Dossier
Hay fever and pollen
Hay fever is an allergic reaction that is caused by pollen from trees, grasses and herbaceous plants. When this pollen is dispersed by the wind, people with hay fever suffer from sneezing, red and itchy eyes and a stuffy nose.
Weather conditions determine when 'hay fever plants' flower and how much pollen they release into the atmosphere. Every year, the progression of hay fever symptoms can differ. The daily pollen concentration in the atmosphere in the Netherlands is measured by the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) and Elkerliek Hospital in Helmond.
As part of the Nature’s Calendar observation programme, secondary school students and volunteers keep track of when various hay fever plants begin flowering. The students who conduct observations are also involved with the GLOBE Programme, an international education programme on the environmental sciences established in 1995 by Al Gore.
Knowledge about hay fever is limited
Ambrosia
One plant species that is known world-wide for causing hay fever symptoms is Ambrosia. This species, which is an exotic in the Netherlands, produces large amounts of strongly allergenic pollen. Moreover, the plant flowers late in the year, so the hay fever season for people who are sensitive to Ambrosia can be up to two months longer. Ambrosia originated from North America and has become widespread in the Netherlands because its seeds are unintentionally present in birdseed and wildflower mixtures. By removing plants before they begin flowering, nuisance from the pollen can be prevented, and the species is less likely to spread.
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Publications on hay fever and pollen
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Prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbial community dynamics in biofloc systems supplemented with non-starch polysaccharides
Aquaculture (2025), Volume: 594 - ISSN 0044-8486 -
Atlas Critical Tourism Studies - Asia Pacific Tourism (Event)
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Effect of calcium level of fat-free and full-fat cheese curds on the properties of processed cheese prepared therefrom with different calcium sequestering salts
International Dairy Journal (2025), Volume: 160 - ISSN 0958-6946 -
The ‘Carrot Test’ : An approach to characterize individual differences in oral processing behaviour and eating rate
Food Quality and Preference (2025), Volume: 122 - ISSN 0950-3293 -
Iron co-limitation of Sargassum fluitans
Aquatic Botany (2025), Volume: 196 - ISSN 0304-3770 -
How bulk liquid viscosity shapes capillary suspensions
Journal of Colloid and Interface Science (2025), Volume: 678, Issue: B - ISSN 0021-9797 - p. 400-409. -
Consumer acceptance of mycelium as protein source
Food Quality and Preference (2025), Volume: 122 - ISSN 0950-3293 -
Dietary starch, non-starch polysaccharides and their interactions affect nutrient digestibility, faecal waste production and characteristics differentially in three salmonids : Rainbow trout, Atlantic salmon and Arctic charr
Aquaculture (2025), Volume: 595 - ISSN 0044-8486 -
Effects of settleable versus unsettled biofloc removal strategy on aquaculture system performance and microbial community
Aquaculture (2025), Volume: 595, Issue: 1 - ISSN 0044-8486 -
Can earthworms and root traits improve plant struvite-P uptake? A field mesocosm study
Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment (2025), Volume: 377 - ISSN 0167-8809