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Combined exposure to microplastics and cadmium alters gut microbiota composition in preschool children: A cross-sectional study
Summary
A cross-sectional study of preschool children found that combined exposure to microplastics and cadmium was associated with altered gut microbiota composition. The findings suggest that dietary co-exposure to these two contaminants has joint effects on early-life gut health beyond what either pollutant causes alone.
Early childhood is a critical developmental stage during which the gut microbiota strongly influences nutrient absorption, immunity, and neurodevelopment. Diet is considered a primary route of exposure to both microplastics (MPs) and cadmium (Cd), raising concerns about their potential joint impacts on child health. However, the effects of combined exposure to MPs and Cd on the early-life gut microbiota remain poorly understood. Fecal samples from 68 preschool children under 6 years of age were analyzed using pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to quantify MPs and Cd, respectively. MPs were detected in all samples, with a median concentration of 123.7 μg/g dry weight (DW) (interquartile range, IQR: 70.6-197.8). The predominant polymers were polyethylene (PE, 100 %), polyamide-66 (PA66, 100 %), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC, 93 %). Cd was also detected in all children, with a median concentration of 0.31 μg/g DW (range: 0.21-0.48). Cd concentrations were significantly higher in the low-MP-exposure group compared to the high-exposure group, indicating an inverse association between fecal MP and Cd levels in children. Under combined exposure to MPs and Cd, children with lower Cd levels exhibited higher abundances of beneficial taxa, such as Bifidobacterium and Faecalibacterium. In contrast, higher MP exposure was associated with enrichment of Bacilli and enhanced Bacilli-associated functional activity, particularly in amino acid, energy, and carbohydrate metabolism. KEGG functional predictions also showed that carbohydrate and nucleotide metabolism pathways are more prominent in both low Cd-MP and high Cd-MP exposure groups, indicating a non-monotonic trend. These findings provide novel evidence that combined exposure to MPs and Cd is associated with distinct alterations in the gut microbiota of preschool children, underscoring the need to consider multiple pollutants in early-life microbiome research.