Research & reports

L Cao, Jingsheng Wang, Yanbin Zhao (1549129), Shuping Zheng, Ruike Pan, Ruiqi An (19738761), Xuhui Yue, Yifan Wang (380120), Jianan Li (290570), Yan Liu (25061), Jie Wang (16762), Peng Wang (34436), Yangmei Mo, Ning Pan (186987), H. Z. Shi, Jiayin Dai (218672), Kun Zhang (108291) · Figshare · China (Shanghai)

An integrated assessment of agrochemical contamination in Shanghai's peri-urban agricultural surface waters across 193 sites revealed exceptionally high chemical diversity and mixture complexity. 91 pesticides and 263 formulation adjuvants were widely detected, with adjuvants showing comparable detection frequencies and response intensities to pesticides, indicating they are a major, underappreciated component of agrochemical pollution. In vivo zebrafish embryo assays showed that representative pesticides and adjuvants induced adverse developmental effects at environmentally relevant concentrations, identifying peri-urban agriculture as a critical source of complex agrochemicals.

Amos Tomiwa Afolabi, Bridget O. Odiyi, Oluwasheun Johannah Ojeniyi · Discover Soil. · Nigeria (Ado-Ekiti)

A study in Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria, investigated heavy metal accumulation in Amaranthus hybridus and Ocimum gratissimum grown on soils from two automobile workshops. A. hybridus accumulated higher metal concentrations than O. gratissimum, with stems showing greater accumulation than leaves. While non-carcinogenic and total cancer risks were within acceptable limits, children showed higher vulnerability, indicating that continuous monitoring and soil remediation are essential for sustainable urban agriculture in these contaminated areas.

Ndiaye Awa, Diallo Ibrahima, Dieng Amadou, Ba Ibrahima, Sembene Mbacke · African Journal of Environmental Science and Technology · Senegal

This study in Dakar, Senegal, assessed Salmonella contamination in irrigation water and lettuce across three urban agricultural sites. Sites using wastewater (Pikine and Patte d’Oie) showed high Salmonella prevalence in water (70-90%) and vegetables (20-80%), while a tap water site (Lendeng) had no contamination. Market-sourced lettuce also tested positive (28.57%), indicating public health risks from untreated wastewater use.

Réné Kasende Disashi, Belloty Mundadi Ngeteke, Dorcas Sola Tabitha, Prescilia Mabubu Pembe, Fanny BAKOMBA KIKOBO, Denise OKITO WIKANU, Esther MPIANA MUKANIA, Sarah Kinsona Bombili, Esther Kimpala Karuna, Clément Munganga Kilingwa, Rosie Mubindukila Nzamba · European Scientific Journal ESJ · Congo (Kinshasa)

A study conducted from June 10 to July 20, 2025, in peri-urban market gardens of Kimwenza and Ndjili Cecomaf in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, surveyed 68 market gardeners on the use of prohibited and unauthorized pesticides. The findings revealed an alarming reliance on informal supply channels, with six out of 27 identified pesticides being formally prohibited. Despite 94.3% of gardeners acknowledging risks, only 9.6% used full protective equipment, and 32.7% took no precautions.

María Roo, Cecilia Herbón, Juan Pedro Martín‐Sanz, María Teresa Barral, Remigio Paradelo Núñez · Journal of Soils and Sediments · Spain (Santiago de Compostela)

This study analyzed the chemical extractability and bioaccessibility of five trace metals (Pb, Cu, Zn, Ni, Cr) in 55 urban soils from Santiago de Compostela, Spain, across various land uses. The availability of trace metals in these soils was found to be very low. Plant-available and bioaccessible Cu and Zn were higher in urban garden soils compared to other uses, supporting hypotheses that Cu, Pb, and Zn originate from anthropogenic pollution.

Bahi Aristide Armand, Ohou-Yao Marie Jeanne, Kouamé Leonard Kouadio, Sahiri Grâces Kérène, Akpètou Lazare, Akessé Djamatché Paul, Koné Oumar, Dongui Bini Kouamé · International Journal of Environment and Climate Change · Côte d’Ivoire (Daloa)

This study characterized the physicochemical quality of surface waters at 30 sampling points in lettuce and rice cultivation areas in Daloa, Côte d’Ivoire, from January 2024 to January 2025. Physicochemical analyses revealed spatial variability in water quality parameters, with marked fluctuations influenced by agricultural activities. The findings indicate that surface waters are exposed to contamination from farming practices, domestic activities, and rapid urbanization.

Nelson Joseph Msacky, Amelia Alfred, Oscar Punguti, Edson Protas, Iddi Mapande, Novatus, Shukrani Phillip, January G Msemakweli · Open MIND · Global

This systematic review aims to synthesize current scientific evidence on the effectiveness of fruit-waste-derived biochar in immobilizing potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in contaminated agricultural soils. It will evaluate how fruit-waste biochar reduces metal bioavailability, plant uptake, and associated human health risks from vegetable consumption. The review also seeks to identify which fruit wastes are used as biochar feedstocks and which biochar properties and production conditions influence immobilization performance, noting that existing research is fragmented.

Hajra Kanwal, Qudrat Ullah, Waqas Haider, Mujahid Farid, Zaki Ul Zaman Asam, Muhammad Zubair, Abdulrahman Alasmari, Sarah Owdah Alomrani, Muhammad Munir, Shafaqat Ali · Open MIND · Global

This study investigated the interactive effects of contaminated wastewater with cadmium, mercury, lead, and polyethylene microplastics from exfoliating personal care products on chili plants (Capsicum annuum). Plant growth parameters were reduced by 71–82% at high wastewater and microplastic levels, accompanied by significant losses in photosynthetic pigments and soluble proteins. Oxidative stress markers increased by 124–230%, and heavy metal uptake was significantly increased, facilitated by microplastics.

Antonio Peña‐Fernández, M. Carmen Lobo, María de los Ángeles Peña, Guillermo Torrado Durán, Mark D. Evans, Tiziana Sgamma, Tomás Cámara Pastor, Gurminderjeet S. Jagdev · Journal of Xenobiotics · United Kingdom

This study evaluated hazardous metal(loid)s in 121 wild mushroom fruiting-body units collected from urban and peri-urban green spaces in Leicester/Leicestershire, UK. Copper, manganese, and zinc were detected in all units, while cadmium and lead were found in 117/121 and 106/121 units respectively, indicating the widespread presence of these contaminants. Taxon-level profiles showed marked heterogeneity, and under a 300 g fresh-weight week−1 consumption scenario, cadmium represented 47.3% of the EFSA tolerable weekly intake in the pooled edible population and 50.9% in Agaricus bitorquis.

hawamkwela@yahoo.com MKWELA · Social Sciences & Humanities Open · Tanzania (Dar es Salaam)

This systematic review analyzed 42 studies from 1990 to 2024, examining urban agriculture practices, scale, socio-economic contributions, health and environmental impacts, and governance constraints in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Urban agriculture involves 36,000–60,000 households cultivating 1,800–6,000 hectares annually, supplying 90% of city vegetables, providing 20–70% of household income, and employing over 100,000 people. However, 85–95% of farmers lack secure land tenure, 78% of vegetable samples exceed WHO E. coli limits, and 90% of produce is sold informally with high post-harvest losses of 20–40%.

Jenkins E. M., Heafner H., Montgomery J., Soumano V., Paltseva A. A. · iScience · 米国・シカゴ

Portable X-ray fluorescence measurement of seven trace elements in 233 topsoil samples from five Chicago parks. Lead, arsenic, copper, zinc and chromium exceeded Illinois background levels in 89–100% of samples; arsenic exceeded EPA screening levels in 94% of samples and lead in 7%. Contamination was higher at parks farther from the city centre — Douglass and Humboldt parks, in predominantly minority, lower-income neighbourhoods — than at Cottontail, Grant and Webster. Principal-component analysis identified an anthropogenic signature (PC1, 51.7%) driven by Pb, Zn, Cu and As and a geogenic signature (PC2, 17.0%) associated with Mn and Ni. Areas of Douglass and Humboldt parks were classified as not safe for gardening in native soil; Webster as safe with minor restrictions. The authors conclude that park-soil contamination follows socioeconomic gradients, reflecting environmental injustice and a need for targeted remediation.

Malsha Samarasiri, Wei Ning Chen · Sustainable Microbiology · Global

This review discusses advances in urban mushroom farming, its integration with computer-based technologies, safety considerations, and the potential of mushrooms and mycelium-based foods as future foods. Key safety considerations for urban mushroom farming systems include biological hazards, mycotoxins, heavy metal accumulation, and potential allergenicity. Macrofungal mycelium-based foods may be regarded as novel foods and require evaluation under novel food safety regulations.

Threice Natália Ribeiro Pexe, Julia Yumi Muraoka, Fabiana Cristina Donofrio, Cibele Bonacorsi · Scientific Electronic Archives · Brazil (Sinop)

Parasitological and microbiological evaluation was conducted on 40 vegetable samples (watercress, lettuce, chicory, kale, escarole, arugula, parsley) randomly selected from supermarkets, open-air markets, and a community garden in Sinop, Brazil. Before treatment, 12 out of 40 (30.0%) vegetable samples were contaminated with enteroparasites, and all 40 showed microbial growth, with 3 (7.5%) containing Escherichia coli. After sanitization with sodium hypochlorite, parasitic forms were absent, but high initial contamination was confirmed.

Michael J. Ormsby, Luke Woodford, James Joseph Mwesiga, Winnie Ernest, Dativa J. Shilla, Daniel Abel Shilla, Richard S. Quilliam · Environmental Pollution · Africa

This study investigated plastic debris as a reservoir for multidrug-resistant (MDR) enteric bacterial pathogens at two peri-urban agricultural sites in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Analysis of 140 environmental samples (soil, water, vegetation, plastic debris) showed higher concentrations of culturable pathogens on plastic debris, with presumptive E. coli loads of ~1 × 10^3 CFU per piece. Plastic debris harbored a greater proportion of MDR strains, including E. coli and K. pneumoniae resistant to critically important antimicrobials, indicating that plastic waste facilitates the survival of MDR pathogens and poses health risks.

Djim-adjim Tabo, Fissou Henry YANDAI, BONGO NARE Ngandolo, GRANIER Sophie, ABAKAR Brahim, MILLEMANN Yves · European Journal of Nutrition & Food Safety · Chad

A study in N'Djamena, Chad, isolated Salmonella and Escherichia coli from wastewater discharged into the Chari River and from market garden crops irrigated with it. E. coli was found in 29.66% of wastewater samples and Salmonella sp. in 19.49%, with raw vegetables showing very high contamination. Wastewater results exceeded WHO standards, indicating that re-use of this wastewater for market gardening is not recommended due to significant contamination risks.

Gabson Baguma, Gadson Bamanya, Allan Gonzaga, Hannington Twinomuhwezi, Barnabas Mubangizi, Eric Niringiyimana · Pollutants · Uganda

This review synthesized literature on the occurrence of cadmium, chromium, nickel, lead, and arsenic in foods consumed in Uganda. Contamination was concentrated in mining-influenced agricultural areas, wastewater-irrigated farms, municipal dumpsites, industrial corridors, and urban food markets, with vegetables, cereals, livestock products, fish, and street-vended foods exhibiting the greatest contamination burdens. Lead and cadmium most frequently exceeded WHO/FAO, Codex Alimentarius, and Ugandan food safety limits, and children consistently showed higher dietary exposure than adults.

Aulia Maulida, Syafitri Jumianto, Riris Lindiawati Puspitasari, S.Si., M.Si · Prosiding Seminar Nasional Pemberdayaan Masyarakat (SENDAMAS) · Indonesia (Jakarta)

This study examined cattle manure from an urban farm in South Jakarta for the presence of Escherichia coli resistant to third-generation cephalosporins. Using total plate count, selective culture, Gram staining, and biochemical identification, presumptive ESBL-producing E. coli strains were detected. Bacterial growth on cefotaxime-supplemented media indicated phenotypic resistance, demonstrating that urban cattle manure may serve as a reservoir of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Jennifer Newell, Rory Doherty, Gary Lyons, Siobhan F. Cox · Environmental Geochemistry and Health · Global

A controlled experiment investigated the effects of 5%w/w digestate biochar on lead (Pb) ingestion risks in urban vegetable agrisystems with varying soil Pb concentrations, high pH, and organic matter. Biochar significantly reduced soil-derived Pb ingestion risks in some systems but had no effect on vegetable-derived Pb ingestion risks for any agrisystem. Overall, biochar showed limited and variable effects on reducing Pb ingestion risks, suggesting its remediation potential is context-dependent and may offer limited protection in soils with elevated pH and organic matter.

Eric Vukicevich · Urban Ecosystems · Global

This paper describes a class-based soil testing project where undergraduate students partner with local community gardeners to investigate urban soil health. The project involves students examining soil properties such as pH, organic matter, nutrients, and toxic elements, and ensuring crop safety. Students develop project plans, interpret data, and make recommendations for soil management.

Elmira Ramazanova, Manvitha Marni, Roger Wong, Leah Gable, Zezhen Pan, Zorimar Rivera‐Núñez, Daniel E. Giammar · Environmental Geochemistry and Health · United States (St. Louis)

A study in St. Louis, Missouri, examined total metal/metalloid concentrations and in-vitro Pb bioaccessibility in soil from twenty community gardens. Lead was identified as a metal of concern, with soil in 21% of sampled plots containing Pb concentrations above recommended thresholds for gardens. Although Pb bioaccessibility was low (< 5.4%), total metal/metalloid concentrations varied spatially within gardens, and Pb and As concentrations correlated positively with garden age, highlighting the importance of multiple plot sampling.

Kamil Pająk, Alicja Trawińska, Marcin Łapicz, Andrzej R. Reindl · Toxics · Global

This study quantified emissions and toxicological consequences of a large-scale tire fire in an urban ecosystem by analyzing soil samples from the fireground and surrounding urban allotment gardens for zinc and 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Soil at the fire site showed severe contamination with PAHs (Σ PAHs: 148.9 mg/kg), and the cumulative Incremental Lifetime Cancer Risk (ILCR) for children reached 9.7 × 10−4, exceeding the regulatory benchmark. Elevated risk levels persisted at distal residential sites, indicating long-term environmental contamination and persistent terrestrial health hazards.

Malone M., Johnson B., Richard SI., Garcia N., Hamlin S. · Journal of Environmental Management · United States (Seattle)

Compares heavy-metal concentrations in vegetables grown in urban community gardens in the Seattle metropolitan area with produce from the grocery stores participants regularly used — a question set by the partnering farmers themselves. Metal concentrations frequently exceeded health guidelines in both, but were generally higher in the community-garden produce. Cadmium and lead posed the greatest risk and may exacerbate health risks for some populations.

Guanxin Du, Yu Sun, Hongyan WangShenggao Lu, Baiquan Yan, Huimin Dai, Kai Liu, Keke Xu · PLoS ONE · China

In the urban-agricultural transition zone of Arongqi in China's black soil region, researchers analyzed 32 topsoil samples (0-20 cm) from three subzones — urbanizing zone, peri-urban arable land, and urban zone — for 16 trace metals including Cd, Pb, Zn, As, Hg and Cr, plus soil organic matter. Urbanization did not worsen soil acidification but significantly reduced organic matter, and Cd, Pb, Zn, Ba, Co, Mo, Sr, V and Ag were significantly enriched above background levels, with peri-urban arable land contaminated by Cd, Mo, Sr, V and Ag and the urban zone by Cd, Pb, Ba and Sr. Carcinogenic risk was higher for adults in peri-urban arable land and for children in the urban zone, with oral ingestion and dermal contact as the dominant exposure pathways and Cr and As as the main carcinogenic factors for children; source apportionment attributed the contamination to traffic emissions (27.46%), soil parent material (24.77%), contemporary agriculture (24.54%), urban combustion (11.22%) and historical agriculture (11.22%).

Karina Corada, Caroline Nash, Prashant Kumar, Stuart Connop, Laura Wendling · Nature-Based Solutions · Global

A synthesis paper on the largely unexplored role of domestic gardens in influencing local air quality. While gardens are widely recognized for cultural and health benefits, particularly mental well-being and everyday contact with nature, the paper states few studies have examined air quality dynamics within residential garden settings. It notes that general urban green infrastructure research suggests vegetation structure, plant traits, and spatial configuration shape pollutant capture, but these findings have not been tested in domestic gardens, where microclimates and spatial constraints differ markedly. Evidence from food-growing gardens and allotments further suggests edible crops cultivated near roads may accumulate airborne pollutants, particularly metals, underscoring the need for research on exposure pathways and allotment locations. The paper identifies a significant gap in current green infrastructure and air-pollution research: the lack of empirical evidence on how domestic gardens function as socio-ecological systems with implications for air-quality regulation.

Ayhan Horuz, Güney Akınoğlu · · Turkey

A Turkish book chapter arguing that agriculture-derived air pollution, compounded by growing industrial and urban pollutant loads, is threatening food production, product quality, and food security by directly and indirectly impairing plant growth and development. It notes that population growth, energy production, transportation, waste management, and biomass burning have substantially increased atmospheric organic and inorganic pollutants, pushing air quality beyond acceptable limits in many regions. The first part evaluates the effects on agroecosystems of tropospheric (ground-level) ozone, PM2.5 and PM10, nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO2), agricultural ammonia (NH3), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), detailing how tropospheric ozone suppresses photosynthesis causing yield losses in staple crops such as wheat and soybean, and how particulate matter directly and indirectly affects soil and plant health, alongside the effects of acid rain and nitrogen deposition on soil fertility, water quality, and ecosystem balance, assessed against the four pillars of food security—availability, access, utilization, and stability. The second part discusses integrated policy approaches, industrial emission control technologies, and low-emission transport systems at the macro level, alongside agricultural strategies such as precision farming, improved fertilizer management, and innovative production techniques, and the role of green infrastructure in urban planning.