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Review
. 2021 Feb 25;9(3):42.
doi: 10.3390/toxics9030042.

Heavy Metals and Pesticides Toxicity in Agricultural Soil and Plants: Ecological Risks and Human Health Implications

Ahmed Alengebawy  1 , Sara Taha Abdelkhalek  2   3 , Sundas Rana Qureshi  2 , Man-Qun Wang  2
Affiliations
Review

Heavy Metals and Pesticides Toxicity in Agricultural Soil and Plants: Ecological Risks and Human Health Implications

Ahmed Alengebawy et al. Toxics. .

Abstract

Environmental problems have always received immense attention from scientists. Toxicants pollution is a critical environmental concern that has posed serious threats to human health and agricultural production. Heavy metals and pesticides are top of the list of environmental toxicants endangering nature. This review focuses on the toxic effect of heavy metals (cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn)) and pesticides (insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides) adversely influencing the agricultural ecosystem (plant and soil) and human health. Furthermore, heavy metals accumulation and pesticide residues in soils and plants have been discussed in detail. In addition, the characteristics of contaminated soil and plant physiological parameters have been reviewed. Moreover, human diseases caused by exposure to heavy metals and pesticides were also reported. The bioaccumulation, mechanism of action, and transmission pathways of both heavy metals and pesticides are emphasized. In addition, the bioavailability in soil and plant uptake of these contaminants has also been considered. Meanwhile, the synergistic and antagonistic interactions between heavy metals and pesticides and their combined toxic effects have been discussed. Previous relevant studies are included to cover all aspects of this review. The information in this review provides deep insights into the understanding of environmental toxicants and their hazardous effects.

Keywords: agroecosystem; health implications; heavy metal pollution; pesticide risks; toxic effect.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Anthropogenic sources of heavy metal pollution.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Percentages of global pesticide use (Modified from De et al. [49], Sharma et al. [50]).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Total averaged pesticide use per year (Kg/ha) during 2010–2014 (Obtained from Zhang [46]).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Pesticide classification by pest they kill and the chemical composition (Modified after Yadav and Devi [57]; Fishel and Ferrell [58]).
Figure 5
Figure 5
Permissible limits for concentrations of heavy metals in the soil and plants (Modified after WHO [62]).
Figure 6
Figure 6
Mechanism of action and pathway of heavy metals toxicity in soil and plant.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Mechanistic pathway of pesticides toxicity in soil and plant.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Negative effects of heavy metals and pesticides toxicity on human health.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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