ArticleClinical and translational allergy2023
The South African Pollen Monitoring Network: Insights from 2 years of national aerospora sampling (2019-2021).
Article in Clinical and translational allergy, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.
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Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed.
- Aerobiology in Africa: a continent-wide review of pollen, fungal spores, and allergy risk.Aerobiologia · 2026Review
- Five years of national airborne pollen monitoring in South Africa: biome-specific calendars to inform allergy diagnosis and prevention.Aerobiologia · 2026Article
- High aerospora levels and associated atmospheric circulation patterns: Pretoria, South Africa.International journal of biometeorology · 2025Article
- Climate Change And Its Impact On Asthma In South Africa.Current allergy & clinical immunology · 2025Article
- Prevalence of aeroallergen sensitization in a polluted and industrialized area: a pilot study in South Africa's Vaal Triangle.Environmental monitoring and assessment · 2025Article
- Exposure to outdoor aerospora and associated respiratory health risks among adults in Potchefstroom, North-West province, South Africa.Frontiers in allergy · 2025Article
- Analysis of the multicomponent ALEX array data to examine patterns of sensitization in Cape Town, South Africa.Frontiers in allergy · 2025Article
- A global survey addressing sustainability of pollen monitoring.The World Allergy Organization journal · 2024Article
- The South African Pollen Monitoring Network: Insights from 2 years of national aerospora sampling (2019-2021).Clinical and translational allergy · 2023Article
- Allergic rhinitis: Review of the diagnosis and management: South African Allergic Rhinitis Working Group.South African family practice : official journal of the South African Academy of Family Practice/Primary Care · 2023Review
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16 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundPollen monitoring has been discontinuously undertaken in South Africa, a country with high biodiversity, a seasonal rainfall gradient, and nine biomes from arid to subtropical. The South African Pollen Monitoring Network was set up in 2019 to conduct the first long-term national aerospora monitoring across multiple biomes, providing weekly reports to allergy sufferers and healthcare providers.
methodsDaily airborne pollen concentrations were measured from August 2019 to August 2021 in seven cities across South Africa. Updated pollen calendars were created for the major pollen types (>3%), the average Annual Pollen Index over 12 months was calculated, and the results were compared to available historical data.
resultsThe main pollen types were from exotic vegetation. The most abundant taxa were Poaceae, Cupressaceae, Moraceae and Buddleja. The pollen season start, peak and end varied widely according to the biome and suite of pollen taxa. The main tree season started in the last week of August, peaked in September and ended in early December. Grass seasons followed rainfall patterns: September-January and January-April for summer and winter rainfall areas, respectively. Major urban centres, for example, Johannesburg and Pretoria in the same biome with similar rainfall, showed substantive differences in pollen taxa and abundance. Some major differences in pollen spectra were detected compared with historical data. However, we are cognisant that we are describing only 2 years of data that may be skewed by short-term weather patterns.
conclusionsDifferences in pollen spectra and concentrations were noted across biomes and between geographically close urban centres. Comparison with historical data suggests pollen spectra and seasons may be changing due to anthropogenic climate change and landscaping. These data stress the importance of regional and continuous pollen monitoring for informed care of pollinosis.
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