Impacts of climate change on indirect human exposure to pathogens and chemicals from agriculture

Alistair Boxall, Anthony Hardy, Sabine Beulke, Tatiana Boucard, Laura Burgin, Peter Falloon, Philip Haygarth, Thomas Hutchinson, Sari Kovats, Giovanni Leonardi, Leonard Levy, Gordon Nichols, Simon Parsons, Laura Potts, David Stone, Edward Topp, David Turley, Kerry Walsh, Elizabeth Wellington, Richard Williams

Research output: Contribution to journalLiterature reviewpeer-review

Abstract

Climate change is likely to affect the nature of pathogens/ chemicals in the environment and their fate and transport. We assess the implications of climate change for changes in human exposures to pathogens/chemicals in agricultural systems in the UK and discuss the effects on health impacts, using expert input and literature on climate change; health effects from exposure to pathogens/chemicals arising from agriculture; inputs of chemicals/pathogens to agricultural systems; and human exposure pathways for pathogens/chemicals in agricultural systems. We established the evidence base for health effects of chemicals/pathogens in the agricultural environment; determined the potential implications of climate change on chemical/ pathogen inputs in agricultural systems; and explored the effects of climate change on environmental transport and fate of various contaminants. We merged data to assess the implications of climate change in terms of indirect human exposure to pathogens/chemicals in agricultural systems, and defined recommendations on future research and policy changes to manage adverse increases in risks.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)743-756
Number of pages14
JournalCiencia & saude coletiva
Volume15
Issue number3
Publication statusPublished - May 2010

Keywords

  • Agriculture
  • Climate change
  • Environmental fate
  • Health risks
  • Nutrients
  • Pathogens
  • VECTOR-BORNE DISEASES
  • DRINKING-WATER
  • HUMAN HEALTH
  • UNITED-STATES
  • ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURES
  • PUBLIC-HEALTH
  • SOILS
  • DUST
  • UK
  • CONTAMINANTS

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