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. 2024 Jan 26;10(3):e25124. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e25124

Influence of meteorological and ambient air quality factors on Artemisia pollen counts in Urumqi, Northwest China

Kadeliya Jiapaer a,b, Ümüt Halik a,∗, Maierdang Keyimu c, Imin Bilal d, Lei Shi a, Reyila Mumin e
PMCID: PMC10847607  PMID: 38327407

Abstract

The exposure of Artemisia pollen in the air to humans causes adverse allergenic effects on the respiratory system. However, the relationship between Artemisia pollen counts and meteorological and air quality factors in the arid and semiarid cities of northwest China has not attracted significant attention. Here, we observed the seasonal pollen counts of Artemisia, as well as the main meteorological variables (temperature/T, relative humidity/RH, and wind speed/WS, and ambient air quality factors (PM2.5, PM10, and CO2). This was conducted from May to September 2021 at three sampling sites in Urumqi, Xinjiang. The results showed that Artemisia pollen counts gradually increased from May (121 grains/1000 mm2) to August (563 grains/1000 mm2) and decreased till the end of the sampling period in September (247 grains/1000 mm2). Pearson correlation analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between the variation in Artemisia pollen counts and PM2.5 (R = 0.545, P < 0.01), the average temperature (R = 0.424, P < 0.05), and PM10 (R = 0.466, P < 0.05). Oppositely, a significant negative correlation was observed between the RH (R = 0.503, P < 0.01) and WS (R = 0.653, P < 0.01). Variation partitioning analysis showed that meteorological factors contributed the highest (44 %) to the variation in pollen counts. The study results provide basic information for future case studies on allergenic plant pollen in Urumqi and serve as a reference for the development of sustainable healthy cities in arid regions.

Keywords: Artemisia sp., Air pollen concentration, Air quality factors, Urumqi, Arid oasis city

1. Introduction

The presence of high concentrations of Artemisia pollen in the air is a leading cause of allergenic diseases that threaten public health [1]. As a major herbaceous allergen source, Artemisia pollen is strongly associated with the incidence rate of allergenic rhinitis (AR) and asthma [2,3]. The number of allergic individuals in China has been recently reported [4]. The results of skin prick tests show that 11.3 % of respiratory allergy patients are susceptible to Artemisia pollen. This is 50 % higher in the northern region of China [1].

Artemisia species are perennial herbaceous plants frequently associated with a strong aroma. These invasive, widespread species are commonly found along urban and suburban roadsides, forest edges, or in the wilderness [2]. The pollen grains of Artemisia are approximately 19–25 μm in size and are spherical or nearly spherical [5]. Owing to its small grain size, high buoyancy, and long pollination period, Artemisia pollen can remain in the air for several months, causing allergenic reactions in humans [6]. In addition to local sources in the study area, potential sources of Artemisia have been identified in central and southern Inner Mongolia, southern Mongolia, and northwest China (the present study area) [7]. Pollen dispersal is directly influenced by meteorological parameters, such as air temperature (T), relative humidity (RH), precipitation, wind speed (WS), and wind direction (WD) [8,9].

According to a telephone survey conducted on the prevalence rate of AR in 11 cities in China, Urumqi had the highest rate (21.4 %) in 2004–2005. This rate increased to 37.9 % in 2008 [10,11]. Lv [11] and Jiapaer [12] conducted skin prick tests and observed that Artemisia pollen caused a higher positive rate of allergic reactions compared with other plant species in Urumqi. It was also linked to sex, ethnicity, and age. To date, little is known regarding the main reason for the changes in Artemisia pollen counts in the air, particularly the characteristics of seasonal variation and the relationship with ambient air quality factors.

Ecological studies have demonstrated that meteorological factors and air pollutants significantly impact the concentration of airborne pollen [13,14]. Meteorological conditions play roles in the dispersal of pollen grains in the atmosphere, which affects pollen concentration, dispersal patterns, and the duration that the pollen remains in the air [15]. Certain studies suggest a correlation between pollen concentration and air temperature, RH, WS, WD, and precipitation [[16], [17], [18]]. Air pollutants, such as PM2.5 and PM10, which are commonly used to assess air quality, can lead to respiratory and respiratory-related diseases [19]. Elevated CO2 levels accelerate pollen release, increasing pollen production and leading to intense inflammation [14,20,21]. In arid oasis cities in northwest China where air pollution and high pollen levels are prevalent, the effects of ambient air quality factors (including PM2.5, PM10, and CO2) on Artemisia pollen levels remain unclear.

The present study was aimed at determining (1) the seasonal variation of Artemisia pollen, and (2) its correlation with meteorological and air quality factors.

2. Materials and methods

2.1. Site information

The study was conducted in Urumqi (42°45″-44°08″ N, 86°37″-88°58″ E, above sea level (a.s.l.) 850–940 m), the capital city of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in northwest China (Fig. 1). The population of this medium-sized oasis city is 3.55 million, covering an administrative area of 1.4 × 104 km2 [22]. Urumqi is characterized by a typical arid climate, with a chill winter and hot-dried summer. The average annual air temperature and precipitation are 7 °C and 250 mm, respectively. Urumqi experiences four distinct seasons, and winter is the lengthiest season, spanning from November to April.

Fig. 1.

Fig. 1

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Location of Yan-Er-Wo scenery and sampling sites.

The study area was the Yan-Er-Wo forest landscape scenery, which is the solitary conserved natural green area in the southern suburbs of Urumqi, occupying an area of 350,000 m2. The region features numerous indigenous plants and is home to many native tree species, including ancient elm (Ulmus pumila), which ranges from 150 to 300 years in age. In addition, the area is populated by species, such as Populus alba var. pyramidalis, Fraxinus chinensis, and Salix alba. Herbaceous plants, such as Artemisia sp, Urtica dioica, Plantago major, Humulus lupulus, Salvia japonica, and Taraxacum mongolicum, are also common, with Artemisia sp. being the most abundant. During sampling periods, we observed Artemisia annua, Artemisia vulgaris, Artemisia sieversiana, Artemisia macrocephala, etc. We selected three locations in Yan-Er-Wo where Artemisia pollen was collected and climate and air quality variables were measured.

2.2. Pollen sampling

The typical pollen season for herbaceous species in Urumqi spans from May to September. Thus, sampling was conducted over 5 months (May 15th to September 17th, 2021), until the Artemisia plants began to wilt. Artemisia pollen was collected using a Durham gravity sampler affixed to a glass slide with an adhesive object. The sampler was placed at the three selected locations in the Yan-Er-Wo area, ensuring a relatively even distribution of the target plant. Sampling was conducted between 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (local time) at a height of 1.5 m, corresponding to the breathing level. This period coincided with when citizens typically participated in outdoor activities, and meteorological factors in Urumqi underwent significant changes in the morning and evening. The collected pollen samples were identified and counted in a laboratory using a Nikon Eclipse Ni-type microscope (Nikon Corporation, Tokyo, Japan) at 40× magnification. The daily amount of pollen for each site was calculated by summing the pollen counts during five time intervals, each 2 h replaced the glass slide (8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.) and averaging them across all three sites. These values were used for further analysis. The total number of pollen grains in the cover glass area (22 × 22 mm) was counted under the microscope and expressed in grains per 1000 mm2.

2.3. Meteorological and air quality data

During the sampling period, objective meteorological factors were recorded at 2 - h intervals using a handheld weather station (YGY-QX, YiGu, Wuhan, China). The data included the average air temperature/TAvg (°C), relative air humidity/RHAvg. (%), and average WS/WSAvg. (m/s). These factors were calculated and used for subsequent analysis. The WD data were corrected based on information from the National Weather Service (Fig. 2). Air quality factors, such as PM2.5, PM10, and CO2, were recorded at 2-h intervals using an air quality monitor (BR-HOL-1216, BLATN, Peking, China). The ArcGIS software (V. 10, Esri, Co.Ltd. California, CA, United States) was used to mapping the sketch up of sampling area.

Fig. 2.

Fig. 2

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Wind direction frequency of Urumqi from May to September.

Fig. 3 shows the meteorological and air quality factors. The predominant WD in Urumqi was from the north and northwest. The average temperature in the study area during the sampling period, from May to September, was 27.5 °C, with 25 % RH. The measured average WS was 2.57 m/s.

Fig. 3.

Fig. 3

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Meteorological and environmental conditions of the Yan-Er-Wo Scenic Spot during the study period.

2.4. Statistical analysis

Pearson correlation analysis was employed to analyze the relationship between Artemisia pollen counts and meteorological and air quality factors. VPA was employed to determine the proportion of variation in the pollen counts explained by the meteorological and environmental factors provided. The specified factors were subjected to ranking analysis while constraining non-specified factors to calculate the correlation between the influencing factors and pollen counts.

To elucidate the relationship between air quality and meteorological factors and pollen concentration, variation partitioning analysis (VPA) was performed using the “vegan” package [23] of the R software version 4.1.2 [24]. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS AU [25], Origin 2022 (Origin Lab, Northampton, USA).

3. Results

3.1. Pollen counts

Fig. 4 shows the seasonal fluctuation in Artemisia pollen counts. The pollen counts varied over the months, increasing from an average of 121 grains/1000 mm2 in May to 563 grains/1000 mm2 in August, followed by a decline to 247 grains/1000 mm2 in September. Although slight monthly fluctuations were observed, the pollen counts remained relatively consistent across different days in each month.

Fig. 4.

Fig. 4

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Changes in pollen grain counts from the three sampling sites in Yan-Er-Wo over the study period.

Differences were also observed in terms of the sampling sites. Site 2 had relatively low pollen counts (97–565 grains/1000 mm2) throughout the entire sampling period. This could be because Site 2 is in the middle of the scenic area, where herbs are regularly cultivated and pruned. This differed from the other two sampling sites located south and north of the scenic area. The pollen counts for Sites 1 and 3 were 122 and 144 grains/1000 mm2, respectively, in mid-May. Peaks were observed on different days in August (August 15 and 17). The peak pollen count for Site 1 was the highest among the three sites, reaching 599 grains/1000 mm2.

Pollen was sampled at three locations during five time intervals from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, and Fig. 5 shows the average pollen count. Based on the daily pollen collection in the study area, the quantity of released pollen was typically higher in the afternoon than in the morning. The highest pollen count was recorded between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m., particularly during the peak pollen period. The amount of pollen gathered between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. was generally minimal, with occasional exceptions, probably influenced by the accumulation of pollen that did not disperse in time because of the influence of the WS, WD, and RH.

Fig. 5.

Fig. 5

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Mean inter-diurnal variation in pollen count in Yan-Er-Wo during the study period.

3.2. Pearson correlation analysis

Pearson correlation was performed between Artemisia pollen and various meteorological and air quality factors (Table 1) to examine their influence on pollen variability. The results revealed that the TAvg. (R = 0.424, P < 0.05), PM2.5 (R = 0.545, P < 0.01), and PM10 (R = 0.466, P < 0.05) exhibited a significant positive correlation with the pollen counts. However, the RHAvg. (R = −0.503, P < 0.01) and WSAvg exhibited a significant negative correlation with the pollen counts (R = −0.653, P < 0.01). The pollen counts did not correlate with the CO2 concentration (R = −0.30, P > 0.05).

Table 1.

Correlation coefficients between seasonal pollen counts with meteorological and air quality factors.

Parameters Artemisia pollen counts
Correlation coefficient P-Value
TAvg. (°C) 0.424b 0.028
RHAvg. (%) −0.503a 0.008
WSAvg. (m/s) −0.653a 0.000
PM2.5 (㎍/m3) 0.545a 0.003
PM10 (㎍/m3) 0.466b 0.014
CO2 (ppm) −0.279 0.158
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a

and.

b

indicate significance at the 0.01 and 0.05 levels, respectively.

3.3. Variance partitioning analysis (VPA)

VPA was employed to determine the proportion of variation in the pollen counts explained by the meteorological and environmental factors provided. The specified factors were subjected to ranking analysis while constraining non-specified factors to calculate the correlation between the influencing factors and pollen counts.

Fig. 6 shows the VPA results of the influence of the environmental and meteorological variables on the count of airborne Artemisia pollen. According to the VPA results, meteorological factors (44 %) were more important than air quality factors (19 %) for the variation in pollen counts. The joint effect of both factors was considerably lower (0.04 %) than their individual effects. These findings suggested that meteorological factors significantly influenced the seasonal changes in the pollen count in the study area.

Fig. 6.

Fig. 6

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Variation partitioning analysis of air quality factors (PM2.5, PM10, and CO2) and meteorological factors (TAvg., RHAvg., and WSAvg.).

To further clarify the meteorological factors influencing the pollen count, Fig. 7 shows the VPA of the temperature, RH, and WS in relation to the results shown in Fig. 6. The analysis revealed that the WS and RH accounted for 24 % and 12 %, respectively, with some overlap, whereas temperature contributed considerably less (2 %). The VPA findings were consistent with the correlation results.

Fig. 7.

Fig. 7

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Variation partitioning analysis of meteorological factors (TAvg., RHAvg., and WSAvg.).

4. Discussion

The release of Artemisia pollen correlated with the prevalence of allergenic respiratory ailments [26,27]. In Urumqi, the peak season for Artemisia pollination was early autumn, which aligned with high evidence of respiratory ailments [11]. Following Table 2 of the Pollen Grade Standards, the YanErWo area experienced high Artemisia pollen counts from June to August. This prompted regular pruning practices aimed at reducing excess growth. A study conducted in the 1970s in Xinjiang revealed that the pollen counts of Artemisia sp. peaked in Urumqi during September [28]. After 40 years, the peak season for Artemisia pollen shifted, with the highest counts observed in June and August [11,12]. In the present study, the pollen season lasted for approximately 5 months (from the latter half of May through September). Peak daily counts were recorded in mid-August, and the results were consistent with those of a study by Lv conducted in 2010 [11]. The daily pollen peak time was observed from 16:00 to 18:00, which slightly differed from the daily pollen peaks reported by Gu et al., in 1978 (10:00 to 16:00) [28].

Table 2.

Grades of pollen count [32].

Grades Allergenic description Pollen of woody plant (grains/1000 mm2) Herbaceous pollen (grains/1000 mm2) Incidence rate (%/‰)
1 low ≤100 ≤50 P < 1
2 lower 101–250 51–100 1 ≤ P < 2
3 moderate 251–400 101–150 2 ≤ P < 3
4 higher 401–800 151–300 3 ≤ P < 6
5 high >800 >300 P > 6
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The pollen peak season of Artemisia in Urumqi, which overlaps with that of Lanzhou, Beijing, and Nanjing in China, indicates that these cities also exhibit concurrent periods of heightened pollen allergies [6,29]. This differed from certain European countries or regions because of their climate conditions. For example, winter is the main pollination season for Murcia (southeastern Spain) [30]. Notably, the peak pollination season of Urumqi is similar to that of western Poland [31].

Here, the gravity method was employed to collect airborne pollen. This method is commonly employed in the investigation of airborne pollen dispersion because of its low cost and case of execution. In addition, this method can distinguish between pollen species and observed pollen seasons. These advantages are vital in comprehending the dispersal period of distinct species in a designed region. However, various factors can affect pollen collection, including the WS and WD, size, shape, weight, and other characteristics of pollen. The volumetric method is advantageous for airborne pollen concentration because it can capture the smallest particles that are difficult to settle. Since 2000, ecological researchers in Beijing, Shenyang, Guangzhou, and other major cities have gathered allergenic pollen to investigate its correlation with other air pollutants. Their research focused on the interaction and impact of allergenic airborne pollen with air pollutants, meteorological factors, and the prevalence of pollen-related diseases [17,33,34].

This study established a connection between Artemisia pollen and meteorological factors in the peri - urban environment. Temperature, RH, and WS were observed to be important determinants of the count of airborne pollen. Previous studies have confirmed the significant influence of temperature on the growth, development, and pollination stages of plants [[35], [36], [37]]. The temperature gradually increased from May to August in Urumqi, corresponding to the upward trend of the pollen count.

Previous studies by L. Lv and M. Jiapaer in Urumqi revealed slight variations in the duration of the pollen season [11,12]. Lv (2010) and Jiapaer's (2015) studies respectively indicated that the pollen season occurred from April to October or May to September, with a peak in August and a pollen deposition of approximately 500 grains/1000 mm2. While the timing of the pollen season in our study aligns with these findings, there are differences in pollen quantities. These discrepancies may be attributed to variations in pollen sampling height (20 m and 1.5 m) and sampling duration (24-h continuous sampling and 2-h intervals).

During the peak pollen season of Artemisia in Beijing, as investigated by Hou et al., in 2007, pollen quantities exhibited significant fluctuations throughout the day, ranging from 19 to 1600 grains/1000 mm2, using the same sampling height and interval (2-h interval) [38]. Although our study also falls within this range, the fluctuations may not be as pronounced. This divergence could be due to their selection of study areas with higher Artemisia plant densities and climatic variations between the study regions.

In addition, changes in WS and WD can play a role in pollen dispersion [39]. The study findings indicated that WSAvg. significantly correlated with the pollen counts in the air and negatively impacted the accumulation of Artemisia sp. pollen in the study area. Furthermore, the high WSAvg. values are associated with low accumulation of pollen in the air, which may be related to the fact that the amount of pollen collected by the gravity method is more susceptible to wind speed.

The detection of the air pollutants, PM2.5 and PM10, exhibited a positive correlation with certain airborne pollen grains [17,39]. The findings indicated that as particulate matters the PM2.5 and PM10 and pollen grains dispersion may experiencing similar atmospheric process impacts.

Climate change affects the concentration of air pollutants and allergenic particles, which can enhance the productivity of allergenic plants and hasten their flowering period [20,21]. A recent study on climate effects on plants showed that increased temperature and CO2 levels may alter the flowering time of allergenic species, leading to a longer pollen season and increased pollen release [40]. However, the present results did not reveal a significant correlation between the pollen counts and CO2. This was probably because the CO2 concentration in the study area remained relatively stable. It did not significantly fluctuate during the sampling period.

Overall, the Pearson correlation and VPA revealed that meteorological conditions exhibited a more significant impact on the counts of pollen in the air. However, the difference between suburban and urban environments indicated that the meteorological factors and air quality conditions individually and collectively affected pollen counts at varying degrees. Thus, comparative studies of the urban environments may be required. Further research into the association between allergenic plants in suburban areas and pollen counts in urban areas can help uncover the path of pollen migration.

5. Conclusion

This study investigated the seasonal variation of Artemisia pollen counts with respect to meteorological and ambient air quality factors. The results showed that from late May to mid-August, Artemisia pollen levels gradually increased and then decreased. Correlation revealed a relationship between the temperature, relative humidity and wind speed, PM2.5, PM10 and seasonal variation of Artemisia pollen counts, except for CO2. Furthermore, VPA revealed that different meteorological and air quality factors played a role in determining the Artemisia pollen counts. In addition, influencing factors for the 2021 flowering season of the allergenic plant, Artemisia, in Urumqi are presented. Further research in Urumqi is required to investigate the relationship between urban/rural pollen levels, particularly by examining allergenic pollen trajectories.

Funding statement

This work was supported by the Regional Collaborative Innovation Program - Shanghai Cooperation Organization Science and Technology Partnership and International Science and Technology Cooperation Project of the Science & Technology Department of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (Grant No.: 2023E01026), and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No.: 31770750).

Data availability statement

All data analyzed in this manuscript are available upon request to the corresponding author.

CRediT authorship contribution statement

Kadeliya Jiapaer: Writing – review & editing, Writing – original draft, Visualization, Validation, Methodology, Investigation, Formal analysis, Data curation, Conceptualization. Ümüt Halik: Writing – review & editing, Supervision, Resources, Project administration, Funding acquisition, Conceptualization. Maierdang Keyimu: Writing – review & editing, Software. Imin Bilal: Writing – review & editing, Conceptualization. Lei Shi: Writing – review & editing, Conceptualization. Reyila Mumin: Investigation, Conceptualization.

Declaration of competing interest

We declare that this manuscript entitled “Influence of meteorological and ambient air quality factors on Artemisia pollen concentration in Urumqi, northwest China” is original; it has not been published before and is not currently being considered for publication elsewhere. We unanimously approved the manuscript for publication in “Heliyon”.

All authors declared that they have no conflicts of interest exists to this work.

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Data Availability Statement

All data analyzed in this manuscript are available upon request to the corresponding author.

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