A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
The start of the birch pollen season in Finnish Lapland: separating non-local from local birch pollen and the implication for allergy sufferers
Authors: Oikonen MK, Hicks S, Heino S, Rantio-Lahtimaki A
Publisher: TAYLOR & FRANCIS AS
Publication year: 2005
Journal: Grana
Journal name in source: GRANA
Journal acronym: GRANA
Volume: 44
Issue: 3
First page : 181
Last page: 186
Number of pages: 6
ISSN: 0017-3134
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00173130510010602
Abstract
We did not observe any trend towards an earlier start of the phenologically observed mountain birch anthesis at Kevo as predicted from work elsewhere. Moreover, the fixed 2.5% threshold method for determining the birch pollen season proved not to be applicable since in many years this threshold was reached before the end of continuous snow cover. The results indicate that in some years non-local birch pollen contributes considerably to the allergen load in Lapland with up to 57% of the total birch pollen sum being recorded before the day on which local anthesis commenced, and up to 70% of the annual birch pollen deposited being of the southerly birch type.
We did not observe any trend towards an earlier start of the phenologically observed mountain birch anthesis at Kevo as predicted from work elsewhere. Moreover, the fixed 2.5% threshold method for determining the birch pollen season proved not to be applicable since in many years this threshold was reached before the end of continuous snow cover. The results indicate that in some years non-local birch pollen contributes considerably to the allergen load in Lapland with up to 57% of the total birch pollen sum being recorded before the day on which local anthesis commenced, and up to 70% of the annual birch pollen deposited being of the southerly birch type.