CREAL. Centre for research in environmental epidemiology

Professional cleaning workers may not be sufficiently protected from cutaneous disease at work. Hand dermatitis was reported by 28% of current cleaning workers, versus 18% among their colleagues who did not perform cleaning work, and was associated with cleaning outdoor areas and schools and the use of hydrochloric acid and dust mop products.

After one year of research on the causes explaining the epidemic of allergic diseases, the international MeDALL research team have reached important milestones that help to generate novel knowledge on the mechanisms of initiation of allergy. The researchers are reporting on their work package outcomes and the next steps at the 2nd Annual MeDALL meeting, which is being held on January 23rd to 24th 2012 in Paris, France. MeDALL stands for Mechanisms of the Development of ALLergy.

The level of mother's education influences on the neurodevelopment of children, according to a study published in Infant Behavior and Development and written by the Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology in Barcelona (CREAL).

Health programs are efficient. This is the main conclusion of the session held yesterday at the Public Health Agency of Barcelona entitled 'Effectiveness of policies and programs of public health: do we have any evidence?’ and attended by Manel Nebot, of the Public Health Agency; Esteve Fernandez, a researcher at the Institute of Oncology (ICO), and David Rojas, predoctoral researcher at CREAL.

CREAL coordinates the PHENOTYPE project, which began on January 2012, and intends to investigate the interconnections between exposure to natural outdoor environments (in both rural and urban settings) and better human health and well-being.

Nearly 200 people attended the INMA meeting of December 13, held in the Hall of Casal Pere Quart in Sabadell. The aim was to inform schools and parents, whose children participate in INMA research project, about the first results on Attention Deficit Disorder and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). And in this sense, Dr. Jordi Sunyer, CREAL co-director and INMA´s Project director, remarked that “it is very serious that young children do not walk because exercise in this age improves mental health."

On Saturday, December 17, TV3 news released a story about the needs and concerns of Catalan research centres in front the current situation of economic crisis. Furthermore, they broadcasted this issue in relation with La Marató, a tv show about solidarity, to claim the need for investment in research.

It’s the first study in Europe that analyzes mortality impact of 26 chemical substances of pollution.

This month the TAPAS project has completed the process of data collection and now begins the process of evaluating them, in order to know how active transport can improve health. The hypothesis is that cycling for less contaminated sites, as near the sea, is more beneficial than to do it near a busy street with much traffic, but in any way is still more beneficial to health than doing no exercise.

Yesterday GENOMet network held its first meeting in Barcelona. It was a very successful event, which counted with the attendance of 60 researchers from 30 Spain research centres and universities. The attendees came not only from bioinformatics centres but also from statistical and research centres that generate genomic data so they can get some benefit from the tools developed in this environmental network.