Does the increase in ambient CO concentration elevate allergy risks posed by oak pollen?

Oak pollen is a major respiratory allergen in Korea, and the distribution of oak trees is expected to increase by ecological succession and climate change. One of the drivers of climate change is increasing CO, which is also known to amplify the allergy risk of weed pollen by inducing elevated allergenic protein content. However, the impact of CO concentration on tree pollen is not clearly understood due to the experimental difficulties in carrying out extended CO treatment.

Chamber and Field Studies demonstrate Differential Amb a 1 Contents in Common Ragweed Depending on CO₂ Levels.

Although atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) has no apparent direct effect on human health, it does have direct effects on plants. The present study evaluated the influence of increased CO₂ levels on the concentration of allergens from common ragweed pollen by setting up a chamber study to model future air conditions and a field study to evaluate current air conditions. For the chamber study, we established 20 ragweed plants in an open-top chamber under different CO₂ levels (380-400, 500-520, 600-620, and 1,000-1,100 parts per million [ppm]).

Effects of heat waves on daily excess mortality in 14 Korean cities during the past 20 years (1991-2010): an application of the spatial synoptic classification approach.

The aims of this study are to explore the "offensive" summer weather types classified under the spatial synoptic classification (SSC) system and to evaluate their impacts on excess mortality in 14 Korean cities. All-cause deaths per day for the entire population were examined over the summer months (May-September) of 1991-2010. Daily deaths were standardized to account for long-term trends of subcycles (annual, seasonal, and weekly) at the mid-latitudes.

A biology-driven receptor model for daily pollen allergy risk in Korea based on Weibull probability density function.

Pollen is an important cause of respiratory allergic reactions. As individual sanitation has improved, allergy risk has increased, and this trend is expected to continue due to climate change. Atmospheric pollen concentration is highly influenced by weather conditions.