Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39453114›Full record

ReviewToxics2024

Fertilizers and Human Health-A Systematic Review of the Epidemiological Evidence.

Christos F Tagkas, Evangelos C Rizos, Georgios Markozannes, Maria A Karalexi, Lydia Wairegi, Evangelia E Ntzani

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Toxics, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Review
  3. Environmental Hazards and Glial Brain Tumors: Association or Causation?International journal of molecular sciences · 2025
    Review
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Christos F TagkasEvidence-Based Medicine Unit, Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, School of Medicine, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece.ORCID 0000-0002-8600-4146
Evangelos C RizosSchool of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece.
Georgios MarkozannesEvidence-Based Medicine Unit, Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, School of Medicine, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece.ORCID 0000-0001-8481-579X
Maria A KaralexiEvidence-Based Medicine Unit, Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, School of Medicine, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece.
Lydia WairegiIndependent Researcher, Nairobi P.O. Box 16768, Kenya.
Evangelia E NtzaniEvidence-Based Medicine Unit, Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, School of Medicine, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece.ORCID 0000-0003-3712-4181

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundFertilizers are widely used to supply nutrients to crops, thereby increasing yields and soil fertility. However, the effects of their production and application on human health through occupational, residential, and environmental exposure remain unclear.

objectiveTo conduct a systematic review of epidemiological studies on the association between exposure to fertilizers and health-related outcomes.

methodsWe searched in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science for cohort, case-control, cross-sectional, and ecological studies (up to May 2024) related to exposure to fertilizers and any reported human health endpoints across all age groups, without language or geographical limitations. Data were extracted for population and study characteristics, type of fertilizer used, exposure assessment, sample size, outcome and its definition, effect estimate, and quality characteristics from the eligible studies, and they were descriptively synthesized.

resultsWe found 65 eligible publications, with 407 postulated associations. Forty-six publications (321 associations) assessed exposure to inorganic fertilizers, and nineteen studies (93 associations) assessed organic fertilizers. Exposure assessed was related to occupation, residence, and/or proximity. The assessed outcomes were diverse, with considerable harmonization challenges. Inorganic fertilizers have been associated with an increased risk of cancerous outcomes in a small number of studies with methodological limitations and low replication validity, while organic fertilizers have been associated with infections and diarrhea.

conclusionsThe epidemiological evidence suggests possible associations between inorganic fertilizers with solid organ tumors and hematological malignancies and organic fertilizers with infections and diarrhea. However, the available evidence is limited, and heterogeneity prevails. Further research is needed to enlarge the evidence base and increase the replication validity and robustness of the results.

Indexed as

epidemiologyfertilizershealthhumansystematic review

Identifiers

PMID39453114
PMCPMC11511508

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.