Bariloche is part of the five pollen counting stations in the country, along with Buenos Aires, Mendoza, Mar del Plata and Catamarca. This information, which is taken daily, throughout the year, is intended for the Argentine Association of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
In the mountain city, the work is carried out by María Sol Reyes, a doctor specializing in allergy and immunology who, Every day, for 7 years, starting at 8, take a pollen sample. In this way, carry forward a pollen calendar with the detail of the type of pollen in the air that allows us to know when its pollination begins and ends.
“This way we know exactly what pollens are in the air and when the pollen seasons are: when pollination of a certain plant begins and when it ends,” he specified.
October and November are the months with the highest concentration of tree pollens, such as cypress and birch.; while between December and January, they pollinate grasses and pastures.
María Sol Reyes is an allergy doctor in Bariloche. Photo: courtesy
Bariloche, the season with the most pollen records
Of the five stations in the country, Bariloche is the one with the highest concentration of pollen. Although pollination varies, there were years in which the city recorded a percentage three times higher than other cities. What is the cause? Not only the vegetation in the area but the intensity of the wind.
«Before there was less birch pollen than Now, it’s on the rise.. This pollen produces cross-reactivity with certain foods, this means that people allergic to birch They can develop allergies to fruits, vegetables and nuts«explained the specialist. He said birch pollen has a protein found in fruits of other trees. «For this reason, he warned, the fruit has the same protein. “That produces a cross allergy.”
Recommended Avoid planting birch trees as they are very allergenic. “Among the warnings and advice regarding climate change – which increases the concentration of pollen and therefore the length of the pollen season – it is suggested not to plant allergenic plants, especially trees, and always prefer native flora,” he said. Kings.
How the count is carried out
Pollen counting is done by a device called Retorod that is located about 6 meters high, always in the same place, and has rods that are changed daily. These rods are embedded with silicone that rotate intermittently causing the pollens to stick.
These samples are sent daily to a palynologist specialized in aerial pollens.
«This information is then sent to the Argentine Association of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. There are many works published on pollens in Bariloche and in fact, one of the works won a prize at the Argentine Allergy Congress,” Reyes stressed.
He clarified that this information is of utmost importance for allergy sufferers who, in this way, know when the pollination of the plant begins and when they should start preventive treatment. It can be accessed through https://www.alergia.org.ar/index.php/profesionales/conteo-de-polenes#bariloche.
What are the times of greatest pollination?
In the morning, when it begins to dawn, pollens predominate. “When the sun rises, the pollens go down, just like during the sunset,” explained Reyes.
He recommended ventilating homes during midday and only for a while to avoid a higher concentration of pollen.
