Mapping the impact of environmental pollutants on human health and environment: A systematic review and meta-analysis

The main aim of this review article is to present a systematic review on “Mapping the Impact of Environmental Pollutants on Human Health and Environment: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis”. The literature review was carried out using scientific databases like Scopus, Web of Science, Science Direct, ResearchGate, Google Scholar and PubMed up to May 2023 by adopting PRSIMA methodology. The keywords used were “Environmental Pollutants”, “Human Health Risks”, “Environmental Contaminants”, “Carcinogenic Pollutants”, “Heavy Metals”, and “Health Effects”. The results compiled from various sources showed that prolonged exposure to pollutants is associated with human health effects. Due to these toxic pollutants present in more than their permissible limit in the environment. These are causing a serious damage in the natural environment as well as human health. The major human health risk associated are digestive disorders, organ damage, gastrointestinal issues, organ damage, cancer, lowering the immune system, hepatotoxicity, neurotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, endocrine disruptions and ultimately leading to the death. These toxic pollutants are also disturbing the climate, eutrophication, ozone layer depletion, acid rain, global warming and disrupting the geochemical cycles in the environment. As a result of the in-depth meta-analysis of the previous published literature on environmental pollutants. It has become evident that the presence of these pollutants poses a grave threat to the well-being of humans and the delicate balance of ecosystems. According to the findings of this review, exposure to environmental pollutants can result in a number of health problems in humans and disturbing the natural environment.