Long-term Exposure to Toxic Pesticides Alters Gut Microbiome, Metabolism

Researchers build on existing research when assessing the relationship between long-term exposure to organophosphorus pesticides — widely used in food production, homes and gardens — and the human gut microbiome.In a new study published in Environmental Health, an interdisciplinary research team from the University of California, Los Angeles, determined, “that exposure to [organophosphorus pesticides] is associated with changes in the abundance of several bacterial groups and differential functional capacity in metabolic pathways supported by the human gut microbiome.”

The study draws upon data from a “Parkinson’s, Environment and Gene study (PEG)” in which 190 participants were asked to submit fecal samples and answer interview questions.