Pesticides and heavy metals in soil may have detrimental effects on the cardiovascular system, according to a review research.

According to the author Professor Thomas Munzel of the University Medical Center Mainz in Germany, “Soil contamination is a less evident hazard to human health than filthy air.” But there is growing evidence that soil pollutants may harm cardiovascular health through a variety of ways, including as inflammation and tampering with the body’s internal clock.

At least nine million deaths occur annually as a result of air, water, and soil pollution. Cardiovascular diseases include chronic ischemic heart disease, heart attacks, strokes, and irregular heartbeats account for more than 60% of pollution-related illness and fatalities (arrhythmias).

In this essay, the connections between soil contamination and human health are discussed, with an emphasis on cardiovascular disease. Heavy metals, herbicides, and plastics are examples of soil contaminants. According to the authors, contaminated soil may cause cardiovascular disease by generating inflammation, upsetting the biological clock, and raising oxidative stress in blood vessels (with more “bad” free radicals and fewer “good” antioxidants) (circadian rhythm).

By breathing in dust from the desert, crystals from fertiliser, or plastic particles, dirty soil can enter the body. Plastics, organic toxicants (such as those found in pesticides), heavy metals like cadmium and lead, and toxic organic substances can all be ingested orally. Rivers become tainted with soil pollutants that can be absorbed when consumed.

An increased risk of cardiovascular disease has been associated with pesticide use. The entire public may consume pesticides from tainted food, soil, or water, while workers in the chemical and agricultural industries are more likely to be exposed to them.

A heavy metal called cadmium can be found in minute levels naturally in the air, water, soil, and food as well as being derived from industrial and agricultural sources. For non-smokers, food is the main source of cadmium. The article mentions a Korean study that found middle-aged Koreans with high blood cadmium had raised risks of stroke and hypertension and notes that population studies on the association between cadmium and cardiovascular disease have produced conflicting results.

Because of its natural toxicity, lead can pollute the environment whether it is mined, smelted, manufactured, or recycled. High blood lead levels have been linked to cardiovascular disease, including coronary heart disease, heart attacks, and stroke in women and diabetics, according to studies. Additional research has shown that exposure to arsenic, a naturally occurring metalloid whose levels can rise as a result of industrial activities and the use of contaminated water for crop irrigation, is linked to an increased risk of mortality from cardiovascular disease.

“Although soil pollution with heavy metals and its association with cardiovascular diseases is particularly a problem for low- and middle-income countries because their populations are exposed to these environmental pollutants in disproportionately high amounts, it becomes a problem for any country in the world due to the increasing globalisation of food supply chains and uptake of these heavy metals with fruits, vegetables, and meat,” the paper states.

It is observed that contaminated airborne dust may be hazardous. Desert dust can travel great distances, and studies have found a link between particles from Chinese and Mongolian soil and a higher risk of heart attacks in Japan. In Japan, the number of visits to the emergency department for cardiovascular conditions increased by 21% on days with high levels of Asian dust exposure.

Since nano- and microplastics can enter the bloodstream, it is conceivable that they could travel to the organs and induce systemic inflammation and cardiometabolic disease even though population studies on the impact of these materials on human cardiovascular health are lacking.

Prof. Munzel stated: “Since we are rarely exposed to a single hazardous agent, more research is required to determine the cumulative impact of numerous soil contaminants on cardiovascular disease. It is absolutely necessary to conduct research on how nano- and microplastics may cause and aggravate cardiovascular disease. In the meanwhile, it appears prudent to buy food grown in good soil, filter water to remove toxins, and wear a face mask to reduce exposure to wind-blown dust.”

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