Jean Emberlin - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Jean Emberlin

Trends in Microbiology, 2008

PubMed, 2007

Daily average Alnus pollen counts (1996-2005) from Worcester (UK) and Poznan (Poland) were examin... more Daily average Alnus pollen counts (1996-2005) from Worcester (UK) and Poznan (Poland) were examined with the aim of assessing the regional importance of Alnus pollen as an aeroallergen. The average number of Alnus pollen grains recorded annually at Poznan was more than 2.5 times that of Worcester. Furthermore, daily average Alnus pollen counts exceeded the thresholds of 100, 500 and 1,000 grains/m3 more times at Poznan than Worcester. Skin prick test results (1996-2005) and allergen-specific IgE (asIgE) measurements using the CAP (Pharmacia) system (2002-2005), were supplied by the Allergic Diseases Diagnostic Centre in Poznan. The annual number of positive skin prick tests to Alnus pollen allergens was significantly related (p<0.05) to seasonal variations in the magnitude of the Alnus pollen catch recorded at Poznan (r=0.70). The symptoms of patients with positive skin prick tests to Alnus pollen allergens were: 51% pollinosis, 43% atopic dermatitis, 4% asthma, 1% chronic urticaria and 1% eczema. On a scale of 0-6, 20.5% of patients examined for serum asIgE in relation to Alnus pollen allergens had asIgE measurements in classes 5 and 6. Alnus pollen is generally considered to be mildly allergenic. However, the amount of Alnus pollen released into the atmosphere in places such as Poznan may increase its impact on the population and make it one of the more important aeroallergens present.

Environmental and Experimental Botany, Apr 1, 2008

Airborne concentrations of Poaceae pollen have been monitored in Poznań for more than 10 years an... more Airborne concentrations of Poaceae pollen have been monitored in Poznań for more than 10 years and the length of the dataset is now considered sufficient for statistical analysis. The objective of this paper is to produce long-range forecasts that predict certain characteristics of the grass pollen season (such as the start, peak and end dates of the grass pollen season) as well as short-term forecasts that predict daily variations in grass pollen counts for the next day or next few days throughout the main grass pollen season. The method of forecasting was regression analysis. Correlation analysis was used to examine the relationship between grass pollen counts and the factors that affect its production, release and dispersal. The models were constructed with data from 1994 to 2004 and tested on data from 2005 and 2006. The forecast models predicted the start of the grass pollen season to within two days and achieved 61% and 70% accuracy on a scale of 1-4 when forecasting variations in daily average grass pollen counts in 2005 and 2006, respectively. This study has emphasised how important the weather during the few weeks or months preceding pollination is to grass pollen production, and draws attention to the importance of considering large-scale patterns of climate variability (indices of the North Atlantic Oscillation) when constructing forecast models for allergenic pollen.

Environmental Health, 2009

Are pathogens in outdoor air a health issue at present or will they become a problem in the futur... more Are pathogens in outdoor air a health issue at present or will they become a problem in the future? A working group called AirPath-Outdoor Environments and Human Pathogens in Air was set up in 2007 at University College London, UK with the aim of opening new discussion and creating a research network to investigate the science and impacts of outdoor pathogens. Our objective in this paper is to review and discuss the following areas: What is the source of human pathogens in outdoor air? What current, developing and future techniques do we need? Can we identify at-risk groups in relation to their activities and environments? How do we prepare for the anticipated challenges of environmental change and new and emerging diseases? And how can we control for and prevent pathogens in outdoor environments? We think that this work can benefit the wider research community and policy makers by providing a concise overview of various research aspects and considerations which may be important to their work.

International Journal of Biometeorology, Jan 4, 2006

A 30-day-ahead forecast method has been developed for grass pollen in north London. The total per... more A 30-day-ahead forecast method has been developed for grass pollen in north London. The total period of the grass pollen season is covered by eight multiple regression models, each covering a 10-day period running consecutively from 21 May to 8 August. This means that three models were used for each 30-day forecast. The forecast models were produced using grass pollen and environmental data from 1961 to 1999 and tested on data from 2000 and 2002. Model accuracy was judged in two ways: the number of times the forecast model was able to successfully predict the severity (relative to the 1961-1999 dataset as a whole) of grass pollen counts in each of the eight forecast periods on a scale of 1 to 4; the number of times the forecast model was able to predict whether grass pollen counts were higher or lower than the mean. The models achieved 62.5% accuracy in both assessment years when predicting the relative severity of grass pollen counts on a scale of 1 to 4, which equates to six of the eight 10-day periods being forecast correctly. The models attained 87.5% and 100% accuracy in 2000 and 2002, respectively, when predicting whether grass pollen counts would be higher or lower than the mean. Attempting to predict pollen counts during distinct 10-day periods throughout the grass pollen season is a novel approach. The models also employed original methodology in the use of winter averages of the North Atlantic Oscillation to forecast 10-day means of allergenic pollen counts.

International Journal of Biometeorology, Oct 6, 2006

Previous work on Betula spp. (birch) in the UK and at five sites in Europe has shown that pollen ... more Previous work on Betula spp. (birch) in the UK and at five sites in Europe has shown that pollen seasons for this taxon have tended to become earlier by about 5-10 days per decade in most regions investigated over the last 30 years. This pattern has been linked to the trend to warmer winters and springs in recent years. However, little work has been done to investigate the changes in the pollen seasons for the early flowering trees. Several of these, such as Alnus spp. and Corylus spp., have allergens, which cross-react with those of Betula spp., and so have a priming effect on allergic people. This paper investigates pollen seasons for Alnus spp. and Corylus spp. for the years 1996-2005 at Worcester, in the West Midlands, United Kingdom. Pollen data for daily average counts were collected using a Burkard volumetric trap sited on the exposed roof of a three-storey building. The climate is western maritime. Meteorological data for daily temperatures (maximum and minimum) and rainfall were obtained from the local monitoring sites. The local area up to approximately 10 km surrounding the site is mostly level terrain with some undulating hills and valleys. The local vegetation is mixed farmland and deciduous woodland. The pollen seasons for the two taxa investigated are typically late December or early January to late March. Various ways of defining the start and end of the pollen seasons were considered for these taxa, but the most useful was the 1% method whereby the season is deemed to have started when 1% of the total catch is achieved and to have ended when 99% is reached. The cumulative catches (in grains/m 3) for Alnus spp. varied from 698 (2001) to 3,467 (2004). For Corylus spp., they varied from 65 (2001) to 4,933 (2004). The start dates for Alnus spp. showed 39 days difference in the 10 years (earliest 2000 day 21, latest 1996 day 60). The end dates differed by 26 days and the length of season differed by 15 days. The last 4 years in the set had notably higher cumulative counts than the first 2, but there was no trend towards earlier starts. For Corylus spp. start days also differed by 39 days (earliest 1999 day 5, latest 1996 day 44). The end date differed by 35 days and length of season by 26 days. Cumulative counts and lengths of season showed a distinct pattern of alternative high (long) and low (short) years. There is some evidence of a synchronous pattern for Alnus spp.. These patterns show some significant correlations with temperature and rainfall through the autumn, winter and early spring, and some relationships with growth degree 4s and chill units, but the series is too short to discern trends. The analysis has provided insight to the variation in the seasons for these early flowering trees and will form a basis for future work on building predictive models for these taxa.

World Allergy Organization Journal, Nov 1, 2007

Background: Since developement of electronic nose (EN), it has been well recognized that there is... more Background: Since developement of electronic nose (EN), it has been well recognized that there is a great potential in applying this technology to the field of medicine. Analysis of various biomarkers in exhaled breath allows completely safe, noninvasive, sensitive, and specific tool for the primary screening for different lung diseases. The aim of this study was to test whether exhaled breath analyzed with artificial nose could identify and discriminate between asthma, COPD, lung cancer and pneumonia. Methods: Exhaled air was collected in plastic bags and immediately analyzed by electronic nose instrument (9185, Nordic Sensors AB) containing 14 different odour sensors. Multifactorial logistic regression analysis and support vector machine was used to find relationships between the sensor response, on derivative, on integral and the clinical diagnoses of patients. Results: 62 individuals Y 25 asthma, 13 lung cancer, 13 pneumonia, 12 other lung disease patients and 10 healthy volunteers were tested. Given table represents p values of significant relationship between electronic nose sensors and clinical diagnosis. Some sensors (1, 6, and 13) gave specific responses to particular disease; some other sensors (3, 5, and 7) shared the response with two diseases. The highest sensitivity and specificity was found for lung cancer diagnosis compared to healthy control group It was 100% and 92,9% respectively. Conclusion: Artificial nose is able to discriminate among different lung diseases. Further development of this approach is necessary to create new screening and monitoring methods for different lung diseases.

Aerobiologia, Sep 1, 2003

Spatial and temporal variations in daily grass pollen counts and weather variables are described ... more Spatial and temporal variations in daily grass pollen counts and weather variables are described for two regions with different bio-geographical and climatic regimes, southern Spain and the United Kingdom. Daily average grass pollen counts are considered from six pollen-monitoring sites, three in southern Spain (Ciudad Real, Córdoba and Priego) and three in the United Kingdom (Edinburgh, Worcester and Cambridge). Analysis shows that rainfall and maximum temperatures are important factors controlling the magnitude of the grass pollen season in both southern Spain and the United Kingdom, and that the strength and direction of the influence exerted by these variables varies with geographical location and time.

International Journal of Biometeorology, Oct 30, 2007

The aim of this paper is to analyse variations in the severity of Betula pollen seasons, particul... more The aim of this paper is to analyse variations in the severity of Betula pollen seasons, particularly in relation to meteorological parameters at four sites, Poznań and Krakow in Poland, and Worcester and London in the United Kingdom. Results show that there is a significant relationship between Betula pollen season severity and weather conditions both in the year before pollination and in the same year that pollen is released from the plant. Furthermore, it is likely that the magnitude of birch pollen seasons in Poznań, Worcester and London is linked in some way to different phases of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). Significant positive relationships exist between birch pollen counts at Poznań and temperatures, rainfall and averages of the NAO in the year before pollination. An opposite relationship is evident at the two sites studied in the United Kingdom. There were significant positive correlations between the severity of birch pollen seasons recorded at Worcester and temperatures and averages of the NAO during the winter and spring in the year of pollination, and negative correlations at both Worcester and London with similar variables from the previous year. In addition, Betula pollen seasons in Krakow do not appear to be influenced by the NAO, which is probably the result of Krakow having a more continental climate.

Clinical & Experimental Allergy, Mar 1, 2006

Background A number of media outlets now issue medium-range ($ 7 day) weather forecasts on a regu... more Background A number of media outlets now issue medium-range ($ 7 day) weather forecasts on a regular basis. It is therefore logical that aerobiologists should attempt to produce medium-range forecasts for allergenic pollen that cover the same time period as the weather forecasts. Objective the objective of this study is to construct a medium-range (47 day) forecast model for grass pollen at north London. Method the forecast models were produced using regression analysis based on grass pollen and meteorological data from 1990 to 1999 and tested on data from 2000 and 2002. The modelling process was improved by dividing the grass pollen season into three periods; the pre-peak, peak and post-peak periods of grass pollen release. The forecast consisted of five regression models: two simple linear regression models predicting the start and end date of the peak period, and three multiple regression models forecasting daily average grass pollen counts in the pre-peak, peak and post-peak periods. Results overall, the forecast models achieved 62% accuracy in 2000 and 47% in 2002, reflecting the fact that the 2002 grass pollen season was of a higher magnitude than any of the other seasons included in the analysis. Conclusion this study has the potential to make a notable contribution to the field of aerobiology. Winter averages of the North Atlantic Oscillation were used to predict certain characteristics of the grass pollen season, which presents an important advance in aerobiological work. The ability to predict allergenic pollen counts for a period between five and seven days will benefit allergy sufferers. Furthermore, medium-range forecasts for allergenic pollen will be of assistance to the medical profession, including allergists planning treatment and physicians scheduling clinical trials.

Concentrations of airborne particles differ a lot spatially and temporally because of the locatio... more Concentrations of airborne particles differ a lot spatially and temporally because of the location of sources, the factors that govern release to the airflow and the factors of dispersal. Meteorological factors control the broad patterns of particle dispersal and therefore they have an important influence on the concentrations in the air. It is essential to know the main ways in which the meteorological factors work in order to understand changes in particle concentrations in time and space and to be able to develop methods of forecasting. The main meteorological factors that affect particle dispersal are atmospheric stability, wind direction and speed, and precipitation. Aspects such as temperature and relative humidity are important for the production of pollen and spores and their release, and may be auto correlated with the other variables. This lecture will cover the main meteorological aspects relevant to dispersal. It will not deal with the physics of particle diffusion or wi...

Are pathogens in outdoor air a health issue at present or will they become a problem in the futur... more Are pathogens in outdoor air a health issue at present or will they become a problem in the future? A working group called AirPath Outdoor Environments and Human Pathogens in Air was set up in 2007 at University College London, UK with the aim of opening new discussion and creating a research network to investigate the science and impacts of outdoor pathogens. Our objective in this paper is to review and discuss the following areas: What is the source of human pathogens in outdoor air? What current, developing and future techniques do we need? Can we identify at-risk groups in relation to their activities and environments? How do we prepare for the anticipated challenges of environmental change and new and emerging diseases? And how can we control for and prevent pathogens in outdoor environments? We think that this work can benefit the wider research community and policy makers by providing a concise overview of various research aspects and considerations which may be important to ...

Trends in Microbiology, 2008

PubMed, 2007

Daily average Alnus pollen counts (1996-2005) from Worcester (UK) and Poznan (Poland) were examin... more Daily average Alnus pollen counts (1996-2005) from Worcester (UK) and Poznan (Poland) were examined with the aim of assessing the regional importance of Alnus pollen as an aeroallergen. The average number of Alnus pollen grains recorded annually at Poznan was more than 2.5 times that of Worcester. Furthermore, daily average Alnus pollen counts exceeded the thresholds of 100, 500 and 1,000 grains/m3 more times at Poznan than Worcester. Skin prick test results (1996-2005) and allergen-specific IgE (asIgE) measurements using the CAP (Pharmacia) system (2002-2005), were supplied by the Allergic Diseases Diagnostic Centre in Poznan. The annual number of positive skin prick tests to Alnus pollen allergens was significantly related (p<0.05) to seasonal variations in the magnitude of the Alnus pollen catch recorded at Poznan (r=0.70). The symptoms of patients with positive skin prick tests to Alnus pollen allergens were: 51% pollinosis, 43% atopic dermatitis, 4% asthma, 1% chronic urticaria and 1% eczema. On a scale of 0-6, 20.5% of patients examined for serum asIgE in relation to Alnus pollen allergens had asIgE measurements in classes 5 and 6. Alnus pollen is generally considered to be mildly allergenic. However, the amount of Alnus pollen released into the atmosphere in places such as Poznan may increase its impact on the population and make it one of the more important aeroallergens present.

Environmental and Experimental Botany, Apr 1, 2008

Airborne concentrations of Poaceae pollen have been monitored in Poznań for more than 10 years an... more Airborne concentrations of Poaceae pollen have been monitored in Poznań for more than 10 years and the length of the dataset is now considered sufficient for statistical analysis. The objective of this paper is to produce long-range forecasts that predict certain characteristics of the grass pollen season (such as the start, peak and end dates of the grass pollen season) as well as short-term forecasts that predict daily variations in grass pollen counts for the next day or next few days throughout the main grass pollen season. The method of forecasting was regression analysis. Correlation analysis was used to examine the relationship between grass pollen counts and the factors that affect its production, release and dispersal. The models were constructed with data from 1994 to 2004 and tested on data from 2005 and 2006. The forecast models predicted the start of the grass pollen season to within two days and achieved 61% and 70% accuracy on a scale of 1-4 when forecasting variations in daily average grass pollen counts in 2005 and 2006, respectively. This study has emphasised how important the weather during the few weeks or months preceding pollination is to grass pollen production, and draws attention to the importance of considering large-scale patterns of climate variability (indices of the North Atlantic Oscillation) when constructing forecast models for allergenic pollen.

Environmental Health, 2009

Are pathogens in outdoor air a health issue at present or will they become a problem in the futur... more Are pathogens in outdoor air a health issue at present or will they become a problem in the future? A working group called AirPath-Outdoor Environments and Human Pathogens in Air was set up in 2007 at University College London, UK with the aim of opening new discussion and creating a research network to investigate the science and impacts of outdoor pathogens. Our objective in this paper is to review and discuss the following areas: What is the source of human pathogens in outdoor air? What current, developing and future techniques do we need? Can we identify at-risk groups in relation to their activities and environments? How do we prepare for the anticipated challenges of environmental change and new and emerging diseases? And how can we control for and prevent pathogens in outdoor environments? We think that this work can benefit the wider research community and policy makers by providing a concise overview of various research aspects and considerations which may be important to their work.

International Journal of Biometeorology, Jan 4, 2006

A 30-day-ahead forecast method has been developed for grass pollen in north London. The total per... more A 30-day-ahead forecast method has been developed for grass pollen in north London. The total period of the grass pollen season is covered by eight multiple regression models, each covering a 10-day period running consecutively from 21 May to 8 August. This means that three models were used for each 30-day forecast. The forecast models were produced using grass pollen and environmental data from 1961 to 1999 and tested on data from 2000 and 2002. Model accuracy was judged in two ways: the number of times the forecast model was able to successfully predict the severity (relative to the 1961-1999 dataset as a whole) of grass pollen counts in each of the eight forecast periods on a scale of 1 to 4; the number of times the forecast model was able to predict whether grass pollen counts were higher or lower than the mean. The models achieved 62.5% accuracy in both assessment years when predicting the relative severity of grass pollen counts on a scale of 1 to 4, which equates to six of the eight 10-day periods being forecast correctly. The models attained 87.5% and 100% accuracy in 2000 and 2002, respectively, when predicting whether grass pollen counts would be higher or lower than the mean. Attempting to predict pollen counts during distinct 10-day periods throughout the grass pollen season is a novel approach. The models also employed original methodology in the use of winter averages of the North Atlantic Oscillation to forecast 10-day means of allergenic pollen counts.

International Journal of Biometeorology, Oct 6, 2006

Previous work on Betula spp. (birch) in the UK and at five sites in Europe has shown that pollen ... more Previous work on Betula spp. (birch) in the UK and at five sites in Europe has shown that pollen seasons for this taxon have tended to become earlier by about 5-10 days per decade in most regions investigated over the last 30 years. This pattern has been linked to the trend to warmer winters and springs in recent years. However, little work has been done to investigate the changes in the pollen seasons for the early flowering trees. Several of these, such as Alnus spp. and Corylus spp., have allergens, which cross-react with those of Betula spp., and so have a priming effect on allergic people. This paper investigates pollen seasons for Alnus spp. and Corylus spp. for the years 1996-2005 at Worcester, in the West Midlands, United Kingdom. Pollen data for daily average counts were collected using a Burkard volumetric trap sited on the exposed roof of a three-storey building. The climate is western maritime. Meteorological data for daily temperatures (maximum and minimum) and rainfall were obtained from the local monitoring sites. The local area up to approximately 10 km surrounding the site is mostly level terrain with some undulating hills and valleys. The local vegetation is mixed farmland and deciduous woodland. The pollen seasons for the two taxa investigated are typically late December or early January to late March. Various ways of defining the start and end of the pollen seasons were considered for these taxa, but the most useful was the 1% method whereby the season is deemed to have started when 1% of the total catch is achieved and to have ended when 99% is reached. The cumulative catches (in grains/m 3) for Alnus spp. varied from 698 (2001) to 3,467 (2004). For Corylus spp., they varied from 65 (2001) to 4,933 (2004). The start dates for Alnus spp. showed 39 days difference in the 10 years (earliest 2000 day 21, latest 1996 day 60). The end dates differed by 26 days and the length of season differed by 15 days. The last 4 years in the set had notably higher cumulative counts than the first 2, but there was no trend towards earlier starts. For Corylus spp. start days also differed by 39 days (earliest 1999 day 5, latest 1996 day 44). The end date differed by 35 days and length of season by 26 days. Cumulative counts and lengths of season showed a distinct pattern of alternative high (long) and low (short) years. There is some evidence of a synchronous pattern for Alnus spp.. These patterns show some significant correlations with temperature and rainfall through the autumn, winter and early spring, and some relationships with growth degree 4s and chill units, but the series is too short to discern trends. The analysis has provided insight to the variation in the seasons for these early flowering trees and will form a basis for future work on building predictive models for these taxa.

World Allergy Organization Journal, Nov 1, 2007

Background: Since developement of electronic nose (EN), it has been well recognized that there is... more Background: Since developement of electronic nose (EN), it has been well recognized that there is a great potential in applying this technology to the field of medicine. Analysis of various biomarkers in exhaled breath allows completely safe, noninvasive, sensitive, and specific tool for the primary screening for different lung diseases. The aim of this study was to test whether exhaled breath analyzed with artificial nose could identify and discriminate between asthma, COPD, lung cancer and pneumonia. Methods: Exhaled air was collected in plastic bags and immediately analyzed by electronic nose instrument (9185, Nordic Sensors AB) containing 14 different odour sensors. Multifactorial logistic regression analysis and support vector machine was used to find relationships between the sensor response, on derivative, on integral and the clinical diagnoses of patients. Results: 62 individuals Y 25 asthma, 13 lung cancer, 13 pneumonia, 12 other lung disease patients and 10 healthy volunteers were tested. Given table represents p values of significant relationship between electronic nose sensors and clinical diagnosis. Some sensors (1, 6, and 13) gave specific responses to particular disease; some other sensors (3, 5, and 7) shared the response with two diseases. The highest sensitivity and specificity was found for lung cancer diagnosis compared to healthy control group It was 100% and 92,9% respectively. Conclusion: Artificial nose is able to discriminate among different lung diseases. Further development of this approach is necessary to create new screening and monitoring methods for different lung diseases.

Aerobiologia, Sep 1, 2003

Spatial and temporal variations in daily grass pollen counts and weather variables are described ... more Spatial and temporal variations in daily grass pollen counts and weather variables are described for two regions with different bio-geographical and climatic regimes, southern Spain and the United Kingdom. Daily average grass pollen counts are considered from six pollen-monitoring sites, three in southern Spain (Ciudad Real, Córdoba and Priego) and three in the United Kingdom (Edinburgh, Worcester and Cambridge). Analysis shows that rainfall and maximum temperatures are important factors controlling the magnitude of the grass pollen season in both southern Spain and the United Kingdom, and that the strength and direction of the influence exerted by these variables varies with geographical location and time.

International Journal of Biometeorology, Oct 30, 2007

The aim of this paper is to analyse variations in the severity of Betula pollen seasons, particul... more The aim of this paper is to analyse variations in the severity of Betula pollen seasons, particularly in relation to meteorological parameters at four sites, Poznań and Krakow in Poland, and Worcester and London in the United Kingdom. Results show that there is a significant relationship between Betula pollen season severity and weather conditions both in the year before pollination and in the same year that pollen is released from the plant. Furthermore, it is likely that the magnitude of birch pollen seasons in Poznań, Worcester and London is linked in some way to different phases of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). Significant positive relationships exist between birch pollen counts at Poznań and temperatures, rainfall and averages of the NAO in the year before pollination. An opposite relationship is evident at the two sites studied in the United Kingdom. There were significant positive correlations between the severity of birch pollen seasons recorded at Worcester and temperatures and averages of the NAO during the winter and spring in the year of pollination, and negative correlations at both Worcester and London with similar variables from the previous year. In addition, Betula pollen seasons in Krakow do not appear to be influenced by the NAO, which is probably the result of Krakow having a more continental climate.

Clinical & Experimental Allergy, Mar 1, 2006

Background A number of media outlets now issue medium-range ($ 7 day) weather forecasts on a regu... more Background A number of media outlets now issue medium-range ($ 7 day) weather forecasts on a regular basis. It is therefore logical that aerobiologists should attempt to produce medium-range forecasts for allergenic pollen that cover the same time period as the weather forecasts. Objective the objective of this study is to construct a medium-range (47 day) forecast model for grass pollen at north London. Method the forecast models were produced using regression analysis based on grass pollen and meteorological data from 1990 to 1999 and tested on data from 2000 and 2002. The modelling process was improved by dividing the grass pollen season into three periods; the pre-peak, peak and post-peak periods of grass pollen release. The forecast consisted of five regression models: two simple linear regression models predicting the start and end date of the peak period, and three multiple regression models forecasting daily average grass pollen counts in the pre-peak, peak and post-peak periods. Results overall, the forecast models achieved 62% accuracy in 2000 and 47% in 2002, reflecting the fact that the 2002 grass pollen season was of a higher magnitude than any of the other seasons included in the analysis. Conclusion this study has the potential to make a notable contribution to the field of aerobiology. Winter averages of the North Atlantic Oscillation were used to predict certain characteristics of the grass pollen season, which presents an important advance in aerobiological work. The ability to predict allergenic pollen counts for a period between five and seven days will benefit allergy sufferers. Furthermore, medium-range forecasts for allergenic pollen will be of assistance to the medical profession, including allergists planning treatment and physicians scheduling clinical trials.

Concentrations of airborne particles differ a lot spatially and temporally because of the locatio... more Concentrations of airborne particles differ a lot spatially and temporally because of the location of sources, the factors that govern release to the airflow and the factors of dispersal. Meteorological factors control the broad patterns of particle dispersal and therefore they have an important influence on the concentrations in the air. It is essential to know the main ways in which the meteorological factors work in order to understand changes in particle concentrations in time and space and to be able to develop methods of forecasting. The main meteorological factors that affect particle dispersal are atmospheric stability, wind direction and speed, and precipitation. Aspects such as temperature and relative humidity are important for the production of pollen and spores and their release, and may be auto correlated with the other variables. This lecture will cover the main meteorological aspects relevant to dispersal. It will not deal with the physics of particle diffusion or wi...

Are pathogens in outdoor air a health issue at present or will they become a problem in the futur... more Are pathogens in outdoor air a health issue at present or will they become a problem in the future? A working group called AirPath Outdoor Environments and Human Pathogens in Air was set up in 2007 at University College London, UK with the aim of opening new discussion and creating a research network to investigate the science and impacts of outdoor pathogens. Our objective in this paper is to review and discuss the following areas: What is the source of human pathogens in outdoor air? What current, developing and future techniques do we need? Can we identify at-risk groups in relation to their activities and environments? How do we prepare for the anticipated challenges of environmental change and new and emerging diseases? And how can we control for and prevent pathogens in outdoor environments? We think that this work can benefit the wider research community and policy makers by providing a concise overview of various research aspects and considerations which may be important to ...