We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Contaminants of emerging concern in agricultural soils: Current understanding, overlooked issues, and future priorities
Summary
This review synthesizes evidence on how contaminants of emerging concern, including pharmaceuticals, microplastics, and PFAS, enter agricultural soils, accumulate in crops, and affect ecological and human health. The study found that these contaminants pose complex risks including antimicrobial resistance and sublethal impacts on plant and soil systems, while highlighting critical knowledge gaps that need to be addressed.
Societal Impact Statement Contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in agriculture represent a growing global challenge for food safety and public health. In this review, we synthesized evidence on how substances such as pharmaceuticals, microplastics, and per‐ and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) enter soils, accumulate in crops, and affect ecological and human health. We found that CECs pose complex risks, including antimicrobial resistance and sublethal impacts on plant and soil systems, while key knowledge gaps persist. These findings underscore the urgent need for coordinated regulation and sustainable practices to reduce contamination at its source. Closing these gaps will enable resilient food systems and equitable environmental health outcomes worldwide. Summary Contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in agricultural systems pose complex and evolving risks to environmental and human health. These substances, including pharmaceuticals, microplastics, engineered nanomaterials, and per‐ and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), enter agricultural soils through diverse pathways such as wastewater irrigation, biosolid, and manure application, and the use of agro‐plastics. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the environmental fate, plant uptake mechanisms, and ecological and health impacts of CECs within the soil–plant continuum. Overlooked issues such as co‐contaminant interactions, environmentally relevant exposure scenarios, and sublethal effects on plant physiology and soil health are summarized. The paper also explores the implications of CEC accumulation for food safety and antimicrobial resistance. In response to these challenges, we outline future priorities, including improved regulatory frameworks, advanced analytical and modelling tools, and the integration of green chemistry and sustainable production practices to reduce CEC release at source. Research to date has demonstrated that CECs may pose risks to both human and ecosystem health within agricultural systems. As we seek to harness the benefits of resources like biosolids and treated wastewater, we must now establish a strong foundation for resilient and sustainable agriculture, which is driven by coordinated regulation, informed policy, and targeted research to close critical knowledge gaps.
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
Environmental geochemistry of emerging contaminants: impacts on agroecosystem function, food security, and human health
This review examines how emerging contaminants including microplastics, PFAS, pharmaceuticals, and engineered nanomaterials threaten agricultural ecosystems and food safety. Researchers found that these pollutants persist in soil, accumulate in crops, and disrupt beneficial soil organisms, creating complex risks that are difficult to manage with current approaches. The study emphasizes the urgent need for integrated monitoring and remediation strategies to protect both food production and human health.
Emerging contaminants and their influence on plants: An in-depth review
This review examines how emerging contaminants including microplastics, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and nanomaterials accumulate in soil and affect plant health. The study found these pollutants can disrupt plant growth through various toxic mechanisms and persist in food webs, highlighting the need for effective mitigation strategies to protect crop productivity, soil health, and food security.
Microplastics inAgricultural Soils: Sources, Fate,and Interactions with Other Contaminants
This review examines microplastics as emerging soil contaminants, focusing on their interactions with co-occurring pollutants such as heavy metals, pesticides, and antibiotics, and assessing the compound toxic risks these combinations pose to agricultural ecosystems and food safety.
Impact of Major Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs) on Soil and Associated Health Issues
This review examines how contaminants of emerging concern, including pharmaceuticals, PFAS, and microplastics, affect soil health and pose associated risks to human well-being. Researchers found that these pollutants threaten soil fertility through mechanisms distinct from traditional contaminants, and their long-term impacts remain poorly understood. The study emphasizes the urgency of developing monitoring frameworks and remediation strategies for these emerging soil threats.
Major contaminants of emerging concern in soils: a perspective on potential health risks
This review examined five major categories of emerging contaminants in soils, including micro- and nanoplastics, PFAS, phthalates, flame retardants, and pharmaceuticals, assessing their potential health risks. Researchers found that these contaminants accumulate primarily in root-based food crops and show toxicity at very low concentrations in cell and animal studies. The study highlights that most of these pollutants lack environmental regulations despite their proven harmful effects on living organisms.