Effects of the exposome on the microbiome: what doesn’t kill you leaves a mark
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.34119/bjhrv9n2-087Keywords:
exposome, one health, microbiome, environmental contamination, non-genetic environmental factorsAbstract
As a result of intense environmental modification, industrialization, and urbanization, and the configuration that anthropogenic biomes have adopted across at least three-quarters of the planet, humans are exposed to a wide range of substances and chemical compounds from birth, if not before, through indirect maternal exposure. This countless array of exposure possibilities has been defined as the exposome. The exposome can cause adverse health effects and act as an aggravating factor in morbidity, including the development and progression of non-communicable chronic diseases. A highly relevant target of the exposome that has gained significant attention in recent decades is the microbiome. The microbiome refers to the collection of microorganisms, including their metabolic products and genes, that inhabit the body. The majority of the microbiome is concentrated in the gut, where, through secretory products and complex local interactions, it promotes intestinal health balance, the release of neurotransmitters, and, together with the central nervous system, establishes the complex gut-brain axis. This axis controls systems and functions crucial to the health and physiology of the gastrointestinal tract, while also being intricately linked to neuropsychiatric disorders and to the regulation of immunity and inflammation. It is important to note that the skin and mucous membranes also host colonization that can be altered by exposure to environmental chemical substances. Therefore, this article aims to describe and discuss how the exposome exerts adverse effects on human health by negatively impacting the microbiome. The analysis explores chronic and sublethal toxicity, which, although it may not manifest as acute toxicity, can significantly alter microbial composition. It is demonstrated that such effects, however subtle, leave lasting marks and result in persistent, significant long-term health consequences.
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