Dr Beverley Adams-Groom

dr-beverley-adams-groom

Senior Palynologist and Pollen Forecaster

School of Science and the Environment

Biological Sciences

Contact Details

email: b.adams-groom@worc.ac.uk
tel: 01905855411

Beverley is a leading expert in pollen forecasting and provides the UK and Ireland with forecasts for all the main airborne allergens, aided by colleagues in the pollen forecast team, and working in association with the UK Met Office. The main discipline for this work is Aerobiology, which is the study of the production, emission and dispersal of biological particles (bioaerosols).

Beverley is also involved in the field of Palynology, which is the study of microscopic biological particles (mainly pollen and spore identification). She applies this in the quality assurance of honeys for the UKs honey companies and analysts. This is a form of forensic work, involving identification of pollen extracted from honey of various countries to ensure the origin and floral composition. Beverley has also worked extensively on crime cases, applying palynology to produce evidence of links between suspect and crime scene.

Qualifications

  • BSc (Hons) Environmental Science (Worcester)
  • PhD by Publication in Forensic Palynology (Worcester)

Research

Beverley has recently published and collaborated on studies examining the relationship between pollen season trends in the UK and climate change impacts. Current work involves analysis of fungal spore levels in the UK airstream and detection of bioaerosols using real-time, automated samplers.

Beverley is a member of the Palynology and Aerobiology Research Group and an associate member of the Sustainable Environments Research Group.

Sustainable Environments Research Group

Teaching

Beverley teaches UMS students and advises MRes and PhD students, as well as independent study students. Currently teaching on the following courses:

  • BIOL1008 Introduction to Forensic Science
  • BIOS4002 Integrated Masters in Applied and Commercial Research

Professional Bodies

  • International Honey Association
  • International Association for Aerobiology

Recent Publications

Buters J, Clot B, Galán C, Gehrig R, Gilge S, Hentges F, O’Connor D, Sikoparija B, Skjoth C, Tummon F, Adams-Groom B, Antunes CM, Bruffaerts N, Çelenk S, Crouzy B, Guillaud G, Hajkova L, Seliger AK, Oliver G, Ribeiro H, Rodinkova V, Saarto A, Sauliene I, Sozinova O, Stjepanovic B. 2022. Automatic detection of airborne pollen: an overview. Aerobiologia. ISSN Electronic: 1573-3025 Print: 0393-5965.

Adams-Groom B, Selby K, Derrett S, Frisk CA, Pashley CH, Satchwell J, King D, McKenzie G, Neilson R. Pollen season trends as markers of climate change impact: Betula, Quercus and Poaceae. Sci Total Environ. 2022 Science of the Total Environment, 831 (154882). ISSN Print: 0048-9697 Online: 1879-1026.

Rowney FM, Brennan GL, Skjøth CA, Griffith GW, McInnes RN, Clewlow Y, Adams-Groom B, Barber A, de Vere N, Economou T, Hegarty M, Hanlon HM, Jones L, Kurganskiy A, Petch GM, Potter C, Rafiq AM, Warner A, ‘The PollerGEN Consortium’, Wheeler B, Osborne NJ, Creer S. 2021. Environmental DNA reveals links between abundance and composition of airborne grass 1 pollen and respiratory health. Current Biology, 31: 9: 1995-2003 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2021.02.019

Kurganskiy A, Creer S, de Vere N, Griffith GW, Osborne NJ, Wheeler BW, McInnes RN, Clewlow Y, Barber A, Brennan GL, Hanlon HM, Hegarty M, Potter C, Rowney F, Adams-Groom B, Petch GM, Pashley CH, Satchwell J, de Weger LA, Rasmussen K, Oliver G, Sindt C, Bruffaerts N, The PollerGEN Consortium, Skjøth CA. 2021. Predicting the severity of the grass pollen season and the effect of climate change in 5 Northwest Europe. Science Advances, 7. DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abd7658

Athanasios Damialis, Stefanie Gilles, Mikhail Sofiev, Viktoria Sofieva, Franziska Kolek, DanielaBayr, Maria P. Plaza, Vivien Leier-Wirtz, Sigrid Kaschuba, Lewis H. Ziska, Leonard Bielory, László Makra, Maria del Mar Trigo, COVID-19/POLLEN study group (inc. Beverley Adams-Groom), Claudia Traidl-Hoffmann. 2021. Higher airborne pollen concentrations correlated with increased SARS-CoV-2 infection rates, as evidenced from 31 countries across the globe.  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118 (12) e2019034118; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2019034118

Frisk CA, Apangu GP, Petch GM, Adams-Groom B, Skjøth CA. 2022. Atmospheric transport reveals grass pollen dispersion distances. Science of The Total Environment, 814. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969721078852

Skjøth C, Kurganskiy A, Grundstrom M, Werner M, Adams-Groom B. 2021. Air pollution affecting pollen concentrations through radiative feedback in the atmosphere. Atmosphere, 12: 1376. https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos12111376

Apangu, Godfrey, Frisk, Carl, A., Adams-Groom, Beverley, Satchwell, J., Pashley, C. H and Skjoth, C. (2020) Air mass trajectories and land cover map reveal cereals and oilseed rape as major local sources of Alternaria spores in the Midlands, UK. Atmospheric Pollution Research. 11 (9): 1668-1679.

Adams-Groom B, Skjoth C, Selby K, Pashley C, Satchwell J, Head K, Ramsay G. 2020. Regional calendars and seasonal statistics for the United Kingdom’s main pollen allergens. Allergy, 75 (6): 1492-1494. https://doi.org/10.1111/all.14168

Adams-Groom B, Martin P, Sierra-Banon A-L. 2019. Pollen characterization of English honey from Worcestershire, West Midlands (UK). Bee World, 97 (2): 53-56  https://doi.org/10.1080/0005772X.2019.1698105

Rojo J, Oteros J, Pérez-Badia R, Cervigón P, Ferencova Z, Gutiérrez-Bustillo AM, Bergmann K-C, Oliver G, Thibaudon M, Albertini R, Rodríguez-De la Cruz D, Sánchez-Reyes E, Sánchez-Sánchez J, Pessi AM, Reiniharju J, Saarto A, Galderón MC, Guerrero C, Berra D, Bonini M, Chiodini E, Fernández-González D, García J, Trigo MM, Myszkowska D, Fernández-Rodríguez S, Tormo-Molina R, Damialis A, Haering F, Traidl-Hoffmann C, Severova E, Caeiro E, Ribeiro H, Magyar D, Makra L, Udvardy O, Alcázar P, Galán C, Borycka K, Kasprzyk I, Newbigin E, Adams-Groom B, Apangu G, Frisk CA, Skjøth C, Radisic P, Šikoparij B, Celenk S, Schmidt-Weber C & Buters J. 2019. Near-ground Effect of Height on Pollen Exposure. Environmental Research. 174: 160-169   http://eprints.worc.ac.uk/7928/

Brennan GL, Potter C, de Vere N, Griffith GW, Skjoth CA, Osborne NJ, Wheeler BW, McInnes RN, Clewlow Y, Barber A, Hanlon HM, Hegarty M, Jones L, Kurganskiy A, Rowney FM, Armitage C, Adams-Groom B, Ford Col R, Petch GM, The PollerGEN Consortium & Creer S. 2019. Temperate airborne grass pollen defined by spatio-temporal shifts in community composition. Nature Ecology and Evolution. 3 (5): 750-754 doi: 10.1038/s41559-019-0849-7. Epub 2019 Apr 8.

Grundström M, Adams-Groom B, Pashley CH, Dahl Å, Rasmussen K, de Weger LA, Thibaudon M, Fernández-Rodríguez S, Silva-Palacios I, Skjøth CA. 2019. Oak pollen seasonality and severity across Europe and modelling the season start using a generalized phenological model. Science of the Total Environment, 663: 527-536

Wakeham A, Keane G, John S, Adams-Groom, B and Kennedy R. 2018. CP 137 - Cucumber: Development and Testing of a Lateral Flow Device For Both Gummy Stem Blight and Powdery Mildew in Bio-aerosols During Cucurbit Production. Final Report. Project Report. Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, Warwickshire, UK.  

Adams-Groom B, Skjoth CA, Baker M & Welch T. 2017. Modelled and observed surface soil pollen deposition distance curves for isolated trees of Carpinus betulus, Cedrus atlantica, Juglans nigra and Platanus acerifolia. Aerobiologia, 33(3): 407-416

Adams-Groom B. Assessment of pollen assemblages on footwear for evidence of pollen deriving from a mock crime scene: a contribution to forensic palynology. Grana, DOI: 10.1080/00173134.2017.1310293

Newsome N, Adams-Groom B. 2017. Seasonal variation in surface soil pollen taxa over twelve months in three English mature woodlands. Grana,56(6): 377-385

Khwarahm NR, Dash J, Skjoth CA, Newnham RM, Adams-Groom B, Caulton E & Atkinson PM. 2016. Mapping the birch and grass pollen seasons in the UK using satellite sensor time-series. Science of the Total Environment, 578: 586-600

Sadys M, Adams-Groom B, Herbert RJ & Kennedy R. Comparisons of fungal spore distributions using air sampling at Worcester, England (2006-2010). Aerobiologia, published online 30th March 2016. DOI 10.1007/s10453-016-9436-4

Skjoth CA, Bilinska D, Werner M, Malkiewicz M, Adams-Groom B, Kryza M & Drzeniecka-Osiadacz A. Footprint areas of pollen from alder (Alnus) and birch (Betula) in the UK (Worcester) and Poland (Wroclaw) during 2005-2014. Acta Agrobotanica, 68(4): 315-324 DOI: 10.5586/aa.2015.044

Skjoth, C.A, Werner M, Kryza M, Adams-Groom B, Wakeham A, Lewis M, Kennedy R. 2015. Quality of the Governing Temperature Variables in WRF in relation to Simulation of Primary Biological Aerosols. Advances in Meteorology. doi:10.1155/2015/412658

Hawkins J, d Vere N, Griffith A, Ford R, Allainguillaume J, Hegarty M, Baillie L, Adams-Groom B. 2015. Using DNA metabarcoding to identify the floral composition of honey: A new tool for investigating honey bee foraging preferences. PLOS One, DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0134735

Adams-Groom B. 2015. Frequency and abundance of pollen taxa in crime case samples from the United Kingdom, Grana, 54,2: 146-155

Skjoth, C.A., Baker, P., Sadys M., Adams-Groom, B. 2015. Pollen from alder (Alnus sp.), birch (Betula sp.) and oak (Quercus sp.) in the UK originate from small woodlands. Urban Climate, 14, 414-428

Fernández Rodriguez S, Adams-Groom B, Silva Palacios I, Caeiro E, Brandao R, Ferro R, Gonzalo Garijo Á, Smith M & Tormo Molina R. (2014). Comparison of Poaceae pollen counts recorded at sites in Portugal, Spain and the UK. Aerobiologia. Online: April 2014

Khwarahm N, Dash J, Atkinson P.M, Newnham R.M, Skjoth C.A, Adams-Groom B, Caulton E & Head K. 2014. Exploring the spatio-temporal relationship between two key aeroallergens and meteorological variables in the United Kingdom. Int. J. Biomet., 58,4:529-545

Newnham RM, Sparks TH, Skjoth CA, Head K, Adams-Groom B & Smith M. 2013. Pollen season and climate: Is the timing of birch pollen release in the UK approaching its limit? Int J Biometeorol., 57, 3: 391-400

Adams-Groom B. Forensic Palynology. In: Marquez-Grant N & Roberts J (Eds). 2012. Forensic Ecology Handbook. Wiley-Blackwell