molecules contained are part of a different biological kingdom
which had a completely different evolutionary path. That has built barriers of
interference allowing maximizing efforts for the “survival of the fittest" into
separated compartments (like divisions in sports). Are we allowing unification in
order to compete for the “survival of the fittest"? Just a thought. I am just trying to
identify gaps of knowledge bringing my thoughts public so everybody can give me
references to rethink and increase my limited knowledge.
Assessing and controlling the spread and the effects of Common

ragweed in Europe. Ecosystem Services and Biodiversity Assessment.
http://www.ecnc.org/projects/ecosystem-services-and-biodiversity-
assessment/common-ragweed-in-europe/
Objectives
There was a need to synthesise and systematically review information, highlight

knowledge gaps and utilise modern modelling methods to allow: an understanding
of the current extent of ragweed infestation in Europe; the development of
measures to control ragweed spread and introduction (now and in future
climates); economic, social and environmental quantification of direct and indirect
harmful effects in all sectors; and the dissemination of accurate and up-to-date
scientifically-based evidence to stakeholders. This project achieved these aims by
implementing a coordinated set of actions involving a large number of experts
from across Europe working on a number of inter-linked tasks.
++Potential impacts of climate change and climate variability on

aeroallergens
This report is a survey of the current state of scientific knowledge of the potential impacts
of climate change and climate variability on aeroallergens in the United States -- including
the impacts of pollens, molds, and indoor allergens -- and their associated effects on
allergenic illnesses.

A Review of the Impact of Climate Variability and Change on... cfpub.epa.gov
Allergies and allergy-related illnesses are widespread in the U.S. and impose
substantial economic and quality of life burdens. Changes in climate, including
increased CO2 concentrations, could impact the production, distribution, and
dispersion...
++Health and environment in the WHO European region: creating

resilient communities and supportive environments
In this report are identified specific risks to health from climate change in Europe
and among others it is point out the amount of airborne pollen (which can trigger
asthma and other allergic diseases4) is increasing in Europe, and the pollen season
has expanded by an average of 10–11 days over the last 30 years.
My interest in this publication comes from the fact that it points out that
WHO/ECEH has been working on developing additional ENHIS indicators and,
among them, includes the “exposure to allergenic pollen”. As Aerobiologist, I have
performed research in quantifying levels of exposure to pollen and I still keep an
active interest in this area where I would like to contribute further through my
career.
Published 09-09-2013
Health Issues.
Some specific risks to health from climate change in Europe are:
• Food productivity is projected to decrease in parts of the European Region,
potentially threatening food security and exacerbating malnutrition;
• Warmer temperatures are expected to foster an increase in food-transmitted
infections2 and waterborne diseases;
• Climate change is affecting air quality by altering wind patterns, increasing fires
and accelerating desertification, potentially worsening respiratory diseases;
• The amount of airborne pollen (which can trigger asthma and other allergic
diseases4) is increasing in Europe, and the pollen season has expanded by an
average of 10–11 days over the last 30 years;
• The geographical distribution of vectors, including disease-transmitting ticks and
other insects, has significantly expanded, increasing the risk of vectorborne
infections; and
• Climate change may indirectly play a role in the distribution of West Nile fever
and Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever.

WHO/Europe | Environment and health - Health and Environment in the WHO

European region: Creating resilient communities and supportive environments
euro.who.int
In the early years of the 21st century, the WHO European Region has attained
notable progress on environment and health issues. However, significant cause for
concern remains. The environmental burden of disease has persisted in some
geographic areas,...
Science Gov.
http://www.science.gov/topicpages/a/aerodynamic+diameter+samples.html
Note: This page contains sample records for the topic aerodynamic diameter samples from
Science.gov.
While these samples are representative of the content of Science.gov, they are not
comprehensive nor are they the most current set. We encourage you to perform a real-
time search of Science.gov to obtain the most current and comprehensive results.
Last update: March 15, 2013.
NASA Technical Reports Server

Search by “pollen”
http://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?N=0&Ntk=All&Ntt=pollen&Ntx=mode%20matchall
partial&Nm=17|Collection|NACA||123|Collection|NASA%20STI
Integration of Airborne Aerosol Prediction Systems and Vegetation Phenology to Track

Pollen for Asthma Alerts in Public Health Decision Support Systems

Air Quality
EUROPA Press Release Speech: “Only one air" europa.eu.

Closing remarks at Green Week 2013. Brussels, 7 June 2013
Janez Potočnik. European Commissioner for Environment. “Only one air"
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_SPEECH-13-516_en.htm#!

Environment
++EUROPA Press Release: Commissioners Janez Potočnik and Connie

Hedegaard welcome the trilogue agreement on the new Environment
Action Programme to 2020 europa.eu
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-13-591_en.htm#!
Publication date 20/06/2013 12:00

Commissioners Janez Potočnik and Connie Hedegaard welcome the trilogue
agreement on the new Environment Action Programme to 2020 Following an
agreement last night between the European Parliament and the Council on the new
General Union Environment...
The 7th Environment Action Programme was proposed by the Commission in

November 2012 (IP/12/1271). It identifies nine priority objectives for the period
up to 2020, including:
• Protecting nature and strengthening ecological resilience

• Boosting sustainable, resource-efficient, low-carbon growth, and
• Effectively addressing environment-related threats to health.
The Programme sets out a framework to support the achievement of these

objectives through, inter alia, better implementation of EU environment law, state
of the art science, securing the necessary investments in support of environment
and climate change policy, and improving the way that environmental concerns
and requirements are reflected in other policies.
The programme also aims to boost efforts to help EU cities become more
sustainable, and improve the EU's capacity to meet regional and global
environment and climate challenges.
Proposal for a new EU Environment Action Programme to 2020
The European Commission has proposed a new Environment Action Programme

for the EU. Entitled "Living well, within the limits of our planet", it will guide
environment policy up to 2020. The proposal aims to enhance Europe's ecological
resilience and transform the EU into an inclusive and sustainable green economy.
Despite progress in some areas, Europe continues to face significant

environmental challenges, as well as opportunities to make the environment more
resilient to risks and change.
Protecting natural capital, encouraging more resource efficiency and accelerating

the transition to the low-carbon economy are key features of the programme,
which also seeks to tackle environmental causes of disease. The results should help
stimulate sustainable growth and create new jobs to set the Union on a path to
becoming a better and healthier place to live.

Commission webpage on the new EU Environment Action Programme to 2020:
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/newprg/index.htm
Allergy
Feather pillows can cause a chronic and eventually fatal breath
shortness disease according to a Catalan study.
http://www.catalannewsagency.com/society-science/item/feather-pillows-can-
cause-a-chronic-and-eventually-fatal-breath-shortness-disease-according-to-a-
catalan-study#!
Researchers of Barcelona-based Vall d’Hebron Hospital and Research Institute

(VHIR) discovered some of the main causes of the Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis,
which were unknown before today. The Catalan study showed that a continuous
exposure to feather pillows and duvets was one of the main causes behind this
illness since it favours the scarring of the lung tissue.
Abstract of the paper: Almost half of patients diagnosed with IPF on the basis of
2011 criteria were subsequently diagnosed with chronic hypersensitivity
pneumonitis, and most of these cases were attributed to exposure of occult avian
antigens from commonly used feather bedding.
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600%2813%2970191-
7/abstract?rss=yes
Waste management
++Packaging and Packaging Waste Proposals New EU Proposal to

reduce plastic bag consumption.
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/packaging/legis.htm#plastic_bags
On 4th November 2013, the Commission adopted a proposal for a Directive to
reduce the consumption of lightweight plastic bags in the EU. The proposal amends
the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (94/62/EC).

Particle sampling
'HOLLOW PARTICLES in the ATMOSPHERE--大气空心粒子的发现 If

hollow particles are common in the atmosphere, then instruments that
measure pt size cannot be used to obtain particle mass.(TSP)
http://www.linkedin.com/groupItem?view=&gid=1730197&type=member&
item=5803304808773332992&qid=37463aee-622b-4bad-987e-
52ea649f5142&trk=groups_most_recent-0-b-
ttl&goback=.nmp_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1.gmr_1730197
I have worked with airborne particle sampling methods and what I can share
about it is that in Germany they used Glass fibre filters for two different analyses.
One to measure Total Suspended Matter based on the weight of the filter, and the
other one to measure Black Carbon concentrations based on measuring the optical
absorption and scattering of light by the particles collected on the filter tape. Also, I
worked for a while at the DWD in Freiburg looking for the best filter material
suitable to perform these two methods plus, to use fluorescence and white light in
order to identify pollen grains due to their synergistic effects on allergenic
reactions when combined with pollutants (SO2, NO2, NH3 and VOCs). When using
filters for particle sampling there is always a factor affecting the original state of
the particles from when they were airborne which is the effect of having a constant
current of air passing through the sample throughout the whole sampling period
(which might be 24 hours). A combination of measuring particle size and particle
weight might be closer to identify the role of each particle type in the total weight
of the sample. When talking about reactivity, I believe that the method applied has
to be defined based on the technique selected to analyze the sample. The process
of particle sampling has to keep unaffected the properties in the particle that you
want to measure, and I believe that is the challenge.
Just to add a little bit more, the challenges that I identified in my research about
particle sampling were not only the fact that the process of particle sampling has to
keep unaffected the properties in the particle that you want to measure, but also,
in order to have an accurate sample of particle concentration from your
atmosphere it is very common to have a deviation from the real concentration due
to sampling efficiency inaccuracies. The devices applied to capture at the same
time airborne particles of different sizes and shapes tend to overestimate or
underestimate concentrations due to the different aerodynamic behaviour of the
particles and the lack of isokinetic conditions (meaning that the air carrying
particles into the sampling inlet has a different velocity of that the air carrying the
particles in your environment). In my case, I studied those effects in sampling
pollen grains. Pollen grains can take or release water when they are airborne so

their aerodynamic behaviour changes with the environmental conditions affecting

the sampling efficiency of the instruments also with the outdoors wind speed. With
pollutants which might become part of crystals I suppose that parameters like
humidity could also affect the measurements by the size of the crystal. Same with
those particles which might react with others creating bigger or smaller structures.
But that is just a guess.
Diego Fernàndez Sevilla. Dr./Ph.D.
Perfil en Español: http://www.linkedin.com/in/diegofernandezsevilla

English profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/diegofernandezsevilla/en
Academia: http://diegofdez-sevillagoogle.academia.edu/DiegoFdezSevilla#!
View publication stats

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2013. Hot topics in Environmental Sciences.

Research · November 2013

Filling In/Finding Out Gaps Around in Environmental Sciences. View project

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Hot topics in Environmental sciences by Diego Fernandez Sevilla Ph.D.

I believe that it is important to keep active digesting information from different

Following same idea of creating a platform where to have multidisciplinary

My profile foundations are set on Biological Science (5 years University degree)

I am at this moment with no affiliation attachments searching for new projects,

Diego Fernàndez Sevilla. Dr./Ph.D.

Hot topics in Environmental science by Diego Fernandez Sevilla Ph.D

Hot topics in Environmental science by Diego Fernandez Sevilla Ph.D

++Understanding seasonal allergy _______________________________________________________ 19

Hot topics in Environmental science by Diego Fernandez Sevilla Ph.D

Climate variability and energy balance

Only when our local humanised environment gets affected by an uncontrollable

Hot topics in Environmental science by Diego Fernandez Sevilla Ph.D

Would that make sense?

If you like the subject take a look at this article.

"Global warming slowdown linked to cooler Pacific waters"

++Global warming brings on more pollen

Global warming brings on more pollen cnn.com

Hot topics in Environmental science by Diego Fernandez Sevilla Ph.D

Hot topics in Environmental science by Diego Fernandez Sevilla Ph.D

Gathering information is often the first step towards preparing for

"Eleven states at EEUU and various local governments have developed

NRDC: Climate Change Threatens Health: Air Pollution nrdc.org

Hot topics in Environmental science by Diego Fernandez Sevilla Ph.D

(29-04-2013 WHO) Findings of the WHO/Europe project on climate.

WHO evidence underpins new EU strategy on adapting to climate change

CEHAPIS is the result of a joint initiative of WHO/Europe and the European

Health risks from climate change

WHO-coordinated evidence reviews and expert consultations have identified three

Hot topics in Environmental science by Diego Fernandez Sevilla Ph.D

(09-09-2013 WHO) Health and Environment in the WHO European

Some specific risks to health from climate change in Europe are:

Mission: ACRIDICON halo-db.tropos.de

Full mission name: ACRIDICON

Hot topics in Environmental science by Diego Fernandez Sevilla Ph.D

HALO-DB, the web platform of a data retrieval and long-term archive

Climate change impacts, vulnerability and adaptation

CLIMSAVE is a pan-European project that is developing a user-friendly, interactive web-

Hot topics in Environmental science by Diego Fernandez Sevilla Ph.D

The science of climate change has led international EU-funded

Diego Fernández Sevilla, Ph.D. Environmental Research Analyst in active job

Using cutting-edge high-resolution modelling, the GATEWAYS team has discovered

European Commission : CORDIS : Newsroom : International attention focuses on a

Hot topics in Environmental science by Diego Fernandez Sevilla Ph.D

The significance of air pollution in aerobiology

"There is an ecological Microsystems reflecting the dynamics of aerobiological and

REVIHAAP (Review of evidence on health aspects of air pollution) and

WHO/Europe is coordinating the international projects REVIHAAP (Review of

Air Quality Standards

Humans can be adversely affected by exposure to air pollutants in ambient air. In

This is a question that I have received in a different Discussion group from

Hot topics in Environmental science by Diego Fernandez Sevilla Ph.D

The significance of air pollution in aerobiology. M. D. Lebowitz, M. K. O'rourke

Hot topics in Environmental science by Diego Fernandez Sevilla Ph.D

example of scientific publications in the field mentioned. Any person interested in

About the impact of anthropogenic climate change on pollen concentrations:

* Review of the Impact of Climate Variability and Change on Aeroallergens and

* An article in which I am co-author: