Soil and water pollution and human health: what should cardiologists worry about?

This article focuses on the critical relationship between soil health and human health, emphasizing how soil pollution poses a significant and growing threat to global well-being. It details major soil pollutants—including heavy metals, pesticides, biological pathogens, and nano/microplastic particles—and their roles in causing oxidative stress, inflammation, circadian rhythm disruption, and increased risk of non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease. The review also discusses how soil degradation from deforestation, overfertilization, and airborne dust contributes to environmental and health problems, including contamination of water and air. Highlighting the urgency of reducing pollution, the article references the European Commission's zero-pollution vision and EU Action Plan for 2050, which aim to lower air, water, and soil pollution to levels that no longer harm human or ecosystem health.