PISCINA

Duration

2006-2009

Coordinator

Cristina Villanueva (ISGlobal)

Funded by

FIS/ISCIII - FONDO DE INVESTIGACIÓN SANITARIA. ISCIII
Plan Nacional del Ministerio de Ciencia

Research Project on Irritating Compounds in Swimming Pools

Children and adults frequently swim in pools due to the obvious health benefits provided by this physical activity. The disinfectant compounds used in pools are very reactive and generate hundreds of undesired by-products when they react with organic matter and matter of human origin (hair, saliva, skin particles, urine or cosmetics) in the water. Some of these compounds have a recognized carcinogenic activity in laboratory animals, and nitrogenated compounds such as trichloramine can harm the lung epithelium. In humans, this exposure has been associated with several different types of cancer and respiratory effects, but knowledge regarding the mechanisms of action of these contaminants is very limited.

The PISCINA project aims to assess exposure to disinfection by-products and their genotoxic and respiratory effects, which may share the same pathways of action and which are associated with important public health problems. This project is composed of two sub-studies in which different research centres are participating: an experimental study and an epidemiological study.



The study has been approved by the Ethics Committee of the Municipal Health Care Institute and has been funded by the Ministry of Education and Science (File no. SAF 2005-07643-C03-01) and the Ministry of Health (FIS CP06/00341).

Some of the project’s results have already been published, and some will be published soon.