Summary
This multinational study demonstrates that urban greenspaces and adjacent natural ecosystems harbour similar levels of multiple soil contaminants globally, with human influence and socio-economic factors driving contamination patterns worldwide. The research reveals that elevated contaminant levels correlate with altered microbial community composition and function, particularly shifts in stress resistance genes, nutrient cycling capacity, and pathogenic traits. These findings suggest that human-driven soil contamination extends beyond urban boundaries into natural ecosystems, posing potential consequences for ecological sustainability and human health.
UK applicability
These findings are highly relevant to UK soil quality management and ecosystem monitoring, as the study's global scope likely includes European conditions. The implications for UK natural protected areas and urban greenspace management suggest that contamination mitigation strategies must address both urban and adjacent natural areas simultaneously.
Key measures
Soil concentrations of metal(loid)s, pesticides, microplastics, and antibiotic resistance genes; microbial genes associated with environmental stress resistance, nutrient cycling, and pathogenesis; human influence and socio-economic factors
Outcomes reported
The study characterised and compared levels of multiple soil contaminants (metal(loid)s, pesticides, microplastics, antibiotic resistance genes) across urban greenspaces and adjacent natural/semi-natural ecosystems worldwide. It examined associations between contaminant levels and microbial community traits including stress resistance genes, nutrient cycling capacity, and pathogenic potential.
Topic tags
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