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Relationship Between Lawns, Allergies and Asthma Studied

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According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious

Diseases, more than 50 million Americans, or one in six, have

allergies. That makes allergies the sixth-leading cause of chronic

disease in the United States, costing $18 billion dollars annually.

Asthma, a constriction of the muscles lining the lungs, is often

triggered by rapid allergic reactions and can become life

threatening if not treated quickly and properly. Fungal spores, in

particular, pose a threat for people with asthma.

According to AsthmaNow.com, 9 million children and 14 million adults

have been diagnosed with asthma. The condition also leads to more

than 10 million missed school days each year and causes more than

14.5 million missed work days, valued at $2 billion to $3 billion

annually.

Aug. 2, 2005

Relationship Between Lawns, Allergies and Asthma Studied

Writer: Janet Gregg, (972) 952-9232,j-gregg@tamu-edu

Contact: Dr. Phil Colbaugh, (972) 952-9630,p-colbaugh@...

http://agnews.tamu.edu/dailynews/stories/HORT/Aug0205a.htm

DALLAS – " Have you ever driven down the road and seen someone mowing

the lawn wearing a mask? This is an example of the relationship

between allergies and mold spores in lawns. " Dr. Phil Colbaugh,

research plant pathologist at the Texas Agricultural Experiment

Station in Dallas, cites a common image seen in Texas throughout the

warm weather months.

Colbaugh is studying the relationship between landscaping choices

and practices, seasonal weather and potential exposure to allergenic

mold spores. While his research will eventually include flowering

plants, woody ornamentals, trees and herbs, Colbaugh is currently

focusing on turfgrasses. His research results are being prepared for

peer review, but have not yet been published.

The research began with a goal of determining whether different

turfgrasses support different levels of allergenic mold spores.

, research associate in plant pathology, said the

initial study involved clippings from residential lawns in

and Plano.

High school students participating in Colbaugh's annual Summer

Environmental Research Internship program spent eight weeks

collecting turfgrass clippings from St. Augustine and Bermudagrass

lawns in these two North Texas communities. Then they counted

allergenic mold spores washed from the plant materials.

Sunny Bermudagrass locations had the highest total mold spore

counts, said, and both sunny and shady Bermudagrass samples

contained more spores than did the St. Augustine samples.

The results also showed a large difference in lawns with full sun

versus lawns with full shade. Both the sunny Bermudagrass lawns and

the sunny St. Augustine lawns had three times more allergenic mold

spores than shady lawns.

" Texas is a really bad area for asthma and allergy sufferers, "

Colbaugh said. " The potential for exposure to allergens is high, and

the exposure to mold spores is just one component in a complicated

picture. "

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America annually ranks allergy

capitals. In 2004, Dallas / Fort Worth, Austin, Tulsa and Oklahoma

City all ranked within the Top 10 of 100 American allergy capitals.

Allergy is a genetic susceptibility to the IgE anti-body, which is

present within the body of an allergy sufferer. When IgE comes into

contact with inhaled allergens such as pollen and fungal spores,

histamine and other compounds that produce an allergic reaction are

released.

According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious

Diseases, more than 50 million Americans, or one in six, have

allergies. That makes allergies the sixth-leading cause of chronic

disease in the United States, costing $18 billion dollars annually.

Asthma, a constriction of the muscles lining the lungs, is often

triggered by rapid allergic reactions and can become life

threatening if not treated quickly and properly. Fungal spores, in

particular, pose a threat for people with asthma.

According to AsthmaNow.com, 9 million children and 14 million adults

have been diagnosed with asthma. The condition also leads to more

than 10 million missed school days each year and causes more than

14.5 million missed work days, valued at $2 billion to $3 billion

annually.

Sensitization, a heightened reaction to allergens, can be caused by

repeated exposure to fungal spores during routine activities, such

as mowing the lawn or playing on the grass. Therefore the type of

turfgrass may be a key factor in the allergic asthmatic reaction.

The most aggravating types of mold spores for asthma sufferers come

from the fungal genus Alternaria, a member of the family

Dematiaceae, which are recognized by their dark coloration,

said. Fungi reproduce by means of spores, microscopic structures

that contain the main allergenic irritant. Dematiaceae and other

types of fungal spores dwell on dead vegetation, such as decomposing

turfgrass clippings, and in the soil.

Fungi play a vital role in the environment as decomposers. Dr.

Harriet Burge of Environmental Microbiology Laboratories Inc., said

a fungal-free environment is not possible or desirable. Fungi

constitute an integral part of the environment, whether urban or

rural.

" What was important to us was that we saw big differences in lawn

types and spore counts, " Colbaugh said. " Bermudagrass lawns were

found to support twice as many spores as St. Augustine grass. It

means the type of grass you choose to put down for your lawn or your

athletic field may make a difference to those who suffer from

allergies and asthma. St. Augustine supports fewer of the fungal

spores that trigger allergic or asthmatic reactions. "

Should grass clippings be left on a lawn or removed after mowing?

Colbaugh and advise leaving them.

" They are a great source of nutrients, including nitrogen, potassium

and phosphorus, reducing the need for additional chemical

fertilization, " said. " They contribute organic matter to

the soil over time. Bagging these materials for curbside garbage

collection is costly, and it takes up limited landfill space. And

there are ways to reduce the potential for spore numbers on

established lawns. "

In recent related research, Colbaugh and have shown that

when a lawnmower with a mulching blade was used, spore numbers were

much lower than when a standard blade was used.

Colbaugh and emphasize they are not providing medical

advice. Their goal is to provide science-based research in an area

that lacks information. Ultimately, they hope this research will

help everyone make informed choices about lawns and sports turfs.

This summer the researchers are measuring the differences among a

number of turfgrass types under test plot conditions. They are

tracking maintenance items such as fertility, mowing height, mowing

frequency and irrigation, all of which affect the number of fungal

spores within the turfgrass. They are also monitoring daily weather

patterns to understand the influences of rain, dry weather, high

winds, or high and low humidity.

" Preliminary results are confirming what we learned last year about

Bermudagrass, " said. " Bermuda supports much higher numbers

of allergenic mold spores than do the other types of grasses

tested. " Those grasses include St. Augustine, Zoysia and Reveille

Hybrid Bluegrass, which was developed at the Dallas center by Dr.

Read.

The next step in their research is to conduct air sampling during

and immediately after mowing, to determine exposure risk to the

mower, said. They would also like to determine whether the

number of spores within the turfgrass clippings affects the number

of spores in the air within the home landscape. No date has been set

for that research effort, due to the high cost of the sampling

equipment needed to conduct the test.

Until they can perform these aerobiological tests, Colbaugh and

plan to study other landscape materials, such as compost

piles and mulching materials.

This summer, interns have explored the abilities of inorganic and

organic mulching materials to support the growth of Alternaria.

" Preliminary experiments have shown some organic mulching materials

do support fungal growth while others do not, " said. " These

are preliminary experiments and we look forward to furthering this

research in an effort to provide even more information for

clinicians and homeowners. "

-30-

Agricultural Communications

Texas A & M University System

2112 TAMUS

College Station, TX 77843-2112

(979)845-2895 (979)845-2414

newsteam@...

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