The AIRKEM study in Gauteng, South Africa; The role of the airspora in an industrial urban environment

Abstract

An analysis of the airspora, comprising pollen and fungal spores, was conducted over a two‐year period in an industrial area near Johannesburg. The purpose of the study was to establish the atmospheric incidence, and ascertain the role of these aero‐allergens in upper respiratory tract illnesses (URI) in the area. Monitoring in the first year of the study was simply to establish incidence levels. Pollen exhibited two seasons, a short but intense spring season, during which pollen from exotic species introduced from the northern hemisphere constituted the main allergy threat, and a longer summer season during which grasses were dominant. Fungal spores showed one long season, extending from early summer to late autumn, with Cladosporium the main allergen. In the second year two sites were monitored. Results indicated that lower airspora counts were recorded in an area considered problematical in terms of URI, while higher counts were recorded in a more salubrious area. It was concluded that factors other than the airspora per se were causative, and that these, most likely industrially‐related, could possibly increase the overall ill‐effects of the airspora.