Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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Critical findings
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Pathogen and heavy metal contamination in urban agroecosystems of northern Ghana: Influence of biochar application and wastewater irrigation
2021Isaac Asirifi, Korbinian Kaetzl, Steffen Werner, Courage Kosi Setsoafia Saba, Felix K. Abagale, Philip Amoah, Bernd Marschner · Journal of Environmental Quality · Ghana
A field experiment in northern Ghana assessed health risks from pathogen and heavy metal contamination in urban agriculture, evaluating rice husk biochar, N-P-K fertilizer, and their combinations with untreated wastewater or tap water irrigation. While heavy metals in irrigation water and soil were below FAO/WHO standards, wastewater irrigation caused significant E. coli, fecal coliform, and helminth egg contamination on red amaranth vegetables and in soil. Biochar application did not affect bacterial contamination.
Contamination & food safetyHealthOrganic cycleClimate Change and Fecal Peril
2021Ahmed Khadra · IGI Global eBooks · Global
This chapter examines the health effects of climate change, specifically focusing on the global issue of fecal peril caused by intestinal parasites. It suggests that water shortages, driven by climate change, increase pressure on water resources, leading to greater use of urban wastewater for irrigation in urban agriculture. Unsafe management and inappropriate wastewater use are likely to exacerbate the transmission of infectious diseases, including those caused by intestinal protozoa and helminths.
Contamination & food safetyHealthClimate changeOrganic cycleEffects of Partial Organic Substitution for Chemical Fertilizer on Antibiotic Residues in Peri-Urban Agricultural Soil in China
2021Dong BaoCheng, Wei Li, Wenyong Xu · Antibiotics · China
A field experiment in peri-urban agricultural soil in China investigated the effects of partially substituting chemical fertilizer with organic fertilizers like pig manure and sewage sludge on soil quality and antibiotic residues. Organic substitution significantly increased residual antibiotic levels in agricultural soil, with antibiotic sequestration rising by 138.1~332.5%. This indicated that organic fertilizers can promote antibiotic persistence in soil by modifying soil quality, demonstrating a contamination risk.
Contamination & food safetyOrganic cycleClimate changePeri-urban agricultureOccurrence and Determination of Antimicrobial Resistant Escherichia coli Isolates in Fish and Vegetables as Indicator Organism of Faecal Contamination in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
2021Francis Mwanza, Erick Komba, Dominic Kambarage · International Journal of Microbiology · Tanzania (Dar es Salaam)
This study in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, investigated the occurrence, antimicrobial resistance, and genetic relatedness of E. coli isolates from 156 samples of manure, vegetables, and fish. Of these, 36 samples (23.1%) were positive for E. coli, yielding 48 isolates. A significant finding was that 25 (52.1%) of these isolates were resistant to at least one antimicrobial agent, and 12 (48.0%) showed multidrug resistance, indicating a potential microbial health risk to humans through contamination.
Contamination & food safetyHealthOrganic cycleCommunityPotentially Toxic Trace Elements in the Urban Soils of Santiago de Compostela (Northwestern Spain)
2021Cecilia Herbón, María Teresa Barral, Remigio Paradelo · Applied Sciences · Spain (Santiago de Compostela)
The concentrations of trace elements Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni, Cr, and As were investigated in 55 urban soils in Santiago de Compostela, northwestern Spain. While most soils showed higher trace element concentrations than regional backgrounds, they were not classified as contaminated according to Spanish regulations. However, geoaccumulation index values indicated low to moderate pollution levels in most soils, with Cu, Pb, and Zn highest in city center green areas, and Cr and Ni linked to parent material lithology.
Contamination & food safetyHealthOrganic cycleCommunityAgriculture urbaine, pratiques agricoles et impacts environnementaux et de santé publique
2020Maëlle Tripon, Dorothée Boccanfuso, Marie-Ève Yergeau · Cahiers de recherche · Global
This literature review examines urban agriculture (UA) models, their implementation contexts, production needs, and impacts. It highlights that UA faces limitations, particularly restricted access to good quality (unpolluted) soil, water, and air, which can negatively impact productivity. UA can also have negative impacts on ecosystems and human health, such as pollution and diseases, depending on management methods.
Contamination & food safetyHealthBiodiversityClimate changeOrganic cycleAgricultura urbana contribui para a segurança alimentar no Brasil? O que nos diz a produção científica dos últimos dez anos
2020Moisés Savian, Mari Inês Caríssimi Boff, Pedro Boff · Cadernos de Agroecologia · Brazil
This study evaluated Brazilian scientific production from 2009 to 2018 on urban agriculture's contribution to food and nutritional security, analyzing 34 selected articles out of 612. It found that while agrobiodiversity is present in urban agriculture areas, pesticide use is a reality in some crop plots. The research suggests urban agriculture must be based on agroecology to avoid environmental contamination and produce healthy food.
Contamination & food safetyFood sovereignty & justiceBiodiversityOrganic cycleHealthPotential of Technosols Created with Urban By-Products for Rooftop Edible Production
2020Baptiste Grard, Nastaran Manouchehri, Christine Aubry, Nathalie Frascaria‐Lacoste, Claire Chenu · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · Global
A five-year experimental trial quantified the food production potential, soil fertility, and potential contamination of Technosols created from urban wastes for rooftop edible production. The cropping system showed promising results for food production and maintained high fertility. However, a concern was identified regarding the trace metal content of certain edible crops, specifically zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu), although most trace metal levels were below existing norms.
Contamination & food safetyDIYCompostOrganic cycleHealthFoodborne illness prevention in Debre Berhan, Ethiopia: Preliminary efforts to understand household agricultural practices
2020Hillary A. Craddock, Elisabeth Fost Maring, Stephanie Grutzmacher · African Journal of Food Agriculture Nutrition and Development · Ethiopia
A mixed-methods pilot survey of 21 teachers and parents in Debre Berhan, Ethiopia, investigated household agricultural practices to understand foodborne illness risks. The study found that half of respondents using manure applied uncomposted manure as fertilizer, and many kept multiple animal species. This suggests a high risk of pathogen exposure for children and adults through contact with uncomposted manure and animals.
Contamination & food safetyHealthCompostOrganic cyclePre- and Post-Harvest Practices of Urban Leafy Green Vegetable Farmers in Accra, Ghana and Their Association with Microbial Quality of Vegetables Produced
2020Joycelyn K. Quansah, Cesar L. Escalante, Angela Parry‐Hanson Kunadu, Firibu Kwesi Saalia, Jinru Chen · Agriculture · Ghana (Accra)
A survey was conducted among 102 urban leafy green vegetable farmers from 12 farming areas in Accra, Ghana, to determine agricultural practices and their association with microbial safety of vegetables produced. It was observed that 70% of farmers used water from waste drains for irrigation, 99% used incompletely composted manure, 96% harvested with bare hands, and over 60% disagreed that polluted irrigation water can contaminate vegetables or make consumers sick. Vegetables cultivated by farmers with no formal education, less food safety knowledge, and those who disagreed about contaminated water causing illness were associated with higher fecal coliform and Enterococcus sp. counts.
Contamination & food safetyHealthCommunityOrganic cycleMetal Input in Lettuce Grown in Urban Agricultural Soils
2020Silke Cram, Pilar Fernández, Horacio Carranza, M.C. Gómez Hernández, Claudia Ponce de León, Ana M. Noguez Gálvez · Open Journal of Soil Science · Global
This study evaluated metal inputs, transfer, and translocation in lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) grown in an urban plot during dry and rainy seasons in 2013, using treated wastewater and rainwater respectively. While soil characteristics and metal transfer/translocation factors varied temporally, leading to different metal concentrations in lettuce tissues, the results indicated that the metal concentration in lettuce tissues posed no harm to human health. However, site-specific studies are necessary for urban agriculture management.
Contamination & food safetyHealthOrganic cycleHeavy Metal Uptake of Lettuce and Ryegrass from Urban Waste Composts
2020Remigio Paradelo, Antía Villada, María Teresa Barral · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · Global
A two-month pot experiment studied heavy metal transference from five metal-rich urban waste composts and a manure vermicompost to lettuce and Italian ryegrass under controlled conditions. Plant concentrations of Zn, Cu, and Cd increased with their concentrations in compost, while no such relation was observed for Pb. The study found that the ratio of element concentration in plant to compost was much higher for Zn, Cd, and Cu than for Pb, indicating lower bioavailability of Pb.
Contamination & food safetyCompostHealthOrganic cycleFarmers' Perception, Willingness and Capacity in Utilization of Household Sewage Sludge as Organic Resources for Peri-Urban Agriculture around Jos Nigeria
2019Cosmos C. Alamanjo, Abimbola O. Adepoju, H. Martin, R.N. Baines · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · Nigeria (Jos)
This mixed-methods study investigated farmers' perceptions, willingness, and capacity to use household sewage sludge as organic resources for peri-urban agriculture around Jos, Nigeria. Farmers were found to use a complex mix of fertilizers and were keen to utilize household sewage sludge for soil fertility, though constrained by accessibility. A critical finding was that household sewage sludge observed in the field is heterogeneous due to its proximity to urban refuse disposal, raising concerns for possible cross-contamination of pollutants and indicating a lack of extension guidance.
Contamination & food safetyPeri-urban agricultureOrganic cycleCompostHealthThe potential for heavy metal pollution in crops from urban and peri urban horticultural farms in the Gaborone environs: a review
2019L.C. Obuseng · Botswana Journal of Agriculture and Applied Sciences · Botswana (Gaborone)
This review highlights the potential for heavy metal accumulation in soil and crops from urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) around Gaborone, Botswana, due to the intensive use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, wastewater, sludges, and industrial effluents. A literature review showed that fertilizers contain heavy metals, and the use of treated or untreated sewage water by UPA farmers can lead to heavy metal accumulation in soil and crops, posing a danger to human health. Information on heavy metal accumulation in soils is limited in Botswana, despite high agrochemical use in UPA vegetable production.
Contamination & food safetyHealthPeri-urban agricultureOrganic cycleFecal Sludge Derived Products as Fertilizer for Lettuce Cultivation in Urban Agriculture
2019Surendra K. Pradhan, Olufunke Cofie, Josiane Nikiema, Helvi Heinonen‐Tanski · Sustainability · Global
This research determined the fertilizer value of sawdust and fecal sludge (SDFS) pellets and compared their effect on lettuce cultivation with other fertilizers in a greenhouse and open field. SDFS pellets, with or without enrichments, resulted in higher saleable fresh weight lettuce yields than commercial compost, poultry manure, mineral fertilizer, or no fertilizer. Open field cultivation yielded more than greenhouse cultivation. While no helminth eggs were detected, some fecal coliforms were found in lettuces fertilized with almost all tested fertilizers, including NPK and the non-fertilized control.
Contamination & food safetyOrganic cycleHealthCompostTrace Element Uptake by Herbaceous Plants from the Soils at a Multiple Trace Element-Contaminated Site
2019Obinna Elijah Nworie, Junhao Qin, Chuxia Lin · Toxics · Global
This study investigated trace element uptake by wild herbaceous plants at a multiple trace element-contaminated site. It found significant variability in bioaccumulation and translocation factors among plant species, identifying some as hyperaccumulators for specific elements. The marked accumulation of trace elements in plant tissues suggests that the site may not be suitable for urban agricultural production.
Contamination & food safetyHealthOrganic cycleImpact of Wastewater-Irrigated Urban Agriculture on Diarrhea Incidence in Ahmedabad, India
2018Timo Falkenberg, Deepak Saxena · Indian Journal of Community Medicine · India (Ahmedabad)
A 12-month case-cohort study of 187 households in four communities of Ahmedabad, India, purposively selected by irrigation water type (groundwater, surface water, wastewater), with bimonthly self-reported health diaries and most-probable-number measurement of Escherichia coli in water. Mean E. coli concentrations per 100 mL were 3.04×10^4 (groundwater), 9.28×10^5 (surface water) and 4.02×10^9 (wastewater) — all exceeding international irrigation water standards. Diarrhoea incidence was 7.92 episodes per 1000 person-weeks in the groundwater area versus 13.1 (wastewater) and 13.4 (surface water), with a positive correlation between irrigation water quality and diarrhoea. Wastewater reuse is often promoted as a water-scarcity fix for urban agriculture; this study shows it carries a health cost borne by the farming households themselves.
Contamination & food safetyHealthOrganic cycleSoil Properties on Farmers’ Fields Amended with Untreated Solid Urban Wastes in Ouagadougou Peri-urban Area, Burkina Faso
2018P.S. Bouda, Edmond Hien, A. Dioma, Hyacinthe Kambiré, Yacouba Maïga, Der Adolphe Somé, Sylvie Nazaret, A.S. Ouattara · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Burkina Faso
A study in Ouagadougou sub-urban agricultural fields, Burkina Faso, assessed the impact of using untreated Solid Urban Wastes (SUW) as agricultural fertilizers on soil properties and crop production. SUW amendment significantly increased pH, total C, N, P, and available P, and maize height and biomass yield were 124% and 164% higher in amended plots, respectively. However, trace metal elements (Cu, Zn, Pb, Ni, Cr) concentrations were higher in amended fields, indicating that urban waste carries contaminants posing public health risks.
Contamination & food safetyOrganic cycleHealthPeri-urban agricultureManagement initiatives in support of the soil quality of urban allotment gardens: Examples from Nantes (France)
2018Cécile Le Guern, Liliane Jean‐Soro, Béatrice Bechet, Thierry Lebeau, Dorine Bouquet · Land Degradation and Development · France
Urban allotment gardens in Nantes, France, were found to have soil contamination, with lead (Pb) levels ranging from 100–400 mg kg−1, posing health risks. Local actors collaborated to characterize soil, evaluate sanitary risks, and discuss management options. The most frequent solution was replacing polluted soils with clean soils, while other strategies included on-site management of excavated soil, non-accumulative cropping, or changing land use.
Contamination & food safetyCommunityHealthOrganic cycleTotal and Bioaccessible Soil Arsenic and Lead Levels and Plant Uptake in Three Urban Community Gardens in Puerto Rico
2018John Misenheimer, Clay Nelson, Evelyn Huertas, Myriam Medina-Vera, Alex Prevatte, Karen D. Bradham · Geosciences · Puerto Rico
Total and bioaccessible arsenic (As) and lead (Pb) levels, and their uptake by 10 commonly grown garden plants, were examined in three urban community gardens in Puerto Rico. Total As ranged from 2 to 55 mg/kg and Pb from 19 to 172 mg/kg in soils. Leaves accumulated higher concentrations of As and Pb than edible flesh, with culantro leaves showing the highest concentrations (3.2 mg/kg dw As, 8.9 mg/kg dw Pb).
Contamination & food safetyCommunityHealthOrganic cycleImpact of Long-Term Application of Patranala Sewage on Carbon Sequestration and Heavy Metal Accumulation in Soils
2018M. 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.
Contamination & food safetyPeri-urban agricultureHealthClimate changeOrganic cycle도시농업용 바이오차 시용이 상추 생육에 미치는 효과
2017이윤숙 · · 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.
Contamination & food safetyCompostHealthOrganic cycleAssessing the sustainability of vegetable production practices in northern Ghana
2017Eileen Bogweh Nchanji, Imogen Bellwood‐Howard, Nikolaus Schareika, Takemore Chagomoka, Johannes Schlesinger, D. Rodríguez Torres Axel, Glaser Rüdiger · International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability · Ghana (Tamale)
An ethnographic study in Tamale, Northern Ghana, assessed the sustainability of urban vegetable production between 2008 and 2014. While urbanization increased cultivation of profitable vegetables like cabbage, the practice involved irrigation with grey and wastewater and high pesticide use, posing health and environmental hazards. Industrial growth reduced open space urban agriculture by 8.7%, leading farmers to use interstitial spaces and peri-urban fringes, indicating a dynamic but not yet sustainable production system.
Contamination & food safetyHealthEconomicsClimate changePolicyOrganic cycleHeavy Metal Status in Urban and Peri-Urban Wetland Soils under Vegetable Cultivation in the Bamenda Municipality Cameroon
2016Godswill Azinwie Asongwe, Bernard Palmer Kfuban Yerima · Greener Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition · Cameroon (Bamenda)
This study analyzed heavy metal levels (chromium, manganese, lead, cadmium) in 21 urban and peri-urban agricultural wetland soil samples in Bamenda municipality, Cameroon. Average concentrations were 35.73 mg/kg for chromium, 0.08 mg/kg for manganese, 30.64 mg/kg for lead, and 0.45 mg/kg for cadmium. These concentrations were generally lower than the maximum WHO permissible levels.
Contamination & food safetyHealthPeri-urban agricultureOrganic cycleIDENTIFICATION OF LEAD AND CADMIUM LEVELS IN WHITE CABBAGE (Brassica rapa L.), SOIL, AND IRRIGATION WATER OF URBAN AGRICULTURAL SITES IN THE PHILIPPINES
2016Hardiyanto Hardiyanto, Constancio C. de Guzman · Indonesian Journal of Agricultural Science · Philippines (Metro Manila)
This study investigated the levels and distribution of lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) in white cabbage, soil, and irrigation water from urban agricultural sites in Las Piñas and Parañaque, Metro Manila, Philippines. Field areas were divided into three sections based on distance from the main road (0, 25, and 50 m), and metal contents were measured by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry. The average Pb content (1.09 µg g-1 dry weight) in white cabbage was highest immediately beside the main road, with a similar trend in soil. A negative relationship was found between distance from the main road and Pb and Cd contents in white cabbage and soil. While overall concentrations of Pb and Cd in white cabbage, soil, and irrigation water were within acceptable limits, further study on heavy metal contamination in crops, especially those grown along main roads, was suggested.
Contamination & food safetyHealthOrganic cycleCommunity