Background. Arboreal pollen is the first hay fever causing agent appearing in the air after winter dormancy. It may provoke both physical and psychological discomfort in sensitive patients. To prevent the onset of these symptoms and feelings the aim of our study was a determination of the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of aeroallergenic trees pollination in densely populated cities of central, southern and eastern Ukraine.
Methods. The study was carried out in six cities of forest-steppe and steppe zones of Ukraine including Vinnitsa, Poltava, Odessa, Donetsk, Simferopol and Dnepropetrovsk. Pollen count was obtained at Vinnitsa National Pirogov Memorial Medical University by the Aerobiology Research Group. Study was held on a daily basis during the period from the March, 2010 until October, 2010 by mean of the standard volumetric methods using Burkard spore traps. The installations were placed on the roofs of hospitals in certain cities at the relative height of about 20 meters. The volumetric aeropalynological research was done for Odessa, Poltava, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk and Simpheropol at first. The study was conducted in association with the European Aeroallergen Network (EAN). The EAN tools were used for statistical processing of the obtained data.
Results and further elaboration. The highest intensity of pollination was seen for birch in different cities. Pollen of alder, oak and hornbeam was seen among other important allergenic categories. High levels of pollination were registered for poplar, mulberry, mapple, ash, elm and walnut. Their pollen is considered to be the less allergenic. Patients sensitive to the arboreal pollen can reveal the hay fever symptoms from the third ten-day-period of March till the second ten-day period of May. The highest levels of trees pollination are seen in the second ten-day period of April in most cities involved in study. Effective hay fever control requires the constant aeropalynological observation.