Effect of air pollutant NO2 on Betula pendula, Ostrya carpinifolia and Carpinus betulus pollen fertility and human allergenicity

Pollen of Betula pendula, Ostrya carpinifolia and Carpinus betulus was exposed in vitro to two levels of NO2 (about 0.034 and 0.067 ppm) – both below current atmospheric hour-limit value acceptable for human health protection in Europe (0.11 ppm for NO2). Experiments were performed under artificial solar light with temperature and relative humidity continuously monitored. The viability, germination and total soluble proteins of all the pollen samples exposed to NO2 decreased significantly when compared with the non-exposed. The polypeptide profiles of all the pollen samples showed bands between 15 and 70 kDa and the exposure to NO2 did not produce any detectable changes in these profiles. However, the immunodetection assays indicated higher IgE recognition by patient sera sensitized to the pollen extracts from all exposed samples in comparison to the non-exposed samples. The common reactive bands to the three pollen samples correspond to 58 and 17 kDa proteins. •A synthetic atmosphere containing relatively low levels of the air pollutant NO2 was simulated.•Betulaceae pollen was in vitro exposed to low levels of atmospheric NO2 pollutant.•The fertility of the Betulaceae pollen exposed to NO2 decreased significantly.•The human allergenicity of the Betulaceae pollen exposed to NO2 increased. When the pollen of birch trees were exposed to low levels of air pollutant NO2, a decrease in the fertility, and an increase on the allergic reactivity, were observed.