Symbiotic Relationships Between Humans and Environmental Pollutants.

Abstract

Environmental pollutants are highly acknowledged as detrimental agents affecting ecosystems and human health. From industrial byproducts to multivarious heavy metals, particulate matters, to secondary environmental toxicants, pollution may be investigated in the context of toxicity, disease causation, and ecological degradation. A not so widely investigated, but potentially pioneering concept would be: Are there groups of pollutants in the environment that may harbor new symbionts in the human body, particularly in interactions with the human microbiome?