Soil Pollution and Remediation: Recent Developments and Future Perspectives

Dear Colleagues,

In recent decades, due to intensifying agricultural, industrial, and commercial development, alarming amounts of toxic pollutants have been accumulating in agricultural soils. Consequently, soil has become a sink for various kinds of pollutants, including inorganic, organic, and biological pollutants, such as pesticides, fertilizers, heavy metals, and pharmaceuticals. Soil pollution has been identified as a global environmental issue, posing potential risks to soil ecosystems, natural water resources, food security, and human health. Therefore, emerging soil remediation technologies are required in order to make polluted soils safer for humans and other organisms.

This Special Issue focuses on soil pollution with both traditional and emerging contaminants as well as novel and green remediation technologies to maintain environmental quality and human health. The topics proposed for this Special Issue include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Occurrence, fate, and transformation of contaminants in soil;
• Soil pollutant monitoring, modelling, and risk assessment.;
• Risks, toxicity, and ecological effects of soil contaminants;
• Interactions between soil components and pollutants and their impacts on soil ecosystems;
• Novel environmentally friendly soil remediation techniques and approaches;.
• Impacts of soil contaminants on beneficial soil microorganisms and the release of enzyme secretions.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. George Fouad Antonious
Guest Editor

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• soil pollution
• inorganic, organic and biological pollutants
• soil remediation
• phytoremediation

Title: Duality of Biochar and Organic Manure Co-composting on Soil Enzymes Activity and the Remediation Process
Authors: George F. Antonious
Affiliation: College of Agriculture, Community, and the Sciences, Kentucky State University, Frankfort, KY 40601, USA
Abstract: Technological procedures for the immobilization of agrochemical pollutants and activation of soil enzymes are still lacking due to the ever-increasing number of new agrochemicals produced by the industry to enhance agricultural production systems. The use of animal manure as organic fertilizers in plant production is an affordable way to alleviate cost production of inorganic fertilizers and improve crop yield and quality at an affordable cost to limited-resource farmers. Microorganisms in animal manure secrete a variety of extracellular hydrolyzing enzymes capable of breaking down organic matter in animal manure and releasing C-, N-, and P for plant uptake. Recently, the application of biochar (a product of biomass pyrolysis) has been suggested for binding agricultural pollutants and promoting crop yield. In this chapter, a promising strategy for combining biochar and animal manure application in agricultural production systems is proposed in a trial to investigate the impact of this mixed formulation on the mobility of pesticides, and the activity of three enzymes that control the N, C, and P soil cycles. Only a few studies have addressed the impact of biochar on soil enzyme activity and pesticide remediation. This chapter attempts to fill the gaps in the technology and mechanisms of remediation of pesticides and soil enzyme activity using organic amendments and biobeds (biofilters) and share original research conducted at Kentucky State University on the various aspects of remediation technology.

Title: Enhancing Grass Establishment on Degraded Lands: Insights into Soil Conditions and Seedling Development
Authors: Grzegorz Żurek
Affiliation: Department of Bioenergetics, Quality Analysis and Seed Science, Plant Breeding and Acclimatization Institute-National Research Institute in Radzików, 05-870 Błonie, Poland
Abstract: The primary objective of this research was to explore the potential for reestablishing natural vegetation on a substrate that has been severely degraded. This substrate originates from an unreclaimed mining heap, which presents significant challenges for vegetation due to its adverse chemical properties. Notably, the substrate exhibits a highly alkaline pH of 8.37, an exceptionally high calcium concentration of 5350 mg per liter of soil, and a considerable copper content of 2.4 mg per liter of soil. In order to investigate the viability of vegetation restoration, eight grass species from the genera Bromus, Festuca, Holcus, Elymus, and Lolium were selected. These species were chosen for their potential adaptability to the harsh conditions of the degraded substrate. The study involved assessing the germination capacity of these grass species under three different conditions: the degraded substrate, a standard sand medium, and controlled laboratory germination settings. Additionally, the study measured the growth performance of the grass species by evaluating the height of the seedlings and the length of the roots three weeks post-sowing. These parameters were crucial in determining the initial establishment success and the potential for long-term vegetation cover development. The findings from this study are promising, as they suggest that certain grass species can be effectively used to initiate vegetation on degraded substrates. This research provides valuable insights into the selection of specific grass species that are capable of overcoming the chemical challenges posed by the degraded substrate, thereby contributing to ecological restoration efforts in areas impacted by mining activities.

Title: Effect of adaptation level on soil phytoremediation potential of the Midde-European ecotype of a cosmopolitan cadmium hypraccumulator Solanum nigrum L
Authors: Irena Twardowska
Affiliation: Institute of Environmental Engineering of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Zabrze, Poland

Title: How can land use management in traditional cultural landscapes become a policy instrument for soil organic carbon sequestration and climate change mitigation? A Transylvanian case study
Authors: Vlad Macicasan; Andreea Ocrain; Ramona Balc; Tiberius Dicu; M.D.V. Bodmer; Roba Carmen
Affiliation: Babeș-Bolyai University, Fântânele Street, no. 30, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
Abstract: Changes in land use from high nature value grasslands to arable fields reduce soil organic carbon stock, increasing atmospheric carbon concentrations. Maintaining grasslands through traditional agricultural techniques can mitigate climate change by transferring atmospheric carbon to the soil. Benefits of soil organic carbon sequestration include improved soil properties and enhanced ecosystem services and biodiversity. With Romania’s ratification of the Paris Agreement, it is crucial to review climate-related agricultural policies and incentivize carbon sequestration practices in organic soils. This paper presents a soil carbon study in Transylvania’s Târnava Mare region, known for its preserved cultural landscapes. Soil samples were taken to a depth of 60 cm to assess organic carbon pools under grassland and arable land management across three soil classes: Cernisoils, Hidrisoils, and Luvisoils. Several statistical tests were applied to evaluate the most significant drivers of soil organic carbon sequestration including land use, soil class, and soil depth. Results indicate that land management has the largest impact, with grasslands storing 45% more carbon than arable land on average. This finding should be integrated into national climate action plans, prioritizing the preservation of grasslands and sustainable agricultural practices to support soil organic carbon sequestration.