AIS LIFE 

Beneficiary responsible for implementation: INSERM, RNSA will be coordinators of the field survey in their Centers (Paris and Lyon), UPMC will support the activities of the action.

 

Action Completed

 

Foreseen start date: third trimester 2014                    Actual start date: third trimester 2014

Foreseen end date: May 31st 2017                                 Actual end date: May 31st 2017

 

A case study has been implemented in order to provide recommendations for plant occupation of public green areas.

The specific objectives of this case-study are to:

1) assess pollen counts and allergen content in public gardens

2) on basis of the obtained results to formulate recommendations in order to protect allergic patients.

Two types of pollen traps are used in AIS: Hirst pollen trap and Sigma 2 passive pollen trap

(SLT) used for analysis of local pollen dispersion.

Within the AIS project, 7 Sigma 2 passive pollen traps (SLT) have been set up in two towns of France (Paris/Lyon) during the pollen season, in order to assess pollen count.

In reality in the project it was written that this action during 21 weeks and it was divided on three periods that means for 6 SLT for Paris and Lyon 126 weeks of exposition measurement. But after the reception of the Gant chart, it was not possible to start in 2014 (pollen period passed) and it will not be possible in 2017 (end of the project before the analysis), the RNSA staff decided to increase the period of exposition during two years (2015 and 2016) to cover the main pollen season.

So in 2015 7 SLT during 16 weeks (and not 7 weeks) have been put = 112 weeks

In 2016 the same protocol has applied (112 weeks), that means that 224 weeks of pollen exposure have been analyzed instead of 126 weeks in the contract which correspond at a better reality.

To  summarize,  7  Sigma  2  will  be  used  over  a  16  week  period,  divided  in  2  different campaigns (respectively campaign I (March 2015-June 2015) and campaign II (March 2016- June 2016)).

The Sigma 2 pollen traps were implanted in public gardens over the ground at about 70 cm. These sensors were installed in proximity position in public gardens. To this extent, towns where Hirst sampler for assessing pollen count already exist at proximity have been chosen. Every day, the slides was changed and sent to the analysis laboratory where the slide containing biological particles have been analysed by optical microscopy by a trained analyst. All the analyses are undertaken by RNSA in France. Overall, 4 Hirst pollen traps and 7 Sigma, 2 passive pollen traps are used. Statistical descriptive analyses are conducted to obtain the distribution of the pollens in the gardens according to the 2 sampling methods.

In  addition,  daily  pollen  data  from  Hirst  pollen  trap  and  Sigma  2  pollen  traps  will  be statistically compared.

​

The deliverable B4.1 (Annex 7.2.18 and 7.2.19) was completed and the Milestone Completion and quality control of the centralized databases campaign I has been reached.

​

Annex 7.2.20 a and b contains other detail of the action and the photographic documentation of the panels installed in the French garden with project name as requested.

​

In the Annex 7.2.21-7.2.25 the list of the plants specimens of park of Paris and Lyon.

​

Implementation of recommendations: with these results, it was possible to build an index of exposure and an index of source in Paris and in Lyon (cf annex 2).

Now,  it  is possible to  inform  the  gardeners about  the  species which  must  be absolutely removed and the species which must not be planted in the future.

Green areas of France contain many allergenic species indicating that health issues have not  been taken into  consideration so far, when choosing the species to  be planted, this should be repaired. To enable those responsible for the urban green areas in France make proper choices, information  is now available to everybody on the allergy potency of many plant species and a guide has been done with the help of the results of this case study.

The guide contains recommendations on which plants to avoid or prefer and it is available below and on the website:

 

http://www.vegetation-en-ville.org/que-faire/le-potentiel-allergisant/