Due to global warming, tree, grasses and weeds and ragweed produce more pollen over more weeks when temperatures and carbon dioxide levels rise.Percentage of U.S. population who reported suffering from allergic rhinitis:
Male
4.9% in 2000
6.4% in 2005
Female
7.6% in 2000
8.2% in 2005
Total
6.3% in 2000
7.4% in 2005
Source: Angency for Healthcare Research and Quality
Pollen-producing plants (weeds and trees) in Omaha, Nebraska
References:
Big culprit for allergies? Evidence points to global change. USA Today.
Anthropogenic climate change and allergen exposure: The role of plant biology. JACI, 2011.
Image source: Pollen grains from a variety of common plants, Wikipedia, public domain, Dartmouth Electron Microscope Facility.
Image source: Pollen grains from a variety of common plants, Wikipedia, public domain, Dartmouth Electron Microscope Facility.
