Summary
This narrative review synthesises evidence for connections between urban soil biodiversity and human health, a relationship that remains poorly characterised in the scientific literature. The authors propose that declining soil biodiversity in cities elevates health risks, but that targeted enhancement of urban soil communities could provide benefits through multiple biological pathways including pathogen suppression, soil detoxification, beneficial microbiome colonisation, and immune system priming. The work frames enhanced urban soil biodiversity as an important and understudied area warranting further fundamental and applied research.
Regional applicability
The review addresses global urban contexts and does not specify geographic focus, making findings applicable across diverse urban settings including United Kingdom cities. Transferability depends on local soil conditions, urban management practices, and baseline biodiversity levels, which vary substantially between regions. Further place-based research would strengthen applicability to specific UK urban environments.
Key measures
Qualitative synthesis of pathways linking soil biodiversity to human health; no quantitative outcome measures reported in abstract
Outcomes reported
The paper identifies and discusses multiple mechanisms through which soil biodiversity in urban environments can improve human health, including pathogen suppression, soil remediation, microbiome shaping, and immune system support. It synthesises current understanding of urban soil biodiversity's role in human health outcomes across outdoor and indoor settings.
Topic tags
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