Prevent and minimize soil contamination.
Soil may filter, fix and neutralize, but also release pollutants when conditions change (e.g. heavy metal release with lowering pH). Therefore, prevention of soil contamination remains the best way to maintain healthy soils and food safety in accordance to the Sustainable Development Goals. Contaminants can enter soils from a variety of sources including agricultural inputs, land application of by-products, atmospheric deposition, flood and irrigation water, accidental spills, inappropriate urban waste and wastewater management, and other means. Accumulation and contamination occur if the rate of addition of a given contaminant exceeds its rate of removal from the soil system. Negative consequences may include plant toxicities and subsequent productivity declines, contamination of water and off-site areas through sediment transport, and increased human and animal health risks through accumulation in the food-chain. • Governments are encouraged to establish and implement regulatio...