Martínez-Gómez, JesúsCiprián, Giovana MLe Coroller, GwenaëllePexaras, AchilleasFernández-Jiménez, RodrigoAppenzeller, Brice M RRuiz-Castell, Maria2026-04-202026-04-202025-11-10Sci Total Environ. 2025 Nov 10:1003:180691.https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12105/27437Metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components -central obesity, hypertriglyceridemia, reduced levels of serum high-density cholesterol (HDL-c), high blood pressure (BP), and hyperglycemia- are highly prevalent worldwide. Classical modifiable risk factors and environmental ones, such as exposure to pollutants can contribute to these high prevalence rates. We assessed whether exposure to pollutant mixtures was associated with MetS and its components, identifying key contributing pollutants. We analyzed data from 606 adults aged 25-64 from the European Health Examination Survey (2013-2015). Among 152 analyzed chemicals, 40 were present in over 50 % of the samples and classified as flame retardants, industrial wastes, and plastics (4), insecticides (17), herbicides (12), and fungicides (7). Using weighted quantile sum regressions, we estimated associations of groups of pollutants and the total mixture with metabolic outcomes. Exposure to insecticides was associated with high BP, hyperglycemia, and hypertriglyceridemia; herbicides with abdominal obesity; and fungicides with MetS, hyperglycemia, and hypertriglyceridemia. The total mixture increased the odds of all outcomes, except low HDL-c [average OR = 2.06 (5th PCT = 1.23); average OR = 1.83 (5th PCT = 1.03); average OR = 2.42 (5th PCT = 1.42); average OR = 1.19 (5th PCT = 0.77); average OR = 2.15 (5th PCT = 1.37); average OR = 1.89 (5th PCT = 1.10)]. Prosulfocarb was a probable contributor to the mixture effect on MetS and abdominal obesity, ClCFCA on hypertriglyceridemia, and PNP on high BP. In conclusion, chemical pollutants are more present in individuals with metabolic derangements, with potentially stronger effects when combined. Reducing pesticide use, promoting safer alternatives, and creating protocols/regulatory standards for multiple-exposure scenarios are crucial for public health.This research was funded by the National Research Fund (FNR), Luxembourg (C17/BM/11653863/iMPACT.lu to MRC), the Ministry of Higher Education and Research (MESR), Luxembourg. J.M-G is a recipient of grant FPU21/04891 (Ayudas para la formación de profesorado universitario, FPU-2021) from the Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte and this work was possible thanks to the short-stay program within the framework of the FPU grants (EST24/00675). RF-J is supported by the ISCIII (Project “PI22/01560”), funded by ISCIII and cofunded by the European Union. The CNIC is supported by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovacion ´ y Universidades (MCIUN) and the Pro CNIC Foundation and is a Severo Ochoa Center of Excellence (grant CEX2020-001041-S funded by MICIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033).engVoRChemical mixturesExposomeHair analysisMetabolic healthPesticidesWQS regression41075566Science of the Total Environmentopen access