Climate Change and Allergens: Current and Future Impacts
Abstract
Climate change will continue to impact allergic diseases in direct and indirect ways. Rising global temperatures are contributing to increased duration of pollen seasons, altered aeroallergen production and potency of allergens, and changes in the geographic distribution of allergenic plants that drive increased human exposure to aeroallergens and increased allergic disease morbidity. Climate change is inextricably linked with air pollution, the latter of which was shown to act as an adjuvant for allergic inflammatory processes promoting allergic sensitization. Pollutant exposure is also linked with higher prevalence of childhood asthma and exacerbation of existing asthma and allergic disease. Increased exposure, or co-exposure, to aeroallergens and air pollution as a result of climate change will result in higher rates of sensitization, and incident allergic disease remains uncertain. Vulnerable populations, including children, the elderly, and marginalized groups, are likely to be disproportionately affected. This review summarizes the current knowledge of the effects of climate change on aeroallergens, and by extension, allergic disease. Addressing these health challenges requires a comprehensive understanding of the interaction between climate change, allergens, pollution and public health, alongside proactive measures to mitigate these effects.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Climate Change Impacts on Marine Ecosystems
- Assisted Gene Flow to Facilitate Local Adaptation to Climate Change
- Climate Change Effects on Plant Disease: Genomes to Ecosystems
- Biodiversity and Climate Change: Integrating Evolutionary and Ecological Responses of Species and Communities
- A systematic review of climate change education: giving children and young people a ‘voice’ and a ‘hand’ in redressing climate change
- Global Monsoon Dynamics and Climate Change
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.