Signal Soil pollution said to cost the UK 1.2 billion pounds a year

Summary

The report finds that soil pollution affects soil fertility and crop yields. The resulting cost to the UK is put at 1.2 billion pounds a year. The report also points out that pollutants can contaminate food and endanger human health. For instance, cadmium exposure from fertilisers has been associated with more cases of osteoporosis in several EU countries. If a pollution tipping point were crossed through gradual accumulation, the knock-on effects for globally important systems such as freshwater, biodiversity and nitrogen and phosphorus cycles could be significant. In the long term, the report sees scope for the UK to make major progress in managing both legacy and newly emerging pollutants.