Research & reports

Muhammad Shahid, Camille Dumat, Nabeel Khan Niazi, Sana Khalid, Natasha Natasha · VertigO · Global

Arsenic concentrations exceeding the World Health Organization's recommended limit (10 μg/L) have been frequently found in groundwater in several countries globally, exposing millions to arsenic. This study synthesizes recent interdisciplinary knowledge on arsenic, particularly for urban gardeners and farmers who may face contamination in well water or produced vegetables. Geogenic arsenic poses a major health threat in many countries, especially in Asia, and advice is proposed to avoid and reduce human exposure to arsenic in urban agriculture contexts.

Sara J. Taetzsch, Andrea S. Bertke, Karen Gruszynski · Zoonoses and Public Health · United States (Richmond)

This study investigated the potential overlap between feral cat territories and human-frequented areas in the Richmond metropolitan area, Central Virginia, using GIS. From July to November 2016, 275 feral cats were trapped for TNR clinics. Findings showed that 8.0% of feral cats had the potential to range onto public elementary or preschool property, and 81.5% of those trapped in Richmond City could roam into public parks and community gardens, indicating a risk of zoonotic disease transmission.

M. L. Dotaniya, V. D. Meena, S. Rajendiran, M. Vassanda Coumar, Asha Sahu, J. K. Saha, S. Kundu, Hiranmoy Das, A. K. Patra · Journal of the Indian Society of Soil Science · India (Bhopal)

A case study in peri-urban agricultural lands near Patranala, Bhopal, India, investigated the impact of over 50 years of untreated sewage water irrigation on soil properties. Findings showed higher concentrations of heavy metals in surface soils of sewage-irrigated fields, posing a major concern. Conversely, soil microbial population, enzymatic activities, and organic carbon content were also higher, indicating enhanced carbon sequestration.

Simon Kojo Appiah, Eric Nimako Aidoo, Derrick Asamoah Owusu, M. W. Nuonabuor · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Ghana (Kumasi)

This paper assesses the spatial distribution of heavy metals and potential ingestion risks in Kumasi, Ghana, using geostatistical techniques on topsoil samples. Results from univariate and multivariate semivariogram models showed strong spatial dependence with autocorrelations ranging from 100 to 300 meters. The produced risk maps indicate strong spatial heterogeneity for most soil heavy metals, with extremely high contamination risk found near commercial areas.

Jane Entwistle, Patrick M. Amaibi, John R. Dean, Michael E. Deary, Daniel Medock, Jackie Morton, Ilia Rodushkin, Lindsay Bramwell · Environment International · United Kingdom

This study assessed gardeners' lead exposure in urban agriculture sites (UAS) to improve the derivation of soil assessment criteria. Researchers sampled nearly 280 paired soil and crop samples across 31 UAS gardens in the United Kingdom and measured blood lead levels (BLL) of 43 gardeners and 29 non-gardening neighbors. While 98% of sampled soils had lead concentrations above the current UK UAS soil guideline (80 mg/kg), all participants' BLL were below 0.1 mg/kg despite high soil lead. The study indicated that soil-to-plant concentration factors (SPCFs) used for UAS significantly over-predicted lead uptake.

Virginia L. J. Bolshakova, John Gieng, C. Sheena Sidhu, Mary Vollinger, Lorena Gimeno, Jessica Guild · Journal of Youth Development · United States (California)

The "Healthy Living Ambassador" school garden program in low-income communities integrated resources from schools, community programs, and the University of California Cooperative Extension. This program utilized culturally competent teenagers as teachers to educate elementary school youth on healthy living. The successes and challenges of the program development were discussed, revealing that public schools often lack the resources and support to establish sustainable garden-based programming.

Isabel de Felipe · LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) · Global

This paper describes urban agriculture as an activity gaining new support but facing difficulties due to inadequate governance. The research identified eight instruments for sustainable urban agriculture, including food security and economic development. It concludes that each city requires specific governance to achieve synergies.

Mayrina Firdayati, Peni Astrini Notodarmojo, Barti Setiani Muntalif, Didit Trihartomo, Inat Shani Fathuna, Kiki Somantri · INDONESIAN JOURNAL OF URBAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY · Indonesia

Against a background of high helminth-infection prevalence in Indonesia — which led the government to issue a 2017 ministerial regulation on preventing soil-transmitted helminths (STH) — this study investigated the potential presence of helminth eggs capable of causing STH infection in two urban agricultural areas in the northern and southern parts of Bandung City. Samples of inlet and plantation-area water, soil, and harvested water spinach from both areas were analyzed for helminth eggs using a modified Bailinger method, and egg counts of 1–119 eggs/L were found across the water, soil, and vegetable samples. The results confirmed that irrigation water in both areas was contaminated with feces, with average fecal coliform counts exceeding the allowable value for irrigation water under Indonesia's Grade 4 water-quality criteria; variation in egg counts was attributed to environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity, and soil type. Helminth-egg levels in the irrigation water and land samples exceeded the values recommended by the WHO's 2006 guidelines for safe use of wastewater in agriculture, which the study links to an increased risk of helminth infection among consumers, agricultural workers, and residents near the farmland.

Tiantian Xiong, Camille Dumat, V. Dappe, Hervé Vezin, Eva Schreck, Muhammad Shahid, Antoine Pierart, S. Sobanska · Environmental Science & Technology · Global

This study assessed the phytotoxicity of copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO-NPs) in lettuce and cabbage, exposing them via leaves for up to 15 days to various CuO-NP concentrations. High foliar Cu uptake occurred, leading to decreased plant weight, net photosynthesis, water content, and necrotic Cu-rich areas. The findings highlighted a potential health risk associated with consuming vegetables contaminated with CuO-NPs.

Virginia Webb · New Zealand sociology · New Zealand (Palmerston North)

This research in a Palmerston North, New Zealand community garden examined the struggle over norms and power relations, specifically regarding tobacco cultivation. It found that the garden hierarchy's reluctance to accommodate alternative perspectives on tobacco cultivation revealed a troubling politics of race and class. This reluctance meant the garden's potential to disrupt social hierarchies was unrealized, highlighting how health notions can become a basis for social control.

Nele Huys, Katrien De Cocker, Marieke De Craemer, Marleen Roesbeke, Greet Cardon, Sara De Lepeleere · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · Belgium (Ghent)

In four primary schools in Ghent, Belgium, twelve interviews with 14 key members and five focus groups with 38 children (fifth to sixth grade, 10-13 years old) were conducted to investigate school garden implementation practices and perceptions. School gardens were primarily initiated to involve children in nature, not to improve vegetable consumption. Participants were positive about school gardens but also experienced various barriers, including difficulties with startup, maintenance during summer holidays, and integration into the school curriculum.

Blaise Pascal Bougnom, Laura J. V. Piddock · Environmental Science & Technology · Global

This global perspective highlights the significant role of wastewater in urban agriculture as a factor in the dissemination of antibiotic resistance. Approximately 50-90% of antibiotics are excreted and end up in water ecosystems, particularly in low and middle-income countries with high antibiotic consumption. The aquatic environment acts as a reservoir and channel for the spread of clinically relevant antibiotic resistance traits.

Milan Geršl · · Czech Republic (Brno)

A study in Brno, Czech Republic, assessed toxic metal levels and soil attributes (pH, ORP, conductivity) in specific allotment garden areas using XRF analysis. Four out of eight metals (Cd, Cu, V, and Zn) exceeded legal norms, with cadmium (Cd) being the most hazardous at 12.69 mg/kg against a legal norm of 0.5 mg/kg. Despite high levels, the mobility of these metals was expected to be low given the detected soil attributes.

Muhammad Asif Khan Rai Muhammad Amir · International Journal of Biosciences (IJB) · Pakistan (Faisalabad)

To investigate heavy metal residue levels in cauliflower grown in the peri-urban area of Faisalabad district, Pakistan, 30 cauliflower samples were collected from 10 selected farmers. Analysis revealed variable heavy metal residue levels (nickel, lead, zinc, copper, arsenic, and mercury) in the samples, indicating that the cauliflower was contaminated with multiple heavy metals. This contamination is attributed to the use of untreated sewage water for cultivation, which is the single largest contributor to heavy metal accumulation in cauliflower.

Magdalena Szczepańska · Europa XXI · Poland

In Poland's Poznań agglomeration, agricultural functions tend to be marginalized in urban development concepts and documents due to urbanization. Despite their ecological, health, landscape, recreational, and social functions, family allotment gardens are alarmingly perceived as restricting urban spatial development. This study presented the current state of family allotment gardens in the Poznań agglomeration and offered recommendations for spatial policy.

Dan Luo, Haifeng Zheng, Ye Chen, Philippe Deleporte, Tianpeng Xie, Siobhán Staunton, G. Wang · Soil Use and Management · China (Fujian Province)

A large-scale survey across 515 sites and 24 crop species in Fujian Province, SE China, assessed nickel (Ni) accumulation in food crops and associated dietary health risks. Crop Ni content was influenced by both soil Ni (DTPA-extractible) and plant species, though PCA did not show strong correlations between soil-to-crop transfer factors and soil properties. The study concluded that dietary intake of foods with mean Ni content could lead to health risks, particularly for children, and that sandy soils rich in organic matter with high Ni content are unsuitable for growing rice and legumes.

Maud Chalmandrier, Marine Canavèse, Yves Petit‐Berghem, Élisabeth Rémy · HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe) · Global

This study, using case studies of public action and gardeners' relationships with urban soil, argues that the concept of "urban agriculture" smooths over inherent tensions to promote its development as an action category. This approach tends to minimize differences in meaning among actors regarding their cultivation practices and, critically, relegates the crucial question of urban soil quality and its suitability for food crops to a secondary concern.

Erin Vernoni, Jessica Price, Shoko Kumagai · · Global

A systematic review of quantitative peer-reviewed Farm to School (FTS) research found ambiguity and variability in FTS inputs. This makes it difficult to generalize outcomes for policymakers. The study proposes a pre-tested intensity measurement tool to standardize research in this area.

Fika Mayrlina Anggrayni, Dini Ririn Andrias, Merryana Adriani · Media Gizi Indonesia · Indonesia (Surabaya)

This observational study, conducted in Surabaya, Indonesia, analyzed differences in food security and coping strategies between agriculture and fisheries urban farming households. Among 62 households, 64.7% of the agriculture group were food secured, while 75% of the fishery group were food insecure with severe hunger. There was no statistical difference in household food security between the agriculture and fisheries urban farming groups (p=0.255). However, a difference in coping strategy was found (p=0.021), with agriculture urban farming households being more food secure and rarely employing coping strategies compared to fishery urban farming households.

Desta Woldetsadik, Pay Drechsel, Bernard Keraita, Fisseha Itanna, Berhanu Erko, Heluf Gebrekidan · International Journal of Food Contamination · Ethiopia (Addis Ababa)

An assessment in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, analyzed 210 lettuce and 90 irrigation water samples for faecal coliform and helminth eggs. Faecal coliform levels ranged from 4.29-5.61 log10 MPN 100 ml−1 in water and 3.46-5.03 log10 MPN 100 g−1 on lettuce, exceeding WHO recommendations. Helminth eggs were detected in 80% of water and 61% of lettuce samples, also exceeding standards. While washing methods reduced contamination, levels remained in a potential risk range.

P. V. ERMINI, M. R. DELPRINO, B. GIOBELLINA · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Argentina (Santa Rosa-Toay)

In the Santa Rosa-Toay metropolitan area of Argentina, urban and peri-urban agriculture is noted for its scarce recognition in urban development policies and food security policies. Despite the region's urbanization, the absence of political recognition as a metropolitan area has hindered planning and management of land use and occupation according to its potential and limitations. This study developed and applied a methodological proposal to generate information on urban and peri-urban agricultural activities, integrating a spatial perspective with participatory procedures.

Kathy B. Knight, Janie W. Cole, Lacy M. Dodd, Charlotte B. Oakley · International Journal of School Health · United States

The "Eating good and moving like we should (EGMLWS)" school-based intervention aimed to prevent and reduce childhood obesity among primarily African American third-grade students in 7 Mississippi Delta schools. The program included curricula, school gardens, and school menu consultation. Pre- and post-intervention BMI z-scores and Fitnessgram parameters (PACER and back-saver sit-and-reach) were compared. Mean BMI z-scores significantly lowered in 2 schools, did not change in 4 schools, and increased in 2 schools. PACER scores increased in 5 of 7 schools, and sit-and-reach scores increased in 5 and 6 schools respectively.

Marthe Ortolo · Infoscience (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) · Netherlands

This study outlines a plan to assess air pollution risks in urban agriculture in the Netherlands, focusing on heavy metal (Cd, Hg) and PAK accumulation in spinach in Amsterdam urban gardens. It includes a literature review, policy maker interviews, and practical measurements of airborne contamination. The study aims to model different uptake routes by plants, but actual findings on contamination levels are not presented in this abstract.

이윤숙 · · Global

Urban agriculture has gained emphasis due to its importance for leisure and recreation in modern society. However, public health may not be guaranteed due to continuous odors from animal compost. Biochar is an amendment that can reduce odors and enhance crop productivity, but this abstract is truncated and does not present specific research findings.

Carl E. Taylor, Elizabeth B. Symon, Amy Dabbs, Alexander Way, Olivia M. Thompson · HortTechnology · United States

An online survey of 37 educators (36% response rate) in South Carolina, who completed a school gardening training course between 2012-2015, assessed a pilot farm-to-school initiative. The study found that most educators were unaware their garden was part of the initiative, and gardens were not integrated with school-wide programs, particularly cafeteria meals. However, most educators maintained their gardens for over a year and used them for academic instruction.