Summary
This global comparative study demonstrates that urban greenspaces and adjacent natural ecosystems exhibit similar levels of multiple soil contaminants, indicating that human-driven pollution extends well beyond urban boundaries. Human influence and socio-economic factors emerged as primary drivers of contamination patterns worldwide. The research further establishes associations between elevated soil contaminant levels and shifts in microbial traits related to environmental stress resistance, nutrient cycling, and pathogenesis, suggesting ecosystem-level consequences of contamination.
UK applicability
The findings are highly relevant to UK soil management and ecosystem protection, particularly regarding agricultural soils adjacent to urban areas and peri-urban natural reserves. UK policy-makers and land managers should consider that contamination in protected natural areas may reflect regional human activity patterns, warranting integrated monitoring and remediation strategies that address both urban and rural sources.
Key measures
Metal(loid) concentrations, pesticide residues, microplastic abundance, antibiotic resistance genes, microbial community composition and functional genes (stress resistance, nutrient cycling, pathogenesis)
Outcomes reported
The study compared soil contamination levels (metal(loid)s, pesticides, microplastics, and antibiotic resistance genes) between urban greenspaces and adjacent natural/semi-natural ecosystems across multiple continents. It quantified the relationship between human influence, socio-economic factors, soil contaminants, and changes in microbial community traits.
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