Climate change and allergy: a call for action in Europe

Abstract

This mini-review examines the link between climate change, air pollution, and aeroallergen-induced respiratory diseases in Europe. The articles selected in this mini-review highlighted the links between climate change, air pollutants and the impact on aeroallergen-induced respiratory disease. Searching data base PubMed returned results, but not all were relevant. The search conducted for a geographical scope of Europe after 2015 returned a large number of results, clinical studies, manuals, guidelines and recommendations from international recognized institutions or organizations, such as Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA), World Health Organisation (WHO) from which only published texts containing both general information and specific quantifiable information on climate change and air pollutants and their effects on health were selected. The findings highlight how environmental stressors interact to exacerbate allergic respiratory diseases, and emphasize the need for environmental policies.

Keywords

Climate change / allergy / asthma / air pollution

References

[1] Dougherty JM, Alsayouri K, Sadowski A. Allergy. In: StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025. [PubMed]

[2] D’Amato G, Chong-Neto HJ, Monge Ortega OP, Vitale C, Ansotegui I, Rosario N, et al. The effects of climate change on respiratory allergy and asthma induced by pollen and mold allergens. Allergy. 2020; 75: 2219-28. [DOI] [PubMed]

[3] Beck I, Jochner S, Gilles S, McIntyre M, Buters JT, Schmidt-Weber C, et al. High environmental ozone levels lead to enhanced allergenicity of birch pollen. PLoS One. 2013; 8: e80147. [DOI] [PubMed] [PMC]

[4] Weber RW. Current and Future Effects of Climate Change on Airborne Allergens. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep. 2024; 24: 373-9. [DOI] [PubMed]

[5] Lindqvist M, Leth-Møller KB, Linneberg A, Kull I, Bergström A, Georgellis A, et al. Natural course of pollen-induced allergic rhinitis from childhood to adulthood: A 20-year follow up. Allergy. 2024; 79: 884-93. [DOI] [PubMed]

[6] D’Amato G, Pawankar R, Vitale C, Lanza M, Molino A, Stanziola A, et al. Climate Change and Air Pollution: Effects on Respiratory Allergy. Allergy Asthma Immunol Res. 2016; 8: 391-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [PMC]

[7] D’Amato G, Annesi-Maesano I, Cecchi L, D’Amato M. Latest news on relationship between thunderstorms and respiratory allergy, severe asthma, and deaths for asthma. Allergy. 2019; 74: 9-11. [DOI] [PubMed]

[8] Diver S, Symon F, Satchwell J, Lipscombe H, Green RH, Woltmann G, et al. Under the weather: an epidemic thunderstorm asthma event in Leicester, June 2023. BMJ Open Respir Res. 2025; 12: e002588. [DOI] [PubMed] [PMC]

[9] Pacheco SE, Guidos-Fogelbach G, Annesi-Maesano I, Pawankar R, D’Amato G, Latour-Staffeld P, et al. ; American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Environmental Exposures and Respiratory Health Committee. Climate change and global issues in allergy and immunology. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2021; 148: 1366-77. [DOI] [PubMed]

[10] Arjomandi M, Wong H, Tenney R, Holland N, Balmes JR. Effect of ozone on allergic airway inflammation. J Allergy Clin Immunol Glob. 2022; 1: 273-81. [DOI] [PubMed] [PMC]

[11] Visez N, Hamzé M, Vandenbossche K, Occelli F, de Nadaï P, Tobon Y, et al. Uptake of ozone by allergenic pollen grains. Environ Pollut. 2023; 331: 121793. [DOI] [PubMed]

[12] Dbouk T, Visez N, Ali S, Shahrour I, Drikakis D. Risk assessment of pollen allergy in urban environments. Sci Rep. 2022; 12: 21076. [DOI] [PubMed] [PMC]

[13] WHO Regional Office for Europe, OECD. Economic cost of the health impact of air pollution in Europe: Clean air, health and wealth. Copenhagen: WHO Regional Office for Europe ; 2015.

[14] Pashley CH, Satchwell J, Edwards RE. Ragweed pollen: is climate change creating a new aeroallergen problem in the UK? Clin Exp Allergy. 2015; 45: 1262-5. [DOI] [PubMed]

[15] Maio S, Baldacci S, Tagliaferro S, Angino A, Parmes E, Pärkkä J, et al. Urban grey spaces are associated with increased allergy in the general population. Environ Res. 2022; 206: 112428. [DOI] [PubMed]

[16] Crimmins A. Chapter 9 Populations of Concern: THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON HUMAN HEALTH IN THE UNITED STATES: A Scientific Assessment [Internet]. [Cited 2025 Jul 15]. Available from: https://doi.org/10.7930/J0Q81B0T

[17] Pawankar R, Bunnag C, Khaltaev N, Bousquet J. Allergic Rhinitis and Its Impact on Asthma in Asia Pacific and the ARIA Update 2008. World Allergy Organ J. 2012; 5: S212-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [PMC]

[18] Poole JA, Nadeau KC. Climate Change and the Practice of Allergy and Immunology. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2025; 13: 295-7. [DOI] [PubMed]