Airborne Populus (poplar) and Salix (willow) pollen grains belonging to Salicaceae family in Turkey

Abstract

Introduction: White hairy seeds (cottony tufts) which are spreading to the air from poplar and willow trees, are mostly supposed to be a pollen grain by many people and there is a misconception that consisting allergenic symptoms thought to be due to these seeds. Whereas the air dispersed fluffy structures occur on female poplar and willow trees that are not producing any pollen. In this term, when the seeds of poplar and willow trees matured and dispersed, there are not any pollen grains of these plants in the atmosphere. The pollen grains belonging to both taxa have especially seen in the spring term and they cause sensitization in varying proportions on many individuals suffering from seasonal rhinitis and/or asthma.Materials and Methods: In this study, monthly changes and frequencies of pollen grains belonging to Populus (poplar) and Salix (willow) genera, belonging to Salicaceae family, from 62 airborne pollen studies carried out in Turkey, which prepared both volumetric method by using Lanzoni/Burkard samplers and gravimetric method by using Durham samplers, and studies on pollen sensitivities for both taxa are evaluated. Also daily distributions of poplar and willow pollen grains were investigated in Bursa city in the year 2013.Results: In many regions that airborne studies performed, pollen grains of poplar tree found in the air especially in march-april term and the pollen grains of willow tree in april-may term. In Bursa city, main pollen season of poplar tree found between 27 February-26 April and for willow tree it was between 25 March-28 April.Conclusion: In many regions that atmospheric studies undertaken both of poplar and willow tree pollen grains founded in low levels. Also pollen amounts of both taxa determined in the air of Bursa were low as in the other regions.