Heavy Metals and Pesticides Toxicity in Agricultural Soil and Plants: Ecological Risks and Human Health Implications Original paper
Researched by:
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Karen Pendergrass
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Karen Pendergrass
Karen Pendergrass is a microbiome researcher specializing in microbiome-targeted interventions (MBTIs). She systematically analyzes scientific literature to identify microbial patterns, develop hypotheses, and validate interventions. As the founder of the Microbiome Signatures Database, she bridges microbiome research with clinical practice. In 2012, based on her own investigative research, she became the first documented case of FMT for Celiac Disease—four years before the first published case study.
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Metals
Metals
OverviewHeavy metals play a significant and multifaceted role in the pathogenicity of microbial species. Their involvement can be viewed from two primary perspectives: the toxicity of heavy metals to microbes and the exploitation of heavy metals by microbial pathogens to establish infections and evade the host immune response. Understanding these aspects is critical for both […]
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Karen Pendergrass
Researched by:
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Karen Pendergrass
ID
Karen Pendergrass
Microbiome Signatures identifies and validates condition-specific microbiome shifts and interventions to accelerate clinical translation. Our multidisciplinary team supports clinicians, researchers, and innovators in turning microbiome science into actionable medicine.
Karen Pendergrass
What Was Reviewed?
The paper is a comprehensive review focusing on the toxic effects of heavy metals (cadmium, lead, copper, and zinc) and pesticides on agricultural soil, plants, and human health. It provides an integrated synthesis of the pathways of these toxicants, from their sources to their accumulation in the environment and their implications for ecosystems and humans. The review also highlights the synergistic and antagonistic interactions between these toxicants and their combined effects on soil, plants, and humans.
Who Was Reviewed?
The review synthesizes previous studies involving agricultural soils, plants, and human populations exposed to heavy metals and pesticides. It encompasses research on various sources of these toxicants, including natural (e.g., geological) and anthropogenic sources (e.g., agricultural practices and industrial emissions), along with their bioaccumulation in ecosystems and transmission through food chains.
Most Important Findings
The review identifies key pathways through which heavy metals and pesticides impact agricultural ecosystems and human health. Heavy metals, such as cadmium and lead, were found to disrupt soil properties (e.g., pH, microbial diversity) and plant physiology (e.g., nutrient uptake, photosynthesis). Similarly, pesticides alter soil enzymatic activity, microbial communities, and plant metabolic processes. Both toxicants contribute to human health risks through bioaccumulation and persistence in food chains, leading to diseases like cancer, neurological disorders, and metabolic syndromes.
The synergistic and antagonistic interactions between heavy metals and pesticides exacerbate these effects, creating complex toxicity profiles that are challenging to predict. For example, combined exposure to cadmium and certain pesticides magnifies soil microbial damage and plant stress responses.
Greatest Implications
The review underscores the urgent need for multidisciplinary strategies to mitigate the combined toxicity of heavy metals and pesticides. It calls for improved agricultural practices, stringent regulations on pesticide use, and enhanced research on bioremediation techniques. Furthermore, understanding these toxicants’ interactions is crucial for developing effective interventions to protect ecosystems and human health.
Zinc
Zinc is an essential trace element vital for cellular functions and microbiome health. It influences immune regulation, pathogen virulence, and disease progression in conditions like IBS and breast cancer. Pathogens exploit zinc for survival, while therapeutic zinc chelation can suppress virulence, rebalance the microbiome, and offer potential treatments for inflammatory and degenerative diseases.