Air Sampling Studies in a Tropical Area. Four Year Results

Abstract

Our studies on the air-spora are intended as an aid for the diagnosis and treatment of allergic conditions in the tropics. Our air samplers operate at the Venezuelan Institute for Scientific Research, in a suburban area of Caracas. Caracas, which is the capital of Venezuela, spreads on a system of valleys surrounded by mountains as high as 2,600 m. One of them the Avila, separates the city from the Caribbean Sea. The climate -at 10º N latitude- is mild and typically tropical. The mean annual temperature is 21º C (range 19º to 22º) and the relative humidity 80% (range 75 to 83). There are two seasons: rainy and wet. The rainy season lasts from May to September, the dry season from November to March. April and October are intermediate months when it usually rains moderately.