Environmental pollution, nutrition, and child health - CONANS

Reference of the Group:

GIUV2025-627

 
Description of research activity:
The objective of the research group is to study the role of the most important environmental contaminants in air, water, and diet during pregnancy and early life, and their effects on child growth and development. The physical, social, and intellectual development of the child, from conception to the end of adolescence, requires a protected and health-promoting environment. The increase in diseases is related to unhealthy environments. Prenatal and early-life exposures, including diet, are associated with child health and human development, and predispose to later effects in adults. In this way, the research activity is based on three main foundations: Firstly, exposure to environmental contaminants through air, water, and food is universal. Children are especially vulnerable to their effects, as they are not merely small adults. They are in a growth process, and their immune system and detoxification mechanisms are not fully developed. For this reason, children are more vulnerable to environmental exposures than adults. Persistent contaminants such as organochlorine compounds (OCs) and other metals have been linked to intrauterine growth retardation, prematurity, postnatal growth...The objective of the research group is to study the role of the most important environmental contaminants in air, water, and diet during pregnancy and early life, and their effects on child growth and development. The physical, social, and intellectual development of the child, from conception to the end of adolescence, requires a protected and health-promoting environment. The increase in diseases is related to unhealthy environments. Prenatal and early-life exposures, including diet, are associated with child health and human development, and predispose to later effects in adults. In this way, the research activity is based on three main foundations: Firstly, exposure to environmental contaminants through air, water, and food is universal. Children are especially vulnerable to their effects, as they are not merely small adults. They are in a growth process, and their immune system and detoxification mechanisms are not fully developed. For this reason, children are more vulnerable to environmental exposures than adults. Persistent contaminants such as organochlorine compounds (OCs) and other metals have been linked to intrauterine growth retardation, prematurity, postnatal growth delay, and alterations in neurodevelopment and behavior. Air pollutants, such as fine particles, have been associated with increased infant mortality and health problems such as asthma, allergies, and neurodevelopmental issues. There is less evidence about the effects of many contaminants during the fetal period, thus creating the need for new studies to obtain more data. Some substances in water, known as disinfectant by-products, have also been associated with reproductive problems. Secondly, some contaminants and nutrients share the same ingestion route. Fish, the main source of omega-3, also carries OCs and methylmercury. Nutrition through breastfeeding, the only form of nourishment during the first month of life, provides both nutrients and contaminants. Although the toxicity mechanisms of OCs are not well known, it is suggested that the underlying metabolic and hormonal mechanisms involved in the neurotoxicity of these contaminants follow the same path as the deficiency of some essential fatty acids. It remains to be explained whether nutrients can counteract the negative effects of contaminants on health. Thirdly, little is known about individual susceptibility to certain chemical substances, which is why more studies are needed integrating environment-gene interactions.
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Web:

No Determinada

 
Scientific-technical goals:
  • Describir el grado de exposiciones prenatales individuales a contaminantes ambientales durante la gestacion e infancia
  • Evaluar el impacto de la exposicion pre y postnatal a diferentes contaminantes ambientales en el crecimiento, la salud y el desarrollo infantil
  • Evaluar como los factores geneticos y nutricionales pueden modificar los efectos de los contaminantes ambientales en el crecimiento infantil
 
Research lines:
  • Study of the role of environmental pollutants in air, water and diet and their effects on children's health.Study of the degree of prenatal and postnatal exposure to environmental pollutants during pregnancy and childhood, assessing the impact on growth, health and child development, as well as genetic and nutritional factors that may modify the effects of pollutants.
 
Group members:
Name Nature of participation Entity Description
MANUEL LOZANO RELAÑODirectorUniversitat de València
Research team
MONICA GOZALBO MONFORTMemberUniversitat de València
ANA DOLORES GUILLEM RAMONMemberUniversitat de València
GUILLERMO AYALA GALLEGOCollaboratorUniversitat de València
JESUS BLESA JARQUECollaboratorUniversitat de València
EMILIA FERRER GARCIACollaboratorUniversitat de València
ANA ESPLUGUES CEBRIANCollaboratorUniversitat de València
ADINA ALEXANDRA IFTIMI CollaboratorUniversitat de València
LAURA ESCRIVA LLORENSCollaboratorUniversitat de València
JUAN FRANCISCO CORRECHER VALLSCollaboratorUniversitat de València
JUAN JOSE PEIRO RAMADACollaboratorUniversitat de València
ALVARO BRIZ REDONCollaboratorUniversitat de València
NURIA DASI NAVARROCollaboratorUniversitat de València - Estudi GeneralUVEG PhD student
 
CNAE:
  • -
 
Associated structure:
  • Prev. Medicine, Public Health, Food Sc.,Toxic. and For. Med.