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Exposure to environmental chemical mixtures is associated with nasal colonization by Staphylococcus aureus: NHANES 2001–2004
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Exposure to environmental chemical mixtures is associated with nasal colonization by Staphylococcus aureus: NHANES 2001–2004

Shoshannah Eggers, Chris Gennings, Kristen M.C. Malecki, Nasia Safdar and Manish Arora
Environmental research, Vol.190, pp.109994-109994
11/01/2020
DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.109994
PMCID: 7530026
PMID: 32771801
url
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/7530026View
Open Access

Abstract

Understanding the health effects of exposure to chemical mixtures is critically important given the broad range of concurrent exposures throughout the life-course. While investigations of environmental chemicals and components of the human microbiome are becoming more common, few have examined associations with chemical mixtures. This study assesses the association between exposure to mixtures of 66 different environmental chemicals and nasal colonization of Staphylococcus aureus (SA) and methicillin resistant SA (MRSA). Data came from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2001–2004. The analytical sample consists of 10,312 participants, age 6 years and older, subdivided into 8 groups with different chemical exposure mixtures. Within each of 6 chemical classes (metals, phthalates, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), polyfluorochemicals (PFCs), and phenols), weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression was used to analyze the joint association of the component compounds and nasal SA colonization. WQS was also used to assess the joint association of 3 chemical mixtures (metals, metal and PAHs, and metal and triclosan) and nasal MRSA colonization. All regression models were adjusted for confounders. The analytical sample was between ages 6–85, slightly more female, and predominantly non-smokers. Prevalence of SA carriage was 29.2%, and MRSA colonization prevalence was 1.2%. Within each chemical class, odds of SA colonization increased statistically significantly with exposure to mixtures of metals (OR = 1.11, 95% CI = 1.02–1.20), phthalates (OR = 1.09, 95% CI = 1.04–1.14), and phenols (OR = 1.08, 95% CI = 1.01–1.15). Exposure to a mixture of metals combined with PAHs was also associated with increased odds of MRSA carriage (OR = 1.38, 95% CI = 1.02–1.86). Results indicate an association between multiple environmental chemical mixtures and SA colonization, including MRSA. These findings support the need for further analysis of associations between chemical mixtures and SA colonization, as well as other components of the human microbiome. •Mixtures of exposures were assessed in association with S. aureus colonization.•Mixtures within metals, phthalates, and phenols were associated with S. aureus.•One mixture was associated with methicillin resistant S. aureus colonization.•Findings support analysis of chemical mixtures and components of the microbiome.
 Antibiotic resistance Chemical mixture Co-exposure Environmental exposure MRSA Staphylococcus aureus

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