Short Communication - (2025) Volume 14, Issue 4
Received: 01-Jul-2025, Manuscript No. VTE-26-180104;
Editor assigned: 03-Jul-2025, Pre QC No. P-180104;
Reviewed: 17-Jul-2025, QC No. Q-180104;
Revised: 22-Jul-2025, Manuscript No. R-180104;
Published:
29-Jul-2025
, DOI: 10.37421/2376-1318.2025.14.386
Citation: Sule, Zainab. ”Environmental Factors Affect Plant and Human Mineral Nutrition.” Vitam Miner 14 (2025):386.
Copyright: © 2025 Sule Z. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Environmental factors play a profound role in shaping the availability and uptake of essential minerals, impacting both plant and human health. Soil pH, organic matter content, moisture levels, and the presence of other chemical compounds can significantly enhance or inhibit the accessibility of minerals crucial for plant development and growth. For instance, highly alkaline soil conditions can substantially decrease the solubility of vital micronutrients such as iron and zinc, hindering their absorption by plants. Waterlogged soils create anaerobic conditions that promote the accumulation of reduced forms of iron and manganese. This transformation affects their chemical state and, consequently, their availability for plant uptake, potentially leading to imbalances or deficiencies. In the context of human nutrition, dietary components can also interfere with mineral absorption. Phytates and oxalates, commonly found in plant-based foods, have the ability to bind with minerals, thereby reducing their bioavailability. Conversely, certain vitamins, like vitamin C, can enhance the absorption of specific minerals, such as iron. Climate change is emerging as a significant indirect driver of mineral availability. Altered precipitation patterns and shifts in global temperatures can profoundly influence soil processes, affecting the release and movement of minerals. These changes have cascading effects on the mineral content of crops and, subsequently, on human nutritional status. Soil salinity represents a major abiotic stress that severely impairs plant mineral nutrition by disrupting crucial ion homeostasis. Elevated salt concentrations within the soil solution induce osmotic stress and ion toxicity, which can interfere with the uptake and internal transport of essential minerals like potassium, calcium, and magnesium. Plants have evolved sophisticated adaptation mechanisms to cope with salinity, including the accumulation of compatible solutes and the precise regulation of ion transporters. However, under severe salinity conditions, these adaptations may be insufficient, leading to significant nutrient deficiencies and stunted growth. The intricate interplay of soil microorganisms is fundamental to plant mineral nutrition, particularly concerning micronutrients like phosphorus and iron. Symbiotic associations, such as those involving mycorrhizal fungi, significantly enhance the uptake of phosphorus and zinc by effectively expanding the root's nutrient depletion zone. Rhizobacteria play a crucial role in nutrient cycling by actively solubilizing mineral phosphates, thereby increasing their availability for plant absorption. They also produce siderophores, which are high-affinity iron-chelating compounds that improve iron solubility and uptake in the rhizosphere. Heavy metal contamination in soils presents a grave threat to both plant health and human well-being by directly interfering with mineral nutrition. Toxic metals such as cadmium and lead can compete with essential mineral nutrients for plant uptake mechanisms, leading to critical deficiencies in plants. Furthermore, these hazardous metals can accumulate in the edible portions of plants, entering the human food chain and posing serious health risks, including developmental disorders and damage to vital organs. The mobility and absorption of these heavy metals are heavily influenced by soil properties like pH and organic matter content.
Environmental factors exert a considerable influence on mineral nutrition, affecting the availability of nutrients in soil, their uptake by plants, and their subsequent absorption by humans. The complex interplay of soil pH, organic matter content, moisture, and the presence of other minerals or organic compounds can either facilitate or hinder the accessibility of essential minerals necessary for optimal plant growth and development. For instance, a high soil pH can significantly reduce the solubility of crucial micronutrients such as iron and zinc. This reduced solubility makes these essential elements less available for plant roots to absorb, potentially leading to deficiency symptoms and impaired physiological functions. Waterlogging in soils creates anaerobic conditions that can alter the redox state of various elements. This can lead to the accumulation of reduced forms of iron and manganese, which can impact their availability for plant uptake and assimilation, sometimes leading to toxic levels or imbalances. In human physiology, dietary factors play a vital role in modulating mineral absorption. Compounds like phytates and oxalates, found in many plant-based foods, can bind to minerals in the digestive tract, forming insoluble complexes that reduce their absorption. Conversely, nutrients like vitamin C can enhance the absorption of specific minerals, notably iron. Climate change, a pervasive global issue, indirectly impacts mineral availability through its effects on precipitation patterns and temperature regimes. Altered rainfall can lead to drought stress or excessive moisture, while temperature shifts influence soil microbial activity and nutrient cycling, creating a cascade of effects on crop mineral content and human health. Soil salinity represents a significant abiotic stress that profoundly disrupts plant mineral nutrition by compromising ion homeostasis within plant cells. High salt concentrations in the soil solution trigger osmotic stress and ion toxicity, which interfere with the uptake and translocation of essential minerals such as potassium, calcium, and magnesium. Plants employ various adaptation strategies to mitigate the adverse effects of salinity, including the synthesis and accumulation of compatible solutes and the fine-tuning of ion transporter activity. Despite these mechanisms, severe salinity can overwhelm plant defenses, resulting in nutrient deficiencies and reduced overall growth. The role of soil microorganisms is indispensable for plant mineral nutrition, particularly for micronutrients like phosphorus and iron. Mycorrhizal fungi, for example, form symbiotic relationships with plant roots, enhancing the uptake of phosphorus and zinc by extending the effective root zone for nutrient acquisition. Rhizobacteria contribute significantly by solubilizing mineral phosphates, making them accessible to plants, and by producing siderophores that chelate iron, thereby increasing its availability in the rhizosphere, especially under iron-limiting conditions. Heavy metal contamination in soils poses a substantial risk to both plant and human health by directly impacting mineral nutrition pathways. Metals such as cadmium and lead can compete with essential minerals for uptake by plant roots, leading to deficiencies of vital nutrients. Subsequently, these toxic metals can accumulate in edible plant parts, entering the food chain and potentially causing serious health issues in humans.
Environmental factors significantly influence mineral nutrition in plants and humans. Soil properties like pH, organic matter, and moisture affect mineral availability and plant uptake. Salinity and drought stress disrupt ion balance and nutrient transport. Soil microorganisms enhance the availability of micronutrients, while heavy metals compete with essential minerals and pose health risks. Nutrient interactions and acid rain alter soil chemistry and nutrient availability. Climate change exacerbates these issues through altered precipitation and temperature, impacting crop mineral content and human nutrition. Anthropogenic activities like pollution can also disrupt mineral cycles in aquatic ecosystems.
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