Emerging Soil Pollutants and Their Implications on Biodiversity, Environmental, and Human Health

For centuries, healthy or unpolluted soils have been vital for human well-being and biodiversity. Healthy soils positively contribute to human health, food security, and nutrient supplies as well as environment and biodiversity security. These healthy soils maintain the community structure of soil living organisms (in terms of abundance, diversity, and composition), which play vital roles in nutrient cycling as well as climate change regulation. However, these benefits are threatened in the Global South due to emerging soil pollutants (ESOPOs), e.g., nanoparticles, personal care products, heavy metals, per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, phthalates, microplastics, flame retardants, pesticides, etc. This may be as a result of weak or no soil policy infrastructure and national guidelines related to the control, management, application, disposal, and remediation of ESOPOs in the Global South. The chapter aims to establish that ESOPOs, which are released from a wide range of activities, e.g., industrial, and agricultural activities, pose significant health risks to humans and nonhuman biota. They contribute to soil biodiversity loss and human reproductive impairment and endanger the ecological functions and services of soils and soil systems in the Global South. Besides, contaminated soils could impede sustainable development and the attainment of the SDGs in the Global South. Also, this chapter suggests that ESOPOs are likely to impact more of the poorest households or local communities in the Global South, especially those that live close to and around industrial and/or mining sites and grow their crops on polluted soils. Yet, due to the lack of or existence of ineffective ESOPO regulations and monitoring protocols, these pollutants are expected to continue threatening human health and biodiversity. This chapter discusses the sources, types, and effects of ESOPOs on humans and non-human biota, as well as their management techniques in the Global South. It concludes that there is a need to build awareness about the potential health risks associated with ESOPOs and capacitate the Global South to manage their application and risks.