Yidan Zhang / Earth & Environmental Sciences / Faculty Mentor: Yike Shen
Childhood gut microbiota imbalance has been linked to long-term health risks, including metabolic disorders, infections, and autoimmune diseases. While early-life exposure to halogenated flame retardants (HFRs) may influence gut microbiota, this association remains unexplored. This study investigates the association between HFRs in plasma and stool samples and gut microbiome and transcriptome profiles in children aged 8–12 years from the GESTE birth cohort in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. We measured 16 HFRs in plasma (N = 140) and stool (N = 182) and assessed gut microbiome species and functional pathways using shotgun metagenomic and transcriptomic sequencing, respectively. After adjusting for covariates, we found that plasma and stool HFRs were significantly associated with microbiome alterations, with stronger associations observed for stool HFRs. Notably, plasma BDE99 was inversely associated with Bacteroides dorei, while stool BDE209 and t-DP were negatively associated with Monoglobus pectinilyticus and Eubacterium siraeum, respectively. Stool BDE153 and t-DP were also associated with multiple functional pathways, suggesting potential disruptions in microbial metabolism. These findings highlight the potential impact of HFR exposure on childhood gut microbiota, emphasizing the need for further research to assess its implications for long-term health.
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