Pulse Brain · Growing Health Evidence Index
Peer-reviewed

The Fate of Chemical Contaminants in Soil with a View to Potential Risk to Human Health: A Review

G. Petruzzelli, B. Pezzarossa, Francesca Pedron

Environments · 2025

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Summary

This review reports some aspects of soil contaminant chemistry and its fundamental role in shaping the soil–human health relationship. Exposure to soil contaminants can occur through direct pathways, such as ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact, as well as indirect pathways, including food chain contamination via plant uptake or groundwater leaching. The mobility and persistence of organic and inorganic pollutants in soil are primarily controlled by sorption–desorption processes, which involve a complex interplay of physical and chemical mechanisms. Soil properties, such as pH, organic matter content, clay minerals, and oxide hydroxides, play a crucial role in regulating these processes and determining contaminant behavior. A high sorption capacity enhances the soil’s ability to mitig

Subject
Pesticides, contaminants & food safety
Source type
Peer-reviewed study
System type
Other
DOI
10.3390/environments12060183
Catalogue ID
SNmp4zkky9-wamb4t
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