Heavy Metal Contamination in Agricultural Soil: Environmental Pollutants Affecting Crop Health

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The present study Heavy metal contamination in agricultural soil: Environmental pollutants affecting crop health, deals with presence in soil of heavy metals and the effects on plants.

The manuscript addresses a very current and interesting topic of research relating to the presence of heavy metals in soil.

The structure of the reviewed article is well-thought-out and clear.

The analysis of the literature data is presented in a comprehensive way, the work refers to an important number of works in the addressed field.

The conclusions drawn by the authors are supported by the information discussed in the text.

The paper is of interest for the potential readers Agronomy and my recommendation is to accept the manuscript.

Author Response

Thanks.

Reviewer 2 Report

The comments of “Heavy metal contamination in agricultural soil: Environmental pollutants affecting crop health.”

This review evaluates: (1) HM contamination in arable lands through agricultural practices, particularly due to chemical fertilizers, pesticides, livestock manures and compost, sewage-sludge based biosolids, and irrigation; (2) factors affecting the bioavailability of HM elements in the soil solution, and their absorption, translocation, and bioaccumulation in crop plants; (3) mechanisms by which HM elements directly interfere with the physiological, biochemical, and molecular processes in plants with particular emphasis on the generation of oxidative stress, inhibition of photosynthetic phosphorylation, enzyme/protein inactivation, genetic modifications, and hormonal deregulation, and indirectly through inhibition of soil microbial growth, proliferation, and diversity; and (4) visual symptoms of highly toxic non-essential HM elements in plants with an emphasis on crop plants.

   The article covers a lot of content and has certain significance. But there are the following problems:

1. Logical problem. The paper discussed the sources of HM contamination in arable lands, factors affecting HM interactions with crop plants, key mechanisms of plant growth inhibition by HMs, and visual toxicity symptoms of HMs in plants by combing the literature, but did not accurately point out the specific circumstances that would cause such pollution at present, or the expression was insufficient, so that the conclusions and suggestions were too general. For example, Land Irrigation, what kind of wrong irrigation can matter? It's not clear.

2. Some data does not correspond to the content expressed. e.g. Table 2. Heavy metal concentrations in greenhouse soil because of repeated application of inorganic fertilizers. Source. Can greenhouse soil be representative of cultivated soil? In addition, the elements should remain uniform. Abbreviate? 3. Is it necessary to elaborate on the relationship between HMS and plant growth? For example, 3.1.1, in this part, the harm mechanism of HMS to plants should be clarified directly. Personally, Section 3 is not necessary.

4. The conclusion part actually puts forward known measures. Are there any suggestions sorted out through this paper?

Author Response

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Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 3 Report

The study is highly scientific, but it needs a little correction.

L 247 - The plant species in table 8 must be noted in italics.

L 615, 616  - bacterial species (e.g., Pseudomonas, Arthrobacter, Rhodococcus, Mesorhizobium, Agrobacterium, Bacillus, Azoarcus, Azospirillum, Azotobacter, Burkholderia, Klebsiella, Alcaligenes, Serratia, Rhizobium, and Enterobacter) - bacterial species should be written in italics

Species from table S4 (supplementary) must be written in italics.

Author Response

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Reviewer 4 Report

Dear authors,

The manuscript ID agronomy-2398772, present the real situation of heavy metals effects on plants, in a review study concerning only the agronomic treatments. Nevertheless, the quality of the manuscript can be improved by taking into considerations following remarks:

1- the introduction can present larger the specific issues of heavy metals in agricultural soils specific for a climate type;

2-the term heavy metals comprise  many elements;  the authors are not consistent with the presenting the same elements;

3- the heavy metals sources are not completely presented if the geogenic source is missing;

4- for the proposed model of heavy metal bounding in soil should take into account the competitive nature of nutrients from the soil solution.

Regards!

Author Response

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Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Round 2

Reviewer 2 Report

Improve the Quality of English