Soil: A Public Health Threat or Savior?

• Published in: Critical reviews in environmental science and technology Vol. 39; no. 5; pp. 416 - 432
• Main Authors: Pepper, I. L., Gerba, C. P., Newby, D. T., Rice, C. W.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia, PA Taylor & Francis Group 01.05.2009; Taylor & Francis; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Animal, plant and microbial ecology; ANTIBIOTICS; Applied ecology; ARCHITECTURE; BACTERIA; BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES/GENOMICS/GENOME RESEARCH; Biological and medical sciences; Biomaterials; Biomedical materials; Cancer; Climate change; CLIMATES; Conservation, protection and management of environment and wildlife; Drugs; ECOSYSTEMS; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; geoindigenous pathogens; GREENHOUSE EFFECT; Health; Human; Microorganisms; Nations; Natural products; NEOPLASMS; NUTRITION; PATHOGENS; PLANETS; PUBLIC HEALTH; soil; Soil (material); Soil mechanics; Soil sciences; SOILS; Surgical implants; Soils; natural products; Ecosystem; Quality; soil; antibiotics; Public health; geoindigenous pathogens
• ISSN: 1064-3389; 1547-6537
• DOI: 10.1080/10643380701664748

Soil is the most complicated biomaterial on the planet due to complex soil architecture and billions of soil microbes with extreme biotic diversity. Soil is potentially a source of human pathogens, which can be defined as geo-indigenous, geo-transportable, or geo-treatable. Such pathogens cumulatively can and do result in multiple human fatalities annually. A striking example is Helminths, with current infections worldwide estimated to be around two billion. However, soil can also be a source of antibiotics and other natural products that enhance human health. Soilborne antibiotics are used to treat human infections, but can also result in antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Natural products isolated from soil resulted in 60% of new cancer drugs between the period 1983-1994. Soils are also crucial to human health through their impact on human nutrition. Finally, from a global perspective, soils are vital to the future well-being of nations through their impact on climate change and global warming. A critical review of soil with respect to public health leads to the conclusion that overall soil is a public health savior. The value of soil using a systems approach is estimated to be $20 trillion, and is by far the most valuable ecosystem in the world.