Pesticides and heavy metals in soil may be harmful to the cardiovascular system, according to a review article published today in Cardiovascular Research.

Professor Thomas Münzel of the University Medical Center in Mainz, Germany, the author, said that “soil contamination is a less visible danger to human health than dirty air.” However, accumulating data suggests that soil contaminants may harm cardiovascular health in a variety of ways, including inflammation and disruption of the body’s circadian clock.

At least nine million people die every year because of pollution of the air, water, and soil. More than 60% of pollution-related illnesses and deaths are caused by heart problems like chronic ischaemic heart disease, heart attack, stroke, and problems with the heart’s rhythm (arrhythmias).

This paper focuses on the links between soil pollution and human health, especially cardiovascular disease. Heavy metals, herbicides, and plastics are examples of soil contaminants. According to scientists, contaminated soil may cause cardiovascular disease by raising oxidative stress in the blood vessels (with more “bad” free radicals and fewer “good” antioxidants), generating inflammation, and disrupting the body’s circadian rhythm.

Dirty soil can get into the body if you breathe in desert dust, fertilizer crystals, or bits of plastic. Plastics, organic toxicants (such as those found in pesticides), heavy metals like cadmium and lead, and toxic organic substances can all be ingested orally. In rivers, soil pollutants can be washed downstream and end up in the drinking supply.

People who use pesticides have a higher chance of getting heart disease. The entire public may consume pesticides from contaminated food, soil, or water, while workers in the chemical and agricultural industries are more likely to be exposed to them.

Cadmium is a heavy metal found in minute quantities in air, water, soil, and food, as well as in industrial and agricultural settings. For non-smokers, food is the main source of cadmium. The article claims that population studies on the association between cadmium and cardiovascular disease have yielded contradictory results and quotes a Korean study indicating that middle-aged Koreans with high blood cadmium had increased risks of stroke and hypertension.

Mining, smelting, manufacturing, and recycling pollute the environment with lead. 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. Arsenic is a naturally occurring metalloid whose levels can grow due to industrial activities and the use of contaminated water to irrigate crops. Further research have suggested that there is a higher risk of death from cardiovascular disease related with exposure to arsenic.

“Although soil pollution with heavy metals and its association with cardiovascular diseases is especially a problem low- and middle-income countries since their populations are disproportionately exposed to these environmental pollutants,” according to the paper, “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.”

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. The number of cardiovascular emergency room visits in Japan was 21% higher 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.

Since we are rarely exposed to one harmful agent alone, Professor Münzel stated that more research is required on the combined impact of various soil pollutants on cardiovascular disease. It is absolutely necessary to conduct research on how nano- and microplastics may cause and aggravate cardiovascular disease. In the interim, it is 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.

Image Credit; Getty

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