Pays de la Loire Pollution: Early Plant Pollination

For several days in Brittany and Pays de la Loire we have been subject to the return of pollen, mainly because of the alder, one of the first trees to release its pollen at the end of winter. According to Air Breizh, concentrations in the air were high yesterday – Monday March 2 – over a large south-western quarter of Côtes-d’Armor including the Monts d’Arrée sector, the north-west of Morbihan and Fougères.

For the Pays de la Loire, the concentration remains very high from Châteaubriant to Herbiers via Mayenne and Maine et Loire, and the peak is expected this Wednesday March 4. The Atlantic coast is more spared from this pollution.

“Plants are pollinating earlier and earlier in general”

These pollens are somehow the fault of the return of good weather, David Brehon Director of Air Pays de la Loire is also the Referent Director for the ATMO France Federation on the subject of pollens: “the weather is a component of pollen pollution, it is not the only one of course, the natural rhythm is determining, that is why we know that the alder pollinates rather at the beginning of the year, just like the hazel or the birch which will soon arrive, these are fairly normal things.

Afterwards we know that for the plant to start pollinating, it needs sun, light, so if all the conditions are met, it will emit pollen, but generally the periods are quite stable, although we have noticed an anticipation of the periods over time, plants pollinate earlier and earlier in general.”

“There is a gap year after year, moderate but real”

This early return is due to weather conditions and climate change, for David Brehon. Indeed, “climate change affects the precocity of the appearance of pollen but this remains moderate. The hazelnut trees began to emit pollen around January-February, around ten years ago. And today, it’s rather the end of December that we start to see the first hazel pollens appear.

There is a gap that we observe year after year, which is moderate, but real. It’s the same for the yardstick, which we see today: one or two weeks’ difference in ten years on average.”

Moreover, “the period during which we can be bothered increases, as do pollen peaks, because there are not always as many pollens in the air depending on the season. Alder has a pollen peak and this peak may be accentuated due to climate change.

A rising number of allergy sufferers

NOW, the number of allergy sufferers, which today stands at around 25 to 30% of the population, is steadily increasing. We have figures which estimate that approximately half of the population will be allergic by 2050. All allergies combined: it’s not just pollen, it’s also allergies to cat hair, it’s allergies to different things, but it’s mainly linked to our rhythms, and our lifestyles, how we move, pollution, our exposure to different pollutants, etc.”

THE good reflexes to have when you are allergiclimit your outdoor activities, change your clothes when you get home and rinse your hair, to avoid getting it on your pillowcase!

After alder, it is birch that will cause harm to allergy sufferers! Then will come the hornbeam, and the grasses in spring.