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Biochemical Remediation and Ecological Risk Assessment of Heavy Metal Contaminated Soil

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A special issue of Toxics (ISSN 2305-6304). This special issue belongs to the section "Toxicity Reduction and Environmental Remediation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2023) | Viewed by 7512

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Dr. Yangyang Wang

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Guest Editor

Henan Engineering Research Center for Control and Remediation of Soil Heavy Metal Pollution, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
Interests: risk assessment and remediation of soil contamination

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Heavy metal contamination in soil has attracted great attention globally due to its toxic, persistent, and non-degradable characteristics. The accumulation of heavy metals in soils is accelerated by many anthropogenic activities, such as metal-mining/smelting activities, wastewater irrigation and application of fertilizer and pesticides. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze the content of heavy metals in soil in different regions and their potential risk. Based on the evaluation results, some of the soils have to be remediated. Biochemical remediation comprises a number of cost-effective and environmentally friendly plant- and microbial-assisted technologies for the remediation of heavy-metal-contaminated soil, which can reduce the total content of heavy metals in soil, increase the stability of heavy metals in soil, or reduce the heavy metal accumulation capacity of plants. The aim of this Special Issue is to bring together contributions on all aspects of the biochemical remediation and risk assessment of heavy metals in soil, including: (i) risk assessment and source apportionment of heavy metals in soil; and (ii) the remediation of heavy metals in soil with various technologies, especially for biochemical technologies.

Dr. Yangyang Wang
Guest Editor

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Keywords

heavy metals
stabilization
bioleaching
phytoremediation
risk assessment
source apportionment

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 10518 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Characteristics of Soil Arsenic Contamination and the Potential of Pioneer Plants for Arsenic Remediation in Gold Mine Tailings

by Lei Han, Yunmeng Zhai, Rui Chen, Yamin Fan, Zhao Liu, Yonghua Zhao, Risheng Li and Longfei Xia

Toxics 2023, 11(12), 1025; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics11121025 - 16 Dec 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1183

Abstract

Arsenic (As) contamination of gold mine tailings poses major threats to the natural environment and human health, necessitating adequate management measures. To investigate the soil As contamination level and the potential of pioneer plants for As remediation, the soil and plants of an abandoned gold mine tailings in the Qinling Mountains were analyzed. The level of As contamination was assessed using the single-factor pollution index and potential ecological risk index, and its bioeffectiveness was analyzed. The enrichment capability of plants was investigated using the bioaccumulation factor and translocation factor. Redundancy analysis and partial least squares regression were employed to investigate factors affecting the distribution of As in soil and plants. The results show that As in soil mainly existed in the difficult-available state, with serious contamination and extremely high ecological risk. Lythrum salicaria L. and Equisetum ramosissimum Desf. are the preferred plants for remediation of As contamination through screening pioneer plants. Soil total nitrogen (STN) and available phosphorus (SAP) are the main factors influencing the characteristics of As distribution in the soil. Soil available potassium (SAK), water content (SWC), and SAP promote the accumulation of As by plants. This study provides plant materials and new ideas for mine ecological remediation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biochemical Remediation and Ecological Risk Assessment of Heavy Metal Contaminated Soil)

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12 pages, 1931 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Transporter Inhibitors and Chemical Analogs on the Uptake of Antimonite and Antimonate by Boehmeria nivea L.

by Yi Lu, Fangyuan Peng, Yingyang Wang, Haipu Li and Zhaoguang Yang

Toxics 2023, 11(10), 860; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics11100860 - 14 Oct 2023

Viewed by 1070

Abstract

Antimony (Sb) is a non-essential metalloid that can be taken up by plants from contaminated soils and thus enter the food chain and threaten human health. Boehmeria nivea L. (ramie) is a promising phytoremediation plant for Sb-polluted soils. However, the mechanisms of antimonite (SbIII) and antimonate (SbV) uptake by ramie remain unclear. In this study, a hydroponic system was established to investigate how different substances affect the uptake of SbIII or SbV by ramie, including an energy inhibitor (malonic acid), an aquaglyceroporin inhibitor (silver nitrate), an SbV analog (phosphate—PV), and SbIII analogs (arsenite—AsIII, glycerol, silicic acid—Si, and glucose). The results indicated that ramie primarily transported Sb by increasing the Sb concentration in the bleeding sap, rather than increasing the weight of the bleeding sap. After 16 h of Sb exposure, the absolute amount of transported Sb from the roots to the aboveground parts was 1.90 times higher under SbIII than under SbV. The addition of malonic acid significantly inhibited the uptake of SbV but had limited effects on SbIII, indicating that SbV uptake was energy dependent. PV addition significantly reduced SbV uptake, while the addition of AsIII, glycerol, and Si obviously inhibited SbIII uptake. This suggested that the uptake of SbV might be via low-affinity P transporters and SbIII might use aquaglyceroporins. These findings deepen the understanding of Sb uptake pathways in ramie, contribute to a better comprehension of Sb toxicity mechanisms in ramie, and establish a foundation for identifying the most effective Sb uptake pathways, which could further improve the efficiency of phytoremediation of Sb-polluted soils. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biochemical Remediation and Ecological Risk Assessment of Heavy Metal Contaminated Soil)

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15 pages, 4490 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Non–Negligible Ecological Risks of Urban Wetlands Caused by Cd and Hg on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, China

by Lei Wang, Xufeng Mao, Xiuhua Song, Xiaoyan Wei, Hongyan Yu, Shunbang Xie, Lele Zhang and Wenjia Tang

Toxics 2023, 11(8), 654; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics11080654 - 28 Jul 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 919

Abstract

The Huangshui National Wetland Park (HNWP) is a unique national wetland park in a city on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, containing three zones: Haihu, Beichuan, and Ninghu. In this study, a total of 54 soil samples (18 sampling points with depths of 0–10 cm, 10–20 cm, and 20–30 cm) were collected in these three zones, and the contents of heavy metals (Cr, Cd, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, Zn, and As) of each sample were determined. The ecological risk of eight kinds of heavy metals was evaluated by using the geo–accumulation index (

I_{g e o}

), and the ecological risk–controlling effect of the Xining urban wetlands on heavy metals was explored by comparative analysis, and the possible sources of heavy metals in the soil were analyzed via correlation analysis and principal component analysis (PCA). The results revealed that the total heavy metal concentration order was Haihu > Beichuan > Ninghu zone. As and Cu presented vertical accumulation characteristics in the surface and lower horizon, respectively. Cr, Cd, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn accumulated downwards along the depth. On the spatial scale, the enrichments of Cd and Hg brought non-negligible ecological risks in plateau urban wetlands. The results of PCA indicated that soil heavy metals mainly came from compound sources of domestic and atmospheric influences, traffic pollution sources, and industrial pollution sources. The study has revealed that human activities have inevitable negative impacts on wetland ecosystems, while the HNWP provides a significant weakening effect on heavy metal pollution. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biochemical Remediation and Ecological Risk Assessment of Heavy Metal Contaminated Soil)

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14 pages, 1394 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Accumulation of Trace Metals in Fruits from Mango and Syzygium guineense Growing in Residential Households from a Contaminated District of Lubumbashi (DR Congo): Is Fruit Consumption at Risk?

by Serge Langunu, Precis Mpia Imanda Imabo, Benie Bibi Fwanda, Jacques Kilela Mwanasomwe, Gilles Colinet and Mylor Ngoy Shutcha

Toxics 2023, 11(7), 620; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics11070620 - 17 Jul 2023

Viewed by 1071

Abstract

Copper smelting has been a source of soil contamination with trace metals in Penga Penga (Lubumbashi). The residents are exposed to trace metal ingestion, and planting trees is challenging in such soil conditions. Nevertheless, planting trees in former household dumps or using various types of amendments has allowed the provisioning of fruits in a few residences. From the perspective of scaling up the process, a survey has been conducted with the aim of assessing the effectiveness of the planting processes on the trace metal content in fruits and leaves of Mangifera indica L. and Syzygium guineense (Willd) DC. Samples were collected from residential households in Penga Penga and Kalebuka (a non-polluted suburb). The bioconcentration factor (BCF) and the safe weekly consumption (SWC) were calculated for each species. The results showed higher values of total and soluble concentrations of Cu, Pb, and Zn in the rhizosphere of the two species in Penga Penga. Metal concentrations were higher in the fruits and leaves from Penga Penga, with 47% of samples above the FAO and WHO thresholds (vs. 18.5% in Kalebuka). The BCF values were below 1, demonstrating the effectiveness of the process in reducing the translocation of metals to leaves and fruits. Recommendations from the SWC limit Pb consumption to 9 kg for mango flesh and Cd consumption to 6.6 kg for S. guineense fruits in Penga Penga (vs. 78 kg and 68 kg in Kalebuka). Finally, the results of this study provide interesting lessons for the scaling up and technical itinerary of planting trees in Penga Penga. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biochemical Remediation and Ecological Risk Assessment of Heavy Metal Contaminated Soil)

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15 pages, 9542 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Microorganisms and Biochar Improve the Remediation Efficiency of Paspalum vaginatum and Pennisetum alopecuroides on Cadmium-Contaminated Soil

by Jiahao Liang, Jiechao Chang, Jiayao Xie, Liquan Yang, Mohamed S. Sheteiwy, Abdel-Raouf A. Moustafa, Mohamed S. Zaghloul and Haiyan Ren

Toxics 2023, 11(7), 582; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics11070582 - 4 Jul 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1058

Abstract

Phytoremediation can help remediate potential toxic elements (PTE) in soil. Microorganisms and soil amendments are effective means to improve the efficiency of phytoremediation. This study selected three microorganisms that may promote phytoremediation, including bacteria (Ceratobasidium), fungi (Pseudomonas mendocina), and arbuscular-mycorrhizal fungi (AMF, Funneliformis caledonium). The effects of single or mixed inoculation of three microorganisms on the phytoremediation efficiency of Paspalum vaginatum and Pennisetum alopecuroides were tested under three different degrees of cadmium-contaminated soil (low 10 mg/kg, medium 50 mg/kg, and high 100 mg/kg). The results showed that single inoculation of AMF or Pseudomonas mendocina could significantly increase the biomass of two plants under three different degrees of cadmium-contaminated soil, and the growth-promoting effect of AMF was better than Pseudomonas mendocina. However, simultaneous inoculation of these two microorganisms did not show a better effect than the inoculation of one. Inoculation of Ceratobasidium reduced the biomass of the two plants under high concentrations of cadmium-contaminated soil. Among all treatments, the remediation ability of the two plants was the strongest when inoculated with AMF alone. On this basis, this study explored the effect of AMF combined with corn-straw-biochar on the phytoremediation efficiency of Paspalum vaginatum and Pennisetum alopecuroides. The results showed that biochar could affect plant biomass and Cd concentration in plants by reducing Cd concentration in soil. The combined use of biochar and AMF increased the biomass of Paspalum vaginatum by 8.9–48.6% and the biomass of Pennisetum alopecuroides by 8.04–32.92%. Compared with the single use of AMF or biochar, the combination of the two is better, which greatly improves the efficiency of phytoremediation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biochemical Remediation and Ecological Risk Assessment of Heavy Metal Contaminated Soil)

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13 pages, 5008 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Spatial Distribution and Risk Assessment of Heavy Metal(oid)s Contamination in Topsoil around a Lead and Zinc Smelter in Henan Province, Central China

by Ling Yang, Shiji Ge, Jinhui Liu, Younas Iqbal, Yuling Jiang, Ruiling Sun, Xinling Ruan and Yangyang Wang

Toxics 2023, 11(5), 427; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics11050427 - 3 May 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1615

Abstract

A total of 137 farmland soil samples were collected around a lead/zinc smelter within 64 km². The concentration, spatial distribution, and potential source of nine heavy metal(oid)s (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, V, and Zn) in soils and their potential ecological risk were investigated in detail. The results showed that the average concentrations of Cd, Pb, Cr and Zn in these soils were higher than their background value in Henan Province, and the average content of Cd was 2.83 times of the risk screening values in the national standard of China (GB 15618-2018). According to the distribution of different heavy metal(oid)s in soils, Cd and Pb in soil decrease gradually with the increase of distance from the smelter to the surrounding area. This indicates that the Pb and Cd originate from smelters via airborne practices according to the typical air pollution diffusion model. The distribution of Zn, Cu, and As were similar to Cd and Pb. However, Ni, V, Cr, and Co were mainly affected by soil parent materials. The potential ecological risk of Cd was higher than those of other elements, and the risk grade of the other eight elements was mainly low. The polluted soils with significantly high and high potential ecological risk covered 93.84% of all the studied regions. This should be of serious concern to government. The results of a principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA) show that Pb, Cd, Zn, Cu, and As were the elements mainly stemmed from smelter and other types of plants, with a contribution rate of 60.08%, while Co, Cr, Ni, and V are mainly caused by nature, with a contribution rate of 26.26%. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biochemical Remediation and Ecological Risk Assessment of Heavy Metal Contaminated Soil)

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