Soil, water, and air: potential contributions of inorganic and organic chemicals

Environmental pollution by inorganic and organic chemicals in soil, water, and air is a global problem, with several deleterious effects. These chemicals find their way into plant foods and agricultural crops via absorption and uptake from the environment. Ingestion of such contaminated food sources by animals and humans may lead to various toxicological implications. In this chapter, the potential sources for contamination of soil, water, and air by organic and inorganic chemicals—including heavy metals, pesticides, plastics, antimicrobials, and other industrial chemicals—are reported. Furthermore, recent publications screening the occurrence of these chemicals in the environment are reviewed. Suggested preventive measures and remediation approaches toward such chemicals are discussed. Some reports describing uptake of the chemicals by plant foods and agricultural crops are also reviewed. Finally, potential human health risks associated with consumption of foods contaminated by inorganic and organic chemicals are further outlined.