Corylus and Alnus pollen concentration in air of Lviv (Western Ukraine)

Corylus and Alnus trees are common throughout Western Ukraine. They are important producers of allergenic airborne pollen in the environment of Lviv city. The objective of this study was to examine the dynamics of the Corylus and Alnus air pollen concentration in Lviv with reference to changes in weather conditions. Pollen data (2011–2015) were obtained by the gravimetric method for a site located at the center of Lviv city. The total annual Corylus pollen sums varied from 281 to 724, while the Alnus sums were several times more abundant and varied from 656 to 2505. There were 43 days of difference in start dates of the Corylus pollen season. The start dates for the Alnus pollen season showed a 30-day difference over the 5 years. The season duration differed by 17 days for Corylus and 31 days for Alnus. There is some evidence of synchronous patterns for Corylus and Alnus pollen seasons in Lviv. A trend was observed towards earlier starts of seasons that corresponded to a gradual increase in the average February temperature over 2011–2015