L. Lőkös szerk.: Studia Botanica Hungarica 24. 1993 (Budapest, 1993)

Járainé Komlódi, Magda; Medzihradszky, Zsófia: Aeropollen research in the air of Budapest in 1992

CONCLUSIONS The variation outlined above shows the difference in the pollen production and the phenology which is caused by the weather. These can more or less modify the data from year to year in the same town, thus, of course, the time and degree of the appearance of the allergenic symptoms. However, the trend of the presence and dominance of the allergens can be determined only by using the results of several years of investigations. In the international practice some 5 to 10 years are needed for prediction, depending on the geography and climate of the locality. Our four years of recording allow us to draw the following conclusions: I. There are three pollen seasons in Hungary: 1. the spring season caused by trees, 2. the summer season caused by grasses, 3. the late summer-autumn season caused by weeds (Fig. 4). II. From the point of view of pollen allergy, on the basis of the observed allergenic diseases (JÁRAI-KOMLÓDI et al. 1991; MEZEI et al 1992a, MEZEI et al. 1992b) we can state that in the whole territory of our country there are two main pollen seasons: 1. the summer season caused by the grasses, 2. the late summer-autumn season caused first of all by Ambrosia mû Artemisia, and members of the Chenopodiaceae and Amaranthaceae families. Most allergenic symptoms are caused by those listed under 2, and these weeds are very noxious not only to the health but to agriculture and to the environment as well. So the nation-wide use of herbicides, as one of the means of prevention is necessary. The regular aeropollen monitoring system can be used well by the medical practice for prevention. Acknowledgement: This work has been supported by the National Scientific Research Fund (OTKA 2048). REFERENCES JÁRAI-KOMLÓDI, M. (1991a): First results of a study on airborne sporomorphs in Budapest, Hungary. — Grana Palynologica 30(2): 464-466. JÁRAI-KOMLÓDI, M. (1991b): Airborne grass pollen data in Budapest. — In: JÄGER, S. and MANDRIOLI, Y

:. Airborne grass pollen distribution in Europe 1991. Aerobiologia, Special Issue 7(1/1): 3-36. JÁRAI-KOMLÓDI, M., MEZEI, GY., BODOR, G. and CSERHÁTI, E. (1991): A levegő pollentartalmának és az allergiás rhinitises betegek tüneteinek összefüggése parlagfű szezonban. [Correlation between concentrations of aeropollen and symptoms of allergic rhinitis patients during ragweed season.] —

Med. Thoracalis. 44: 471-476. MEZEI, GY., JÁRAI-KOMLÓDI, M., PAPP, E. and CSERHÁTI, E. (1992a): Late summer pollen and allergen spectrum in children with allergic rhinitis and asthma in Budapest. — Pädiatrie und Pädologie 27(3): 75. MEZEI, GY., JÁRAI-KOMLÓDI, M., BODOR, G. and CSERHÁTI, E. (1992b): The two main pollen seasons in Hungary. —

Allergy (Suppl.) 47(12): 313. Authors' address: Magda JÁRAI-KOMLÓDI and Zsófia MEDZIHRADSZKY Botanical Department of the Hungarian Natural History Museum H-1476 Budapest, Pf: 222 HUNGARY