Air Pollutants Causing More Allergies
Air Pollutants Causing More Allergies – According to a new study, air pollutants that are causing climate change are also strengthening common airborne allergens; hence, the increase in the number of people suffering from seasonal allergies.
The results of the new study will be presented at the National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS).
According to lead scientist, Ulrich Pöschl, of the Max Planck Institute in Germany, nitrogen dioxide and ground-level ozone, common traffic-related pollutants, seem to be making chemical changes in certain airborne allergens that could increase their potency. They studied the effects of ozone and nitrogen dioxide on the major birch pollen allergen called Bet v 1.
Researchers found that ozone, found in smog, oxidizes an amino acid called tyrosine that helps form Bet v 1 proteins. This starts a process that changes their structure and enables cross-linking of proteins, which strengthens these allergens. They say that this is causing the increase in nasal allergies. Almost 50 million people suffer from nasal allergies in the US.
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