Agricultural Contamination of Water and Soil with Pathogen Co-occurrence

The use of pesticides in the agricultural sector may be beneficial in protecting and growing crops, but it may also have detrimental effects on the environment and living organisms. Pesticides are released into the environment mostly via application over agricultural lands and enter surrounding ecosystems through spray drift, leaching, or run-off into nearby waterways. Pre- and post-harvest activities may influence how these pesticides are transported in the environment. Climate changes may alter pesticide transportation and impact their toxicity. In addition, pathogens present on agricultural land are introduced through irrigation processes with pathogens present in water sources. This chapter covers the agricultural contamination of water and soil with pathogen co-occurrence in Southern Africa, focussing on the following 16 Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries: Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Biological contaminants and use of pesticides, both current and past, in the agricultural sector are discussed, and their effects on the environmental ecosystems and level of contamination within water and soil are reviewed. The impact these chemical and biological contaminants have on the environment in regard to their toxicity and environmental guidelines from the WHO and South Africa have also been included.