The Soil-Human Health-Nexus

Description

"This volume discusses the relation between soil health and human health in relation to plant, animal, and human nutrition; pest and pathogen infection from soil; deficiency of micronutrients; toxicity of heavy metals; geophagy, and other factors"-- Cover Half Title Series Page Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents Preface Editor Contributors Chapter 1 The Soil–Human Health–Environment Trinity 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Soil Organic Matter in Relation to the Health of Soil and the Environment 1.3 Historic Depletion of the Terrestrial C Stock 1.4 Soil Organic Matter Depletion and Soil/Environment Degradation 1.5 The Soil–Human Health Nexus 1.6 Interconnected Vicious Cycles Prevalent in Degraded Soils of Agroecosystems 1.7 Choice of Entry Points for Breaking the Vicious Circles 1.8 Enhancing Human Nutrition by Soil Management 1.9 Research and Development Priorities 1.10 Conclusions References Chapter 2 Health of Soil, Plants, Animals, and People 2.1 Overview 2.2 One Health 2.3 Soil Health 2.3.1 Soil and Life 2.3.2 Soil Health 2.3.3 Soil Health and Human Health 2.3.4 Soil Management and Human Health 2.4 Plant Health 2.4.1 Soil Health and Its Indicators in Agriculture System 2.4.2 Plant Pathogens and Their Caused Destructive Diseases on Plants 2.4.3 Agricultural Practices Affect Plant and Soil Health 2.4.4 Plant- and Soil-Associated Microbiomes for Plant Growth and Health 2.5 Animal Health 2.5.1 Livestock Production-Soil and Plant Health 2.5.2 Effects of Soil on Animal Health 2.5.3 Effects of Plants on Animal Health 2.5.4 Effect of Animals on Soil and Plant Health 2.6 Human Health 2.6.1 Human Activity Impacts Soil Health 2.6.2 Soil Impact Physically 2.6.3 Soil Impact on Human Nutrition 2.6.4 Toxic Compounds in Soil Impact Human Health 2.6.5 Soil Pathogens 2.6.6 Soil as Source of Modern Antibiotics and Other Benefits 2.7 Conclusions References Chapter 3 Transport of Mineral Elements from Soil and Human Health 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Transport of Essential Mineral Elements in Rice 3.2.1 Transport of Fe in Rice 3.2.2 Transport of Zn in Rice 3.3 Transport of Toxic Elements 3.3.1 Transport of As in Rice 3.3.2 Transport of Cd in Rice 3.4 Future Perspective Acknowledgements References Chapter 4 Soils and Human Health: Communication between Soil Scientists and Health Care Providers 4.1 Introduction 4.1.1 Brief Overview of Soils and Human Health Connections 4.1.1.1 Writings by Soil Scientists and Geologists 4.1.1.2 Writings by Human Health Professionals 4.1.2 Soil Health (As Defined) Represents a Key Life Sustaining “Factor” Just as Clean Air and Clean and Abundant Water 4.2 Soils Knowledge Useful to the Practitioner 4.2.1 Basic Soil Physical and Chemical Properties 4.2.2 Basic Soil Biological Properties 4.2.3 Soil Health 4.2.4 Soil and Climate Connections 4.3 Ways to Facilitate Communication 4.3.1 Publications in Jointly Read Journals 4.3.2 Facilitating Joint Conferences 4.3.3 University Education That Crosses Disciplines 4.4 Concluding Statements Acknowledgements References Chapter 5 Soil and Cancer 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Carcinogenesis 5.3 Carcinogens 5.4 Soil Health 5.4.1 Soil Composition 5.4.1.1 Selenium 5.4.1.2 Lead 5.4.1.3 Arsenic 5.4.1.4 Trichloroethylene 5.4.1.5 Perfluorooctanoic Acid 5.4.1.6 1,2-Dichloropropane 5.4.1.7 Dichloromethane 5.4.1.8 1,3-Propane Sultone 5.4.1.9 Fibrous Glaucophane 5.4.1.10 Radon 5.4.2 Pollution 5.4.3 Pesticides 5.4.3.1 Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma 5.4.3.2 Leukemia 5.4.3.3 Brain Cancer 5.4.3.4 Breast Cancer 5.4.3.5 Kidney Cancer 5.4.3.6 Pancreatic Cancer 5.4.3.7 Prostate Cancer 5.4.3.8 Lung Cancer 5.4.3.9 Stomach Cancer 5.5 Nutrition 5.6 Possible Interventions 5.6.1 Selenium 5.6.2 Phenols 5.6.3 Outside-the-Box Therapies Appendix References Chapter 6 Addressing Urban Mal- and Undernourishment through Sustainable Home Gardens 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Malnutrition 6.3 Micronutrient Deficiency in Diet and Human Health 6.4 Health Benefits of Fruits and Vegetables 6.5 Heavy Metal and Contaminants in Urban Soil and Human Health 6.6 Home Gardens for Fruits and Vegetables 6.7 Yields of Fruits and Vegetables in the Home Gardens 6.8 Concluding Remarks References Chapter 7 Improving Human Health by Remediating Polluted Soils 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Soil Pollutant Problems 7.2.1 Prevention 7.2.1.1 Combustibles (Organics) 7.2.1.2 Inorganic Toxins (Metals) 7.2.1.3 Biotoxins 7.3 Already Polluted Soil Remediation 7.3.1 Phytoremediation 7.3.2 “Treatment” with Powdered Basalt 7.3.3 Desalinated Water Soil Washing 7.4 Discussion 7.5 Conclusion References Chapter 8 Managing Soil for Global Peace by Eliminating Famines and Pandemics 8.1 Introduction 8.1.1 State-of-the-World Soils 8.1.2 Soil and Human Health 8.2 Population 8.2.1 Global Trends 8.2.2 Urbanization 8.3 Famines 8.3.1 Global History 8.3.2 Causes of Famines 8.4 Pandemics and Hunger 8.4.1 Global History 8.4.2 Population and Pandemics 8.5 Achieving Zero Hunger and Malnutrition by 2030 8.6 The Soil–Peace–Famine–Pandemic Nexus 8.7 Lessons Learned from Historic Pandemics and Famines 8.7.1 Knowledge Gaps 8.8 Conclusions References Chapter 9 Illustrating a Disjoint in the Soil–Plant–Human Health Nexus with Potassium 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Definitions 9.3 Potassium as an Indicator for Health Outcomes 9.4 Review 9.4.1 Search Process 9.4.2 Soil Health and Potassium 9.4.2.1 Potassium Status in Global Croplands 9.4.3 Plant Health and Potassium 9.4.3.1 Potassium for Yield Building 9.4.3.2 Potassium for Quality Improvement 9.4.3.3 Potassium for Biotic and Abiotic Stress Management 9.4.4 Human Health and Potassium 9.4.4.1 Dietary Potassium Requirement in Humans 9.4.4.2 Food Sources for Dietary Potassium 9.4.4.3 Dietary Potassium Intake in Different Countries/Regions 9.4.4.4 Potassium and Disease Incidence 9.4.4.5 Potassium in Immune System Disorders 9.4.4.6 Potassium in Cancer and Autoimmune Diseases 9.4.4.7 Potassium and Infectious Diseases 9.5 Interactions among Health Components 9.5.1 Case Study 9.5.1.1 Potato as a Source of Nutrients and Energy 9.5.1.2 Linking Soil and Potato Plant Health to Human Health 9.5.1.3 Postharvest Fate of Tuber Nutrients 9.6 Conclusions References Chapter 10 Soil Aquaphotomics for Understanding Soil–Health Relation through Water–Light Interaction 10.1 Introduction 10.2 Foundations of Aquaphotomics 10.3 Soil Health and Aquaphotomics 10.4 Aquaphotomics in Water Quality Assessment and Monitoring 10.5 Aquaphotomics in Microbiology 10.6 Aquaphotomics and Plant–Soil System Health 10.7 Implications to Human Health and Future Perspectives List of Abbreviations References Chapter 11 Healthy Soils—Healthy People: Soil and Human Health—The Reality of the Balkan Region 11.1 Introduction 11.2 Natural Characteristics of the Region 11.2.1 Geomorphological Characteristics 11.2.2 Climate Characteristics 11.2.3 Forests 11.2.4 Water Resources 11.2.5 Biodiversity Conservation and Management 11.3 Soils of the Region 11.4 State of the Soil and the Main Degradation Drivers 11.4.1 Climate Change 11.4.2 Soil Erosion and Torrential Floods 11.4.3 Agriculture and Land Degradation 11.4.3.1 Loss of SOC 11.4.3.2 Acidification and Salinization 11.4.4 Forestry 11.4.5 Urbanization 11.4.6 Mass Movements on Slopes 11.4.7 Waste Management 11.4.8 Energetics, Mining, and Industry 11.5 Soil Pollution and Human Health 11.6 Land Use Changes and Land Degradation Neutrality 11.7 Concluding Remarks References Chapter 12 Heavy Metals Bioavailability in Soils and Impact on Human Health 12.1 Introduction 12.2 Sources of Heavy Metals 12.2.1 Parent Material 12.2.1.1 Black Shales 12.2.1.2 Limestones 12.2.1.3 Phosphorites 12.2.1.4 Sedimentary Ironstones 12.2.2 Anthropogenic Sources of Heavy Metals 12.2.2.1 Fertilizers 12.2.2.2 Sewage Effluents and City Wastes 12.2.2.3 Industrial Wastes 12.2.2.4 Vehicle Transport 12.3 Soil Factors Affecting Heavy Metal Mobility and Bioavailability in Soils 12.3.1 Soil pH 12.3.2 Soil Texture 12.3.3 Soil Organic Matter Content and Its Form 12.3.4 Oxidation-Reduction Potential 12.3.5 Ionic Strength 12.3.6 Chemical Speciation and Nature of Contamination 12.3.7 Iron and Manganese Oxides 12.4 Pathways of Metal Transfer to Humans 12.4.1 Media Serving as Carriers of Heavy Metals 12.4.2 Avenues of Transfer of the Heavy Metals from the Carriers to Humans 12.4.3 Transfer of Heavy Metals from Soil to Plants to Humans 12.4.4 Impact of Heavy Metals on Human Health 12.5 Measures to Reduce Bioavailability of Heavy Metals 12.5.1 Regulation of pH of the Holding Medium Such as Soil 12.5.2 Agricultural Measures to Reduce Metal Transfer to the Food Chain 12.5.3 Extraction of the Metals from the Soil 12.5.4 Use of Chemical Stabilizers to Prohibit Bioavailability 12.6 Summary and Conclusions References Chapter 13 Managing Soil Biology for Multiple Human Benefits 13.1 Introduction: The Many Benefits That Humans Obtain from Soil Biodiversity 13.2 Promoting Specific Ecosystem Functions with Targeted Introductions of Soil Biota 13.2.1 Introduction of Soil Organisms to Improve the Sustainable Use of Nutrient Resources 13.2.1.1 Nitrogen 13.2.1.2 Phosphorus 13.2.2 Introduction of Natural Enemies for Pest Control Services 13.2.3 Vermicompost and Other Organic Material Application 13.2.4 Soil Transplantation to Restore Degraded Fields 13.3 Management Considerations for Supporting Whole Soil Communities 13.3.1 Tillage 13.3.2 Nutrient Management 13.3.3 Pesticides 13.3.4 Irrigation 13.3.5 Grazing 13.3.6 Diversification of Cropping Systems 13.4 The Threat of Anthropogenic Global Environmental Changes to Soil Biota and Its Ecosystem Functions 13.5 Concluding Comments References Chapter 14 Structural Attributes of Disease-Suppressive Soils and Their Impact on Human Health 14.1 Introduction 14.2 Disease-Suppressive Attributes in Soils 14.3 Management of Disease Suppression by Managing Soil Structure 14.3.1 Managing Soil Health through Strengthening Biodiversity by Restoring SOC Content 14.3.2 Compost 14.3.3 Crop Rotation 14.4 Management of Soil Structure to Enhance Disease Suppression by Conservation Agriculture 14.5 Creating Disease-Suppressive Soils 14.6 Researchable Priorities 14.7 Conclusions References Chapter 15 Soil Health and Human Nutrition 15.1 Introduction 15.2 The Soil–Human Health Nexus 15.3 Soil Health and Nutritional Quality of Food 15.4 Land Use and Management Impacts on Soil Health 15.5 Managing Soil Organic Matter Content to Improve Soil Health 15.6 Research and Development Priorities 15.7 Conclusions References Index