The arrival of spring means allergy season is here. This map can help you survive

Allergy season arrives with the arrival of spring, bringing discomfort for many Buenos Aires residents. The culprit is the ubiquitous London plane tree pollen, which causes various allergic reactions such as eye irritation, rhinitis, and rhinoconjunctivitis. This issue has been a part of life for porteños (Buenos Aires residents) for years, particularly during the transition from September to October when these trees release their pollen.

The high concentration of plane trees in the city, coupled with weather conditions that favor pollen dispersal, has made them a significant driver of allergy season. As noted in a Netflix billboard, "Plane trees allergies. Season one thousand. Now available." The tree's popularity in Buenos Aires can be traced back to former President Domingo Faustino Sarmiento's 19th-century promotion of European immigration, which led to the massive planting of Platanus x acerifolia in public spaces.

Despite their drawbacks, plane trees offer some benefits, such as fast growth, pollution tolerance, and shade provision. However, addressing the issue of plane trees in the city is not a feasible solution. Instead, those suffering from allergies have resorted to over-the-counter antihistamines, medical masks, and other coping mechanisms.

In response to this ongoing problem, researcher Luciana Staiano from the University of Buenos Aires' School of Agriculture (FAUBA) developed an "Allergy GPS" – an interactive map using Google Maps to display the concentration of plane trees across the city. Staiano, who frequently bikes around the city, found that her eyes filled with plane-tree fluff during the spring season.

She solved this problem by processing data from the city's public trees census (2017-2018) and creating a map that groups city blocks based on the number of plane trees they contain.

The map reveals that areas with the highest plane tree density, such as La Paternal (nearly 34% of the neighborhood's street grid) and Villa Luro (over 30%), experience the most significant impact on residents. By using the Allergy GPS, individuals can plan their routes to avoid high-density areas in the spring or even embrace them during the summer. This tool provides a practical solution for those seeking to minimize their allergy symptoms during allergy season.