Pollen calendars of Cartagena, Lorca, and Murcia (Region of Murcia), southeastern Iberian Peninsula: 2010–2017

Pollen allergens are one of the most important causes of respiratory allergies in industrialized countries. Aerobiological studies, including pollen and spore concentrations, allow for the defining of different palynomorph concentrations throughout the year. Pollen calendars summarize the aerobiological information of a locality in a single figure. They report which types of pollen are present at each time of the year and highlight the relative importance of some with respect to others. In this paper, the pollen calendar of three cities in the Region of Murcia, Cartagena, Lorca, and Murcia, is presented for the period 2010–2017. Sixty-three pollen types were identified in the bioaerosol of the Region of Murcia. Fourteen pollen types make up the pollen calendar of Cartagena, while 15 form those of both Lorca and Murcia. The spore types Cladosporium cladosporioides, Cladosporium herbarum, and Alternaria, have been included in the same format. The results show important qualitative and quantitative differences among the three cities. Lorca presents an aerobiological profile related to agricultural activities, while Murcia shows higher influence from anemophilous species coming from gardens and parks, and finally, given its proximity to the sea, Cartagena registers lower levels in most pollen types. The intensity of some of the pollen taxon and fungal types requires a deeper study of their responsibility for allergies in the area.