Pesticides and heavy metals harm wildlife
Pesticides and heavy metals have demonstrably harmful effects on wildlife and ecosystems. New studies document the extent of the damage.
While air and water pollution have been extensively studied as causes of cardiovascular disease, the effects of soil contamination on the heart have received less scientific attention.
Air, water, and soil pollution are responsible for more than nine million deaths every year. More than 60% of pollution-related illnesses and deaths are attributable to cardiovascular problems, including ischaemic heart disease, cardiac arrhythmias, heart attacks, and strokes. However, while air and water pollution have been extensively studied as primary causes of cardiovascular disease, the effects of soil contamination on the heart have received less scientific attention.
Now a research team led by University Medical Center Mainz has found that pesticides and heavy metals in soil have harmful effects on the cardiovascular system.
«Soil contamination is a less visible threat to human health than polluted air«, says the lead author of the study, Thomas Münzel, head of the Department of Cardiology at University Medical Center Mainz. «But there is growing evidence that pollutants in the soil can harm cardiovascular health through a range of mechanisms, including inflammation and disruption of the body's natural clock.»
According to Professor Münzel and his colleagues, soils contaminated with heavy metals, pesticides, and plastics can lead to cardiovascular disease by increasing oxidative stress in blood vessels, triggering inflammation, and disrupting our circadian rhythm.
Contaminated soils can enter the body through the inhalation of dust, fertilizer crystals, and plastic particles, while heavy metals such as lead or cadmium, plastics, or organic toxins from pesticides can also be ingested orally. In addition, these soil pollutants are often washed into rivers, creating contaminated water that can be consumed. Most of these substances found in soils are known to cause a broad spectrum of cardiovascular problems.
A significant source of poisoning lies in hunting ammunition. In the Swiss Alps, it has been scientifically documented that golden eagles and bearded vultures have died from lead poisoning after consuming the remains of wildlife killed with lead-based ammunition. Furthermore, game meat intended for human consumption can also be contaminated with lead. The FSVO therefore recommends that children up to the age of 7, breastfeeding women, pregnant women, and women wishing to become pregnant refrain from consuming game killed by hobby hunters using lead ammunition.
«Although the contamination of soil with heavy metals and its connection to cardiovascular disease is primarily a problem in low- and middle-income countries, as their populations are disproportionately exposed to these environmental pollutants, it is becoming a problem for every country in the world through the increasing globalization of food supply chains and the uptake of these heavy metals via fruit, vegetables, and meat«, the study authors explained.
«More studies are needed on the combined effects of multiple soil pollutants on cardiovascular disease, as we are rarely exposed to just a single toxic substance. There is an urgent need to investigate how nano- and microplastics can trigger and worsen cardiovascular disease. Until we know more, it seems sensible to wear a face mask to limit exposure to windblown dust, to filter water to remove pollutants, and to buy food grown in healthy soil«, Professor Münzel concluded.
