Aerobiology in Latin America: Past, Present and Future Directions for Atmospheric Pollen Surveillance

Aeropalynology, the monitoring and interpretation of airborne pollen, has become increasingly relevant in Latin America as allergic rhinitis and asthma rise alongside rapid urbanization, land-use change, and climate variability. Yet the region’s capacity remains heterogeneous: long-standing traditions in the Southern Cone coexist with emerging programs in tropical and Andean settings, and many series are not translated into standardized products useful for clinical care or public health. We conducted a structured literature review guided by PRISMA 2020 to synthesize the historical evolution, current monitoring infrastructure, dominant pollen taxa, and translational outputs reported across Latin American countries. Evidence indicates that Mexico currently represents the most mature aeropalynological ecosystem in the region, supported by multi-site monitoring, open weekly reporting (REMA), multiple city-level pollen calendars, and emerging computational approaches for pollen identification. Across countries, recurrent high-impact taxa include Cupressaceae, Fraxinus, Platanus, Olea, Poaceae, Urticaceae, Amaranthaceae, Rumex, Ambrosia, and Parietaria, with local dominance shaped by biogeography and urban vegetation. Key gaps include limited long-term continuity outside a few cities, variable methodology (sampler type, taxonomic resolution, units, thresholds), and scarce linkage of pollen exposure metrics with clinical outcomes. Future priorities include harmonized volumetric monitoring, interoperable data standards, routine publication of pollen calendars and thresholds, integration with meteorology for forecasting, and expansion of digital decision-support tools to improve prevention and management of allergic respiratory diseases in Latin America.