Hrvatski
Recent research shows that climate change affects the production of higher levels of pollen and thus prolongs the allergy season. Human-induced climate change has been a major driver of longer and more intense pollen seasons in the last three decades.
A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that analyzed long-term data on pollen showed that pollen concentrations increased by more than 21% in North America, and the allergy season is more than 20 days longer than in 1990.
The paper analyzed the change in pollen counts at 60 North American stations from 1990 to 2018. Researchers also looked at several climate models to see what role climate change played in these increases. They found that human-induced climate change has been a major driver of longer and more intense pollen seasons in the last three decades.
How do climate change affect allergies?
Aside from warmer temperatures, higher concentrations of CO2 and forms of air pollution are contributing to more intense allergy seasons. CO2 can cause plants to bloom more, resulting in even more pollen. Also, pollution particles bind to pollen grains that explode into smaller pieces and thus enter the airways more easily. The scientists also found that the pollen became stronger, so less pollen could cause a reaction comparable to a higher concentration of pollen a few years ago.
An increase in pollen counts could have major, long-term consequences for airway health, especially in people with pre-existing respiratory illnesses such as asthma. But even people who have never had allergies before could begin to experience them and become more susceptible to viral infections that enter the body through the respiratory tract.
Read more about the impact of climate change on allergies at weather.com.
