Pollen is a plant reproductive tool in order to defend its type from extinction. Pollen is in the form of fine grains containing microgametophytes, which produce male gametes of seed plants. The pollen wall consists of 2 layers, namely an outer layer called exin and an inner layer of intin. The exin layer consists of a very strong material called sporopolenin, divided into an external sexin layer and an internal nexin. Sexin is an ornamental layer in the form of circular holes or longitudinal lines or both, and nexine is not.
Exin structure is one of the characters used to identify, and has avidity for basic dyes ( fuchsin and phenosaffranin ). The release of pollen or anthesis usually occurs passively, because anther breaks when it becomes dry (Faegri et al.1964). The study of pollen is called palinology and the term palinology was introduced by Hyde and Williams in 1945. Palinology is also concerned with other disciplines such as pollination biology and reproductive biology. For taxonomic purposes, emphasis is placed on the comparative features of pollen, in particular on the aperture and wall structure (Stuessy 1990). The application of pollen studies in the medical field includes identifying allergens as a trigger for allergic diseases and immunotherapy (Mildenhall et al. 2006).
Pollination in plants can be done in several ways, namely anemophile (assisted by wind) such as rice, corn, grass, acacia and pine, hydrophile (assisted by water) such as aquatic plants, entomophyly (assisted by insects) such as orchids, ornithophiles (assisted by birds) such as parasites, Chiropterophile (assisted by bats) such as durian, malacophile (assisted by snails) and anthropophile (assisted by humans) such as in vanilla. Anemophyly plant pollen is usually small, fine, very light, and produced in very large quantities. Among the entomophyly plants, there are some plants which produce a lot of pollen, have an open anther, the less sticky pollen can release enough pollen into the air;
Aerobiology is the science of biological particles in the air. Aerobiology, among other things, aims to understand the spread of biological particles in the air that cause disease in humans, animals and plants as a preventive measure. For example, many people experience allergic reactions due to inhaled biological particles, which are sometimes allergens to humans. Pollen is an example of biological particles present in the air which are subject to aerobiology (Lacey & West 2006).
Read: Pollen Identification
Pollen Capture
To find out what pollen is in the air, it can be captured in several ways, namely by using a passive collector in the form of a basic aeroallergen collector which totally depends on wind and gravity to carry objects in the air to the collecting surface. Most commonly used are self-adhesive glass objects that are placed unprotectedly in a position to be exposed to free air for a short period of time (Smith 2000).
Other traps such as the slit-type volumetric spore trap are the best way to collect pollen on a slit-type machine that uses a suction device. This tool expels air through one or more vents to allow air to be drawn into the engine through a narrow 0.04 × 0.55 inch gap. Fans and air pumps are used to expel air and create a low pressure condition that allows air to enter and pass through the gaps. The most widely used slit-type volumetric spore trap is the Burkard tool.
The Burkard volumetric spore trap consists of an outside and an inside with a rotating drum with a 7 day continuous timing mechanism. This drum is provided with a transparent plastic “Melinex” tape attached around it. The Burkard device is also equipped with a vacuum pump that can draw as much as 10 liters of air per minute, so it can pull pollen and spores from the air through the gaps, which then hit and stick to “Melinex”. It is reliable, easy to carry, can be used in all weather, and easy to operate. Burkard is a tool recommended by the World Allergy Organization (WAO) and is certified by TheAmerican Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI) (Lacey & West 2006, Hasnain et al. 2007).
