Toxic Air, Contaminated Water, and Degraded Soil: The Health Burden of Pollution

Abstract

Healthy soil is essential for human well-being as it plays a crucial role in food production, sustains ecosystems, and provides vital ecological services like pollination. It helps in water storage, flood prevention, and carbon sequestration, which helps mitigate climate change. However, soil pollution poses a significant and growing threat to human health. Soil can become contaminated with heavy metals, pesticides, biological pathogens, and micro/nano plastic particles. Pollution hampers the soil's ability to produce food, leads to crop contamination, and causes diseases. Pollutants in the soil can also leach into rivers, contributing to water pollution. Deforestation accelerates soil erosion, releases stored pollutants, and generates airborne dust. Pollution in air, water, and soil is responsible for at least 9 million deaths annually, with over 60% of pollution-related deaths attributed to cardiovascular diseases. Recognizing the impact of pollution on health, the European Commission and the EU Action Plan for 2050: A Healthy Planet for All, have stressed the need to reduce pollution in air, water, and soil to levels that no longer harm human or ecosystem health. Achieving a toxic-free environment and ensuring a safe operating space for humanity are vital for sustaining the planet’s health for future generations. This review article summarizes the current understanding of the connection between soil health and human health and explores the key soil pollutants and their health effects.