Atmospheric modelling of grass pollen rupturing mechanisms for thunderstorm asthma prediction.

ABSTRACT: The world's most severe thunderstorm asthma event occurred in Melbourne, Australia on 21 November 2016, coinciding with the peak of the grass pollen season. The aetiological role of thunderstorms in these events is thought to cause pollen to rupture in high humidity conditions, releasing large numbers of sub-pollen particles (SPPs) with sizes very easily inhaled deep into the lungs. The humidity hypothesis was implemented into a three-dimensional atmospheric model and driven by inputs from three meteorological models. However, the mechanism could not explain how the Melbourne event occurred as relative humidity was very low throughout the atmosphere, and most available grass pollen remained within 40 m of the surface. Our tests showed humidity induced rupturing occurred frequently at other

SUBMITTER: Emmerson KM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8046208 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature