New Delhi: A new study from researchers at the University of California, Riverside, has found that inhaling dust from animal farms may negatively affect gut health—not just respiratory health, as previously believed.
The study, published in the Journal of Applied Toxicology, was led by Dr. Declan McCole, a professor of biomedical sciences at the UC Riverside School of Medicine. It expands on earlier research that linked hog farm dust to inflammation in the airways. This new research reveals that the same dust can also disrupt the gut microbiome and increase intestinal permeability, a condition often called “leaky gut.”
Leaky gut has been associated with a number of chronic illnesses, including inflammatory bowel disease, type 1 diabetes, and celiac disease.
“Swine farm dust is full of bacteria and endotoxins,” explained Melisa Crawford, the study’s first author and a former postdoctoral researcher in McCole’s lab. “When mice were exposed to this dust, not only did they develop airway inflammation, but they also showed increased movement of gut bacteria products into the bloodstream. Most striking was the damage we saw to the gut microbiome and metabolic function.”
In the study, mice were exposed to hog dust through the nose for a period of three weeks. Afterward, researchers noted a significant drop in key beneficial gut bacteria, including Akkermansia muciniphila, Clostridium species ASF356, and Lachnospiraceae species—all known to play important roles in maintaining gut health.
In addition, important metabolic compounds like riboflavin (vitamin B2), nicotinic acid (vitamin B3), inosine, and leucine were found in lower levels in the exposed mice. These compounds are vital for energy production, immune system function, and maintaining a healthy intestinal barrier.
Dr. McCole stressed that most research on agricultural dust has focused mainly on the lungs, but these new findings show a broader impact.
“Our study highlights how inhaled pollutants can affect more than just the respiratory system. It’s important to consider the gut–lung connection when evaluating the health risks for people working in agriculture,” he said.
The research adds to growing concerns about how pollution from concentrated animal farming operations can affect multiple organ systems, not just the lungs. The findings suggest that long-term exposure to farm dust may have more far-reaching health effects than previously understood — especially for workers in the livestock and animal farming industries.