Aerosol Measurements and Decadal Changes: The Role of Climatic Changes and How It Reflects in Respiratory Allergies and Asthma.

Journal: Allergy
Published Date:

Abstract

The causative agents of respiratory allergies are bioaerosols, such as house dust mite feces, pollen grains, and fungal spores. Climate change and urbanization are considered to lead to an increase in the load of allergenic bioaerosols due to impacts on plant phenophases and allergenicity. Continuous and efficient monitoring of the atmospheric composition worldwide is essential, given the major changes involved and their impact on climate change. The complexity of the exposome, evolving from single to multiple complex exposures, is explored in this work. Acquiring information from interdisciplinary scientific disciplines, such as aerobiology (for airborne particles of biological origin), aerosol science (for airborne particles of chemical or inorganic material), and integrating this with the actual reactome of patients with respiratory diseases, we aim to provide evidence of the multifactorial nature of this interaction in real life. The objective of this review is to present how we can monitor aerosols and mostly monitor the exposome, especially the biological one, i.e., pollen and fungal spores, and what their impact is, or could be, on respiratory allergies. A huge technological advancement has been required, as traditional methods of particle collection and identification have been based on tedious laboratory procedures, with delays of more than a week. This has limited their practical use to allergic patients and their treating physicians. Automation, real-time high temporal resolution, and the use of artificial intelligence are being increasingly used in medicine. Likewise, this overview summarizes the current aerosol measurement and modeling capabilities and discusses the classification of various aerosol particles and their impact on respiratory allergies. Satellite remote sensing is highlighted as a solution to the gaps in global aerosol representation by examining aerosol load in the atmospheric column in major cities worldwide. We also discuss potential novel threats, such as pioneer bioaerosols and the respiratory epithelial barrier, as well as future insights into the impact of climate change on allergy and asthma. We conclude with a discussion of emerging co-exposures and co-diseases resulting from the ongoing climate change.

Authors

  • Stelios Kazadzis
    Physikalisch-Meteorologisches Observatorium Davos, World Radiation Center, Davos Dorf, Switzerland.
  • Illias Fountoulakis
    Research Centre for Atmospheric Physics and Climatology, Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece.
  • Athanasios Damialis
  • Akriti Masoom
    Physikalisch-Meteorologisches Observatorium Davos, World Radiation Center, Davos Dorf, Switzerland.
  • Kyriakoula Papachristopoulou
    Physikalisch-Meteorologisches Observatorium Davos, World Radiation Center, Davos Dorf, Switzerland.
  • Stefanie Gilles
    Institute of Environmental Medicine and Integrative Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany.
  • Martine Collaud Coen
    Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology, MeteoSwiss, Chemin de L'aérologie, Payerne, Switzerland.
  • Fiona Tummon
    Surface Measurements, MeteoSwiss, Chemin de l'Aérologie, CH-1530 Payerne, Switzerland.
  • Benoît Crouzy
    Surface Measurements, MeteoSwiss, Chemin de l'Aérologie, CH-1530 Payerne, Switzerland.
  • Bernard Clot
    Surface Measurements, MeteoSwiss, Chemin de l'Aérologie, CH-1530 Payerne, Switzerland.
  • Yagiz Pat
    Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research (SIAF), Davos Dorf, Switzerland.
  • Marie-Charlotte Brüggen
    Faculty of Medicine, University Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
  • Stephan Nyeki
    Physikalisch-Meteorologisches Observatorium Davos, World Radiation Center, Davos Dorf, Switzerland.
  • Ioannis-Panagiotis Raptis
    Institute for Astronomy, Astrophysics, Space Applications and Remote Sensing, National Observatory of Athens, Athens, Greece.
  • Stavros Solomos
    Research Centre for Atmospheric Physics and Climatology, Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece.
  • Antonis Gkikas
    Research Centre for Atmospheric Physics and Climatology, Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece.
  • Anna Moustaka
    Physikalisch-Meteorologisches Observatorium Davos, World Radiation Center, Davos Dorf, Switzerland.
  • Natalia Kouremeti
    Physikalisch-Meteorologisches Observatorium Davos, World Radiation Center, Davos Dorf, Switzerland.
  • Cezmi A Akdis
    Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research (SIAF), University of Zurich, Davos, Switzerland.

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