<p>Exposure to air pollution may take a heavy toll on gut bacteria, boosting the risk of obesity, diabetes, gastrointestinal disorders and other chronic illnesses, according to a study.</p>.<p>The research, published in the journal Environment International, is the first to link air pollution to changes in the structure and function of the human gut microbiome -- the collection of trillions of microorganisms residing within us.</p>.<p>The researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder in the US found the gaseous pollutant ozone -- which forms when emissions from vehicles are exposed to sunlight -- is particularly hazardous.</p>.<p>Young adults exposed to higher levels of ozone show less microbial diversity and more of certain species associated with obesity and disease, they said.</p>.<p>"We know from previous research that air pollutants can have a whole host of adverse health effects," said Tanya Alderete, an assistant professor at the University of Colorado Boulder.</p>.<p>"The takeaway from this paper is that some of those effects might be due to changes in the gut," Alderete said.</p>.<p>Worldwide, according to research published this month, air pollution kills 8.8 million people annually -- more than smoking or war, the researchers noted.</p>.<p>While much attention has been paid to respiratory health, Alderete's previous studies have shown pollution can also impair the body's ability to regulate blood sugar and influence risk for obesity.</p>.<p>To investigate just what might be going on inside the gut, the researchers used cutting-edge whole-genome sequencing to analyse faecal samples from 101 young adults in Southern California, US.</p>.<p>They looked at data from air-monitoring stations near the subjects' addresses to calculate their previous-year exposure to ozone particulate matter, and nitrous oxide.</p>.<p>Of all the pollutants measured, ozone had the greatest impact on the gut by far, accounting for about 11 per cent of the variation seen between study subjects -- more of an impact than gender, ethnicity or even diet.</p>.<p>Those with higher exposure to ozone also had less variety of bacteria living in their gut, the researchers said.</p>
<p>Exposure to air pollution may take a heavy toll on gut bacteria, boosting the risk of obesity, diabetes, gastrointestinal disorders and other chronic illnesses, according to a study.</p>.<p>The research, published in the journal Environment International, is the first to link air pollution to changes in the structure and function of the human gut microbiome -- the collection of trillions of microorganisms residing within us.</p>.<p>The researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder in the US found the gaseous pollutant ozone -- which forms when emissions from vehicles are exposed to sunlight -- is particularly hazardous.</p>.<p>Young adults exposed to higher levels of ozone show less microbial diversity and more of certain species associated with obesity and disease, they said.</p>.<p>"We know from previous research that air pollutants can have a whole host of adverse health effects," said Tanya Alderete, an assistant professor at the University of Colorado Boulder.</p>.<p>"The takeaway from this paper is that some of those effects might be due to changes in the gut," Alderete said.</p>.<p>Worldwide, according to research published this month, air pollution kills 8.8 million people annually -- more than smoking or war, the researchers noted.</p>.<p>While much attention has been paid to respiratory health, Alderete's previous studies have shown pollution can also impair the body's ability to regulate blood sugar and influence risk for obesity.</p>.<p>To investigate just what might be going on inside the gut, the researchers used cutting-edge whole-genome sequencing to analyse faecal samples from 101 young adults in Southern California, US.</p>.<p>They looked at data from air-monitoring stations near the subjects' addresses to calculate their previous-year exposure to ozone particulate matter, and nitrous oxide.</p>.<p>Of all the pollutants measured, ozone had the greatest impact on the gut by far, accounting for about 11 per cent of the variation seen between study subjects -- more of an impact than gender, ethnicity or even diet.</p>.<p>Those with higher exposure to ozone also had less variety of bacteria living in their gut, the researchers said.</p>