title: Implications of leading crop production practices on environmental quality and human health.
abstract: Globally, much weight is currently being placed on agriculture to provide food for the growing population as well as feedstock for the bioenergy industry. Unfortunately, the intensification of agricultural operations to satisfy these growing needs has been associated with a number of environmental and human health risks. A review of publications on the subject was conducted and emphasis was placed on articles focusing on agriculture, environment, and public health as well as their interactions. Supporting information was also gathered from publications of various agricultural and environmental agencies. Agricultural practices with potential negative implications on the environment and human health were identified broadly as: (a) utilization of biosolids and animal manures, (b) use of agricultural chemicals, (c) management of post-harvest residue, (d) irrigation, and (e) tillage operations. Soil, water, and air contamination by nutrients, heavy metals, pathogens, and pesticides, as well as air contamination by particulate matters, noxious gases, and pathogens were among the leading environmental impacts. Some of the human-health impacts identified included neurological and reproductive defects, cardiovascular risks, cancers and other diseases (of kidney, liver, lung, and skin), skin allergies, gastroenteritis, and methemoglobinemia. Continual awareness on the impacts of the reviewed agricultural practices on environmental quality and human health and the implementation of experimentally-backed best management practices in agricultural systems remain indispensable.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant and Soil Science, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA. Electronic address: theo.udeigwe@ttu.edu.
authors.forename: Theophilus K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Udeigwe
authors.affiliation: Carrington Research Extension Center, North Dakota State University, Carrington, ND, USA.
authors.forename: Jasper M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Teboh
authors.affiliation: School of Geography & Environmental Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, WITS 2050 Johannesburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: Peter N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Eze
authors.affiliation: Department of Land, Water and Environment, Faculty of Agriculture, The University of Jordan, Amman 11942, Jordan.
authors.forename: M Hashem
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Stietiya
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Sciences and Plant Pathology, Montana State University, 119 Plant Bioscience Building, Bozeman, MT 59717-3150, USA.
authors.forename: Vipan
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: Northeast Region, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, 212-B Macon Ridge Road, Winnsboro LA 71295, USA.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hendrix
authors.affiliation: Northeast Region, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, 212-B Macon Ridge Road, Winnsboro LA 71295, USA.
authors.forename: Henry J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Mascagni
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China.
authors.forename: Teng
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ying
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant and Soil Science, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA.
authors.forename: Tarek
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kandakji
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D000818:Animals; D018556:Crops, Agricultural; D004777:Environment; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000737:chemistry; D010575:Pesticides / Q000737:chemistry; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000737:chemistry; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D010575:Pesticides; D012989:Soil Pollutants
keywords: Agricultural chemicals; Bioenergy; Biomass burning; Biosolids; Metals; Noxious gases; Nutrients; Pathogens; Public health