Groundwater Pollution Impact on Food Security

Abstract

Global food security challenges have been burdened by a rapidly expanding population and its attendant food demands. Safer and higher-quality agriculture is one of the most essential solutions for addressing the growing problem. In agriculture that is safer, the quality of irrigation from a safer water source will boost food security. Groundwater is one of the most widely utilized water sources for agriculture. Safeguarding groundwater against contamination and preserving water resources is a rising global concern. Herein, previous literature studies were analyzed to determine the groundwater potential for food production of the various continents around the globe, as well as the various types of groundwater contamination, the sources of groundwater contamination, and the best methods for combating groundwater contamination in order to guarantee safe irrigation for agriculture and thus achieve food security. Consequently, the natural and anthropogenic activities that degrade the quality of the groundwater and transform it into contaminated water from harmful organisms, residues of organic and inorganic soluble and non-soluble salts of the groundwater from chemical, leachate from landfills, sewage systems, and biological contamination, are the major issues in safer agriculture, causing a number of problems in the growth of agricultural crops and leading to a negative impact on food production as well as on the health of the population. Proper identification of different sources of contamination and proper methods to prevent contamination from reaching groundwater, as well as governmental and institutional frameworks to combat contamination and treatment methods to treat contaminated groundwater, will contribute to the future achievement of food security by ensuring a safer irrigation method and agriculture.