Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) is one of the most harmful alien invasive species in Europe. Ragweed pollen is a potent aeroallergen, and can travel long distances in the atmosphere. In this research we studied pollen samples collected in Turku, Finland, during 1990–2022, to identify when ragweed pollen was first transported to the country and how frequently it has happened since, how much pollen has been transported to the country yearly, and whether it is possible to observe trends in airborne ragweed pollen occurrence in Finland during the past decades. We show that (1) ragweed pollen has been transported to Finland since the 1990’s, significantly earlier than previously thought, and (2) the long-distance transport episodes have often been more intense in the recent years. Ragweed pollen transports occur in the late summer or in the autumn, thus lengthening the pollen season in Finland. We also describe a case study where we show that ragweed is able to produce mature viable seeds in Finland. Our conclusion is that the significance of ragweed as an aeroallergen in Finland is increasing, and thus the situation needs to be regularly monitored.
Source: Aerobiologia
Authors: Maria Louna-Korteniemi, Sanna Pätsi, Pasi Ahola, Agneta Ekebom, Maiju Kyyhkynen, Linnea Toiviainen, Marika Viljanen, Annika Saarto
Institutions: University of Turku, Swedish Museum of Natural History
Language: English
Subfield: Immunology and Allergy
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,890
Funders: Academy of Finland, Turun Yliopisto
OpenAlex ID: W4410093194