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Land
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Soil Contamination—Ecological Environment Risk Assessment and Remediation
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Soil Contamination—Ecological Environment Risk Assessment and Remediation

A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X). This special issue belongs to the section "Land, Soil and Water".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2025 | Viewed by 3480

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Magdalena Myszura-Dymek

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Agrobioengineering Institute of Soil Science, Environment Engineering and Management, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, ul. St. Leszczynskiego 7, 20-069 Lublin, Poland
Interests: soil science; soil chemistry; biological and biochemical indicators of soil quality; soil degradation; reclamation of industrial and mining areas; remediation; green technologies
Prof. Dr. Grażyna Żukowska

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Agrobioengineering Institute of Soil Science, Environment Engineering and Management, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, ul. St. Leszczynskiego 7, 20-069 Lublin, Poland
Interests: soil science; soil chemistry; biological and biochemical indicators of soil quality; soil degradation; reclamation of industrial and mining areas; remediation; green technologies

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Population growth and the resulting growing demand for food, industrial, energy, and transport systems, as well as their emissions and waste, are accelerating environmental degradation on a global scale.

Climate change and environmental pollution, particularly soil pollution, are one of humanity's major global challenges. Soil pollution limits the ability of soils to provide key ecosystem services, including food security, clean water availability, and soil biodiversity protection, and complicates the achievement of many of the ONZ Sustainable Development Goals. The main sources of pollution are industrial processes and mining, poor waste management, unsustainable agricultural practices, industrial accidents and disasters, and armed conflicts. Soils bear the greatest burden of environmental pollution; at the same time, they can filter, buffer, retain, and degrade pollutants. Soil pollution is a global problem with local and regional impacts and transboundary effects. There is an urgent need to analyze the current state of knowledge on the fate of main soil contaminants in the soil environment and assess the ecological threat (risk).

The goal of this Special Issue is to collect papers (original research articles and review papers) that present the latest knowledge on the global problems of soil contamination, innovative solutions for soil contamination and ecological risk assessment, and remediation and sustainable management of areas with different types and levels of contamination.

This Special Issue will welcome manuscripts that link the following themes:

  • Soil pollution—characteristics of pollutants and their sources;
  • Assessment of the degree of soil pollution;
  • The fate of pollutants in the soil;
  • Environmental, economic, and social effects of soil pollution;
  • Ecological environment risk;
  • Indicators and methods of environmental risk assessment;
  • Soil remediation technologies;
  • Management of contaminated soils;
  • International and national legal regulations on soil pollution.

We look forward to receiving your original research articles and reviews.

Dr. Magdalena Myszura-Dymek
Prof. Dr. Grażyna Żukowska
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Land is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • soil pollution
  • fate of pollutants in soil
  • effects of soil pollution
  • methods of assessing soil pollution
  • ecological environment risk
  • indicators and methods of assessing ecological environment risk
  • soil remediation technologies
  • legal regulations on soil pollution

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 4471 KiB  
Article
Soil Heavy Metal Accumulation and Ecological Risk in Mount Wuyi: Impacts of Vegetation Types and Pollution Sources
by Feng Wu, Donghai Zhu, Tao Yang, Cong Mao, Wubiao Huang, Shuangshi Zhou and Yujing Yang
Land 2025, 14(4), 712; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14040712 - 26 Mar 2025
Viewed by 188
Abstract
Soil heavy metal (HM) contamination has become a critical global environmental issue, predominantly caused by industrial and agricultural operations. This study focuses on Mount Wuyi, a UNESCO biodiversity hotspot and major tea production base, to examine vegetation-mediated soil HM accumulation under anthropogenic impacts. [...] Read more.
Soil heavy metal (HM) contamination has become a critical global environmental issue, predominantly caused by industrial and agricultural operations. This study focuses on Mount Wuyi, a UNESCO biodiversity hotspot and major tea production base, to examine vegetation-mediated soil HM accumulation under anthropogenic impacts. We analyzed nine HMs (Mn, Cu, Zn, Cd, Hg, As, Pb, Cr, Ni) across diverse vegetation types using geochemical indices and Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) modeling. The findings revealed Mn and Zn were dominant elements, and Cr and Pb concentrations exceeded regional background values by 3.47 and 1.26 times, respectively. Cr, Cd, and Pb demonstrated significant pollution levels, while Cd and Hg posed the highest ecological risks. Vegetation type significantly influenced HM distribution patterns, with cultivated areas and shrublands (including tea gardens) accumulating higher concentrations of Cu, Cd, Pb, and Hg from agricultural and transportation sources. Notably, bamboo forests exhibited natural resistance to HM contamination. PMF analysis identified four primary pollution sources: urbanization (27.94%), transport–agriculture activities (21.40%), agricultural practices (12.98%), and atmospheric deposition (12.96%). These results underscore the need for implementing clean energy solutions, phytoremediation strategies, and tea-specific detoxification measures to maintain ecological security and agricultural sustainability in this ecologically significant region. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Contamination—Ecological Environment Risk Assessment and Remediation)
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14 pages, 2867 KiB  
Article
Risk Assessment on Organochlorine Pesticides in Agricultural Soils of Eastern City, China
by Shaoting Chen, Hongmei Wang and Ruiming Han
Land 2025, 14(3), 612; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14030612 - 14 Mar 2025
Viewed by 328
Abstract
To explore how organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) are perpetual in soils and the risk they may bring, Ningbo, a city with an extensive usage history of OCPs, was selected as a case to investigate. Sixty-nine agriculture soils were taken from 0–20 cm layers, then [...] Read more.
To explore how organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) are perpetual in soils and the risk they may bring, Ningbo, a city with an extensive usage history of OCPs, was selected as a case to investigate. Sixty-nine agriculture soils were taken from 0–20 cm layers, then OCPs were analyzed, and a risk assessment was performed. Results indicate five OCPs were detected in agricultural soils, with total concentrations ranging from below detection limits to 43.08 µg·kg−1 and an average value of 15.58 µg·kg−1. Among them, δ-Hexachlorocyclohexane (δ-HCH) and p, p’-Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (p, p’-DDT) were the primary contributors to the residual contamination levels. The health risk assessment indicates that even at maximum exposure levels, the non-carcinogenic risk (1.71 × 10−4) and carcinogenic risk (5.97 × 10−8) of OCPs in the study area are significantly below the risk thresholds of 1 and 10−6, respectively. Monte Carlo simulation further confirms that the 95th percentile values for non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks (3.39 × 10−4 and 1.23 × 10−7) remain well below these limits, suggesting that the health risks posed by OCPs to adults are negligible. Subsequent ecological risk assessment revealed that the vast majority (73.91%) of soil samples exhibited medium-low ecological risk, with dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDTs) being the primary contributor to ecological risk. Our findings strengthen the view that although OCPs have been banned for a long time, the ecological risks of residuals in the soil remain a concern, and more effective control methods should be used to mitigate them. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Contamination—Ecological Environment Risk Assessment and Remediation)
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23 pages, 3422 KiB  
Article
Heavy Metal Spatial Variation Mechanism and Ecological Health Risk Assessment in Volcanic Island Soils: A Case Study of Weizhou Island, China
by Ran Bi, Wei Fu and Xuanni Fu
Land 2025, 14(1), 35; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14010035 - 27 Dec 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 791
Abstract
Heavy metals in volcanic island soils are key for assessing pollution risks and guiding environmental management strategies. However, research on heavy metals in volcanic island soils remains limited. In this study, the concentrations of heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Pb, Cr) in surface soil [...] Read more.
Heavy metals in volcanic island soils are key for assessing pollution risks and guiding environmental management strategies. However, research on heavy metals in volcanic island soils remains limited. In this study, the concentrations of heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Pb, Cr) in surface soil samples from Weizhou Island, China, were determined using ICP-OES, with average concentrations of 59.18 mg/kg, 119.06 mg/kg, 35.63 mg/kg, and 159.78 mg/kg, respectively. The basalt profiles generally exhibit higher heavy metal content and pH values compared to volcaniclastic rock profiles, as basalt accumulates higher concentrations of heavy metals. However, surface soils over volcaniclastic rocks show significantly higher heavy metal concentrations than those over basalt, indicating spatial variability in metal accumulation. Heavy metal concentrations in Weizhou Island soils are notably elevated at both the western wharf and the island’s tail, both characterized by volcaniclastic rock lithology, with human activities further increasing concentrations at the western wharf compared to the island’s tail. Land use types influence heavy metal content, with higher concentrations in abandoned land and lower concentrations in forest land with dense vegetation and organic matter. Principal component analysis reveals that heavy metals are primarily derived from natural parent material, with the first two principal components comprising 59.77% of the variance. Ecological risk assessment indicates that Weizhou Island soil is generally considered relatively clean, but Pb presents an ecological hazard, with 86.54% of the sites at risk. Overall, heavy metals in volcanic island soil mainly come from natural sources but lead contamination and human-impacted areas require attention. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Contamination—Ecological Environment Risk Assessment and Remediation)
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18 pages, 4008 KiB  
Article
Source and Ecological Risk Assessment of Potentially Toxic Metals in Urban Riverine Sediments Using Multivariate Analytical and Statistical Tools
by Xiaojun Zheng, Abdul Rehman, Shan Zhong, Shah Faisal, Muhammad Mahroz Hussain, Syeda Urooj Fatima and Daolin Du
Land 2025, 14(1), 32; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14010032 - 27 Dec 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 799
Abstract
Multivariate and statistical tool advancements help to assess potential pollution threats, their geochemical distribution, and the competition between natural and anthropogenic influences, particularly on sediment contamination with potentially toxic metals (PTMs). For this, riverine sediments from 25 locations along urban banksides of the [...] Read more.
Multivariate and statistical tool advancements help to assess potential pollution threats, their geochemical distribution, and the competition between natural and anthropogenic influences, particularly on sediment contamination with potentially toxic metals (PTMs). For this, riverine sediments from 25 locations along urban banksides of the River Ravi, Pakistan, were collected and analyzed to explore the distribution, pollution, ecological, and toxicity risk indices of PTMs like Al, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sb, Sn, Sr, V, and Zn using Inductively Coupled Plasma–Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) technique. Additionally, techniques such as X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscopy–Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) were employed to investigate the mineralogical and morphological aspects. The results indicated that mean concentrations (mg kg−1) of Cd (2.37), Cr (128), Hg (16.6), Pb (26.6), and Sb (2.44) were significantly higher than reference values given for upper continental crust (UCC) and world soil average (WSA), posing potential threats. Furthermore, the geochemical pollution indices showed that sediments were moderately polluted with Cd (Igeo = 2.37, EF = 12.1, and CF = 7.89) and extremely polluted with Hg (Igeo = 4.54, EF = 63.2, and CF = 41.41). Ecological and toxicity risks were calculated to be extremely high, using respective models, predominantly due to Hg (Eri = 1656 and ITRI = 91.6). SEM-EDS illustrated the small extent of anthropogenic particles having predominant concentrations of Zn, Fe, Pb, and Sr. Multivariate statistical analyses revealed significant associations between the concentrations of PTMs and the sampling locations, highlighting the anthropogenic contributions linked to local land-use characteristics. The present study concludes that River Ravi sediments exhibit moderate levels of Cd and extreme pollution by Hg, both of which contribute highly to extreme ecological and toxicity risks, influenced by both natural and anthropogenic contributions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Contamination—Ecological Environment Risk Assessment and Remediation)
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23 pages, 2320 KiB  
Article
Geochemical Distribution of Ni, Cr, and Co in the Main Soil Types of the Čemernica River Basin in Serbia (In a Serpentine Environment)
by Sonja Tošić Jojević, Vesna Mrvić, Olivera Stajković-Srbinović, Marina Jovković, Svetlana Antić Mladenović, Matija Krpović and Snežana Belanović Simić
Land 2024, 13(12), 2075; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13122075 - 2 Dec 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 844
Abstract
The origin and bioavailability of nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr), and cobalt (Co) have been assessed in the Čemernica River basin among the following soil types: Leptosol on serpentinite and Fluvisol, Vertisol, and Leptosol on sandstone. Alongside the impact of serpentine rocks, part of [...] Read more.
The origin and bioavailability of nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr), and cobalt (Co) have been assessed in the Čemernica River basin among the following soil types: Leptosol on serpentinite and Fluvisol, Vertisol, and Leptosol on sandstone. Alongside the impact of serpentine rocks, part of the region also displays significant anthropogenic activity. A sequential analysis following the modified BCR procedure identified four fractions of heavy metals: F1—exchangeable and acid-soluble, F2—bound to Fe and Mn oxides, F3—bound to organic matter, and F4—residual. The overall content of Ni, Cr, and Co in the soil increases in the following order: Leptosol on sandstone, and Vertisol, Fluvisol, Leptosol on serpentinite. In most samples, the values exceed the maximum allowable concentrations in legal regulations, while in some samples, particularly in serpentine soils, they also exceed the remediation thresholds. The average contribution of nickel in the overall content decreases as follows: F4 > F2 > F3 > F1, chromium as F4 > F3 > F2 > F1, and cobalt in the most samples as F2 > F4 > F1 > F3. The percentage of Ni, Cr, and Co in the fractions of different soil types is similar to that in serpentine soils, though the absolute contents vary significantly, indicating a common origin, which is mostly geochemical. According to the Risk Assessment Code, most samples exhibit a low bioavailability risk. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Contamination—Ecological Environment Risk Assessment and Remediation)
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