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FAO & WHO flag high-priority chemical contaminants in water for agri-food production
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Tuesday, 06 January, 2026, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Our Bureau, New Delhi
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The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have jointly released a landmark global report highlighting the food safety risks posed by chemical contaminants in water used across agrifood systems. With agriculture accounting for a majority of global freshwater use and climate change increasing pressure on water supplies, the organisations warn that reliance on alternative or recycled water sources could expose crops and livestock to harmful chemicals — some of which may enter the human food chain.
The report, Prioritizing food safety issues related to chemical water quality in agrifood systems, identifies several high-priority chemical contaminants that may pose significant dietary exposure risks when present in irrigation or processing water. These include arsenic, cadmium, lead, fluoride and thallium, as well as cyanobacterial toxins such as microcystins, and industrial “forever chemicals” like perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS). Natural toxins such as anatoxin-a and saxitoxins, and radioactive elements like radium, were also flagged due to concerns over their potential to exceed health-based guidance values in foods irrigated or washed with contaminated water.
In addition to these, the assessment lists medium-priority contaminants such as mercury, nickel and certain dioxins and 29 low-priority chemicals that may still enter food crops but currently pose lower relative risks.
The joint FAO/WHO analysis points out that while microbial hazards in agrifood water have long been a focus in food safety, chemical hazards are less understood and often lack clear risk management guidance. The report stresses the importance of standardizing dietary exposure assessment, improving monitoring, and bolstering regulatory frameworks to safeguard food safety.
Emerging challenges such as climate change impacts, new production systems, water reuse technologies and chemical mixtures further complicate water quality and underline the need for ongoing research and a One Health approach that considers human, animal and environmental health together.
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