Alteration of oral microbiome composition in children living with pesticide-exposed farm workers

Abstract

Our prior work shows that azinphos-methyl pesticide exposure is associated with altered oral microbiomes in exposed farmworkers. Here we extend this analysis to show the same association pattern is also evident in their children. Oral buccal swab samples were analyzed at two time points, the apple thinning season in spring-summer 2005 for 78 children and 101 adults and the non-spray season in winter 2006 for 62 children and 82 adults. The pesticide exposure for the children were defined by the farmworker occupation of the cohabitating household adult and the blood azinphos-methyl detection of the cohabitating adult. Oral buccal swab 16S rRNA sequencing determined taxonomic microbiota proportional composition from concurrent samples from both adults and children. Analysis of the identified bacteria showed significant proportional changes for 12 of 23 common oral microbiome genera in association with azinphos-methyl detection and farmworker occupation. The most common significantly altered genera had reductions in the abundance of Streptococcus, suggesting an anti-microbial effect of the pesticide. Principal component analysis of the microbiome identified two primary clusters, with association of principal component 1 to azinphos-methyl blood detection and farmworker occupational status of the household. The children's buccal microbiota composition clustered with their household adult in ∼95% of the households. Household adult farmworker occupation and household pesticide exposure is associated with significant alterations in their children's oral microbiome composition. This suggests that parental occupational exposure and pesticide take-home exposure pathways elicit alteration of their children's microbiomes.

Keywords: Agriculture; Children; Exposure; Microbiome; Organophosphate; Pesticide.