Scholarlink

<p>Traffic-related air pollution is increasingly recognized as a modifier of pollen physicochemical properties and allergenic potential, yet field-based mechanistic evidence remains limited. This study investigated the effects of traffic-related pollution on the morphology, chemical composition, and Bet v 1 allergen content of <i>Betula pendula</i> pollen using a multi-method approach. Pollen samples were collected from 16 <i>B. pendula</i> trees across Ankara, Bingöl, and Tunceli during April 2025 along a traffic-exposure gradient, with air-quality data spanning 1 June 2024-31 May 2025, and sampling sites linked to Türkiye’s national air-quality monitoring network (PM₁₀, PM₂.₅, NO₂, NOₓ, SO₂, CO). Pollen was analysed using light microscopy, SEM, FT-IR ATR spectroscopy, and ELISA. Polluted sites (<i>n</i> = 13) showed morphological and biochemical differences compared with clean reference sites (<i>n</i> = 3): pollen exhibited significantly increased exine wall thickness and equatorial dimensions, alongside greater particle deposition near apertures; polar axis showed weaker group-level differences. FT-IR analysis revealed altered protein-related spectral profiles, including an increased Amide I/Amide II area ratio and reduced O–H band areas, consistent with modifications in protein secondary structure. Bet v 1 concentrations did not differ significantly between polluted (95.7 ± 23.8&#xa0;µg/g) and clean (85.5 ± 24.6&#xa0;µg/g) samples; given the small reference group (<i>n</i> = 3), this comparison is interpreted as non-directional. These findings provide field-based evidence that traffic-related pollution is associated with modifications in the structural and biochemical characteristics of <i>B. pendula</i> pollen in ways consistent with enhanced allergenic potential, underscoring the need to incorporate air-quality effects into aeroallergen risk assessment.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Traffic-related air pollution modifies Betula pendula pollen morphology, FT-IR-derived amide I/II ratio, and Bet v 1 allergen levels along a pollution gradient in Türkiye

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年6月30日

查看全文
  • Aydan Acar Şahin,
  • Ece Özge Yilmaz

摘要

Traffic-related air pollution is increasingly recognized as a modifier of pollen physicochemical properties and allergenic potential, yet field-based mechanistic evidence remains limited. This study investigated the effects of traffic-related pollution on the morphology, chemical composition, and Bet v 1 allergen content of Betula pendula pollen using a multi-method approach. Pollen samples were collected from 16 B. pendula trees across Ankara, Bingöl, and Tunceli during April 2025 along a traffic-exposure gradient, with air-quality data spanning 1 June 2024-31 May 2025, and sampling sites linked to Türkiye’s national air-quality monitoring network (PM₁₀, PM₂.₅, NO₂, NOₓ, SO₂, CO). Pollen was analysed using light microscopy, SEM, FT-IR ATR spectroscopy, and ELISA. Polluted sites (n = 13) showed morphological and biochemical differences compared with clean reference sites (n = 3): pollen exhibited significantly increased exine wall thickness and equatorial dimensions, alongside greater particle deposition near apertures; polar axis showed weaker group-level differences. FT-IR analysis revealed altered protein-related spectral profiles, including an increased Amide I/Amide II area ratio and reduced O–H band areas, consistent with modifications in protein secondary structure. Bet v 1 concentrations did not differ significantly between polluted (95.7 ± 23.8 µg/g) and clean (85.5 ± 24.6 µg/g) samples; given the small reference group (n = 3), this comparison is interpreted as non-directional. These findings provide field-based evidence that traffic-related pollution is associated with modifications in the structural and biochemical characteristics of B. pendula pollen in ways consistent with enhanced allergenic potential, underscoring the need to incorporate air-quality effects into aeroallergen risk assessment.