Longer, more intense allergy seasons could result from climate change
Rising temperatures, increased CO2 will drive trees, grasses, weeds to
produce more pollen

Date:
March 16, 2022
Source:
University of Michigan
Summary:
Allergy seasons are likely to become longer and grow more intense
as a result of increasing temperatures caused by humanmade climate
change, according to new research.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Allergy seasons are likely to become longer and grow more intense as a
result of increasing temperatures caused by humanmade climate change,
according to new research from the University of Michigan.


==========================================================================
By the end of this century, pollen emissions could begin 40 days earlier
in the spring than we saw between 1995 and 2014. Allergy sufferers could
see that season last an additional 19 days before high pollen counts
may subside.

In addition, thanks to rising temperatures and increasing CO2 levels,
the annual amount of pollen emitted each year could increase up to 200%.

"Pollen-induced respiratory allergies are getting worse with climate
change," said Yingxiao Zhang, a U-M graduate student research assistant
in climate and space sciences and engineering and first author of the
paper in Nature Communications. "Our findings can be a starting point
for further investigations into the consequence of climate change on
pollen and corresponding health effects." U-M researchers developed a predictive model that examines 15 of the most common pollen types and how
their production will be impacted by projected changes in temperatures
and precipitation. They combined climate data along with socioeconomic scenarios, correlating their modeling with the data from 1995 through
2014. They then used their model to predict pollen emissions for the
last two decades of the 21st century.

Allergies symptoms run the gamut from the mildly irritating, such as
watery eyes, sneezing or rashes, to more serious conditions, such as
difficulty breathing or anaphylaxis. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, 30% of adults and 40% of children suffer from
allergies in the U.S.

The grasses, weeds and trees that produce pollen are affected by climate change. Increased temperatures cause them to activate earlier than their historical norms. Hotter temperatures can also increase the amount of
pollen produced.

Allison Steiner, U-M professor of climate and space sciences and
engineering, said the modeling developed by her team could eventually
allow for allergy season predictions targeted to different geographical regions.

"We're hoping to include our pollen emissions model within a national
air quality forecasting system to provide improved and climate-sensitive forecasts to the public," she said.

The research was supported by the National Science Foundation.


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Michigan. Note:
Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Yingxiao Zhang, Allison L. Steiner. Projected climate-driven
changes in
pollen emission season length and magnitude over the continental
United States. Nature Communications, 2022; 13 (1) DOI:
10.1038/s41467-022- 28764-0 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/03/220316115018.htm

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