The Global Symposium on Soil Pollution #GSOP18 | 2 - 4 May 2018 | FAO Hq Mr. Gary Pierzinsky, Kansas State University, United States of America

2. Theme 2: The impact of soil
pollution on food
production and safety, the
environment and overall
human well-being
Dr. Gary Pierzynski

3. Summary
• SUB-THEME 2.1: SOIL POLLUTION AND FOOD
SAFETY
• 10 oral presentations
• 7 posters
• SUB-THEME 2.2: RISK ASSESSMENT OF SOIL
POLLUTION ON THE ENVIRONMENT AND HUMAN
HEALTH
• 13 oral presentations
• 7 posters

4. Key Questions – Sub-theme 2.1
Q2.1-1: How does soil pollution influence the quality and
safety of the food we eat?
-Food borne pathogens
-Human pathogens
-Evidence of dispersion of antibiotic resistance
-Reductions in yield
-Unacceptable composition food/soil/water
-Reductions in soil biodiversity with unknown effects
Q2.1-2: How does soil pollution affect long-term food
production, safety and nutrition (future scenarios)?
-Without intervention problems described above will increase

5. Key Questions – Sub-theme 2.1
Q2.1-3: Are there actions towards the prevention of soil
pollution in the food chain?
-Refinement of existing soil protection standards:
Country specific regulations but uniform approach
needed across countries
Chemical mixtures
-Create soil protection standards where needed:
Capacity building; Pesticide Registration Toolkit
-Continue to identify and remediate contaminated sites
-Reverse question: food production – soil pollution
-Extending knowledge

6. Q2.2-1: What is the impact of polluted soils on nearby
or downstream ecosystems?
-Significant: dust, water, food-chain transfer, ecological
impacts, recognized exposure pathways
-Containment as a remediation strategy
Q2.2-2: How can the risk posed by polluted soils on the
environment be assessed?
-Global assessment of the extent of soil pollution
-Continue to refine risk assessment procedures
-Emerging contaminants: Pt group, microplastics, AMR,
POP’s
Key Questions – Sub-theme 2.2

7. Q2.2-2: How can the risk posed by polluted soils on
the environment be assessed (cont’d)
-Move from measuring concentrations to measuring
effects
bioassays, multiple indicator organisms
-FAO: standardize terms, indicators, SDG indicators
Key Questions – Sub-theme 2.2

8. Q2.2-3: What is the impact of antibiotic residues
and AMR organisms in soil amendments and
industrial waste on the microbial ecology in soils
and soil-mediated ecosystem services?
-Evidence presented that antibiotic residues present
in the environment and that AMR organisms can be
found in soils.
-Need to define risk
-Much more work needed!
Key Questions – Sub-theme 2.2

9. Final Thoughts
• Better understanding of the extent/impacts of soil
pollution
• Emerging contaminants: Pt group, microplastics,
AMR, POP’s
• Value of long-term studies
• Whole genome sequencing and related techniques
for assessment of soil microbiome