Record ID No. |
1814 |
Author(s) |
Pepper I. L., Gerba C. P., Newby D. T., Rice C. W. , 2009 |
Affiliation |
University of Arizona, Environmental Research Lab, Tucson,AZ 85706 USA |
Title |
Soil: A Public Health Threat or Savior? |
Source. Vol.(no):Page |
Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology. 39(5): 416-432p. |
Categories |
Arbuscular Mycorrhiza |
Subjects |
Biochemistry |
Sub-subjects |
Miscellaneous |
Country |
Tuscon, USA |
Abstracts |
Soil is the most complicated biomaterial on the planet due to complex soil architecture and billions of soil microbes with extreme biotic diversity. Soil is potentially a source of human pathogens, which can be defined as geo-indigenous, geo-transportable, or geo-treatable. Such pathogens cumulatively can and do result in multiple human fatalities annually. A striking example is Helminths, with current infections worldwide estimated to be around two billion. However, soil can also be a source of antibiotics and other natural products that enhance human health. Soilborne antibiotics are used to treat human infections, but can also result in antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Natural products isolated from soil resulted in 60% of new cancer drugs between the period 1983-1994. Soils are also crucial to human health through their impact on human nutrition. Finally, from a global perspective, soils are vital to the future well-being of nations through their impact on climate change and global warming. A critical review of soil with respect to public health leads to the conclusion that overall soil is a public health savior. The value of soil using a systems approach is estimated to be $20 trillion, and is by far the most valuable ecosystem in the world. |