Potentially Toxic Elements: Source, Distribution, Risk Assessment and Remediation
A special issue of Minerals (ISSN 2075-163X). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Mineralogy and Biogeochemistry".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 26 July 2024 | Viewed by 3304
Special Issue Editors
Interests: fertility management aimed at soil recovery; evaluation of potentially toxic elements in the environment; reference values for metals and remediation of soils contaminated by metals from the use of plants, organic residues and biochar
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: contamination and bioavailability of potentially toxic elements in the environment; recovery of soil contaminated by mining; soil fertility and fertilization; plant production
Interests: ecotoxicological and phytoremediation tests in mining areas; effects of rare earth elements on the development of crops of agricultural interest; fertilizers as amendments of heavy metal toxicity; monitoring the recovery and restoration of mined areas
Interests: characterization of environmental matrices; statistical methods in R and Python language; evaluation and interpretation of geographic space data with the aid of QGIS software
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
This Special Issue will present research and review articles on potentially toxic elements (PTEs), with an emphasis on their sources and distribution in the environment, as well as the assessment of the risk they pose to ecosystems and human health. These elements include metals and metalloids that threaten the environment at high concentrations, especially in areas subject to anthropic activities such as agriculture, livestock, mining, industrialization and urbanization. Considering the proven risks of PTEs, knowledge of guiding values and the quantification of concentrations, contamination levels and risk indices are essential to mitigate the impacts of these contaminants and protect the environment. Potential topics for this Special Issue include, but are not limited to: PTE guiding values and background values; contamination by PTEs; environmental and human health risk assessment; the use of phytoremediation, organic residues and biochar in mitigating the impacts of PTEs; treatment of residues contaminated by PTEs; bioaccumulation and biomagnification of PTEs; bioavailability and bioaccessibility of PTEs.
Prof. Dr. Antonio Fernandes
Dr. Wendel Valter Da Silveira Pereira
Dr. Paula Godinho Ribeiro
Dr. Yan Nunes Dias
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. Minerals 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 2400 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
- background values
- quality reference values
- heavy metals
- metal distribution
- environmental contamination
- environmental pollution
- environmental risks
- human health risks
Planned Papers
The below list represents only planned manuscripts. Some of these manuscripts have not been received by the Editorial Office yet. Papers submitted to MDPI journals are subject to peer-review.
Title: Phosphated biochar mitigates toxic effects of arsenic in artisanal gold mine tailings
Authors: Yan Nunes Dias; Wendel Valter da Silveira Pereira; Cecílio Frois Caldeira; Sílvio Junio Ramos; Edna Santos de Souza; Paula Godinho Ribeiro; Antonio Rodrigues Fernandes
Affiliation: Federal Rural University of the Amazon, Vale Institute of Technology - Sustainable Development
Abstract: Biochar represents a promising alternative for enhancing the quality of substrates and for green remediation of contaminants in mining areas. Given that arsenic (As) and phosphorus (P) share similar chemical forms, the combination of biochar and P fertilizers may reduce As uptake, thereby mitigating As-related impacts. This study aimed to evaluate the potential of biochar-based phosphate fertilizers in improving soil fertility and mitigating human health risks from gold mining tailings in the eastern Brazilian Amazon. Biochar from açaí palm seeds was produced through enrichment with single and triple superphosphate at a ratio of 1:4, at 400 ºC, and applied to mining tailings at 0.5, 1, and 2%. After one year of incubation, lettuce plants were grown for 70 days. Biochar reduced As absorption by lettuce and improved biomass and nutrient accumulation, resulting in improved vegetation indices. Biochar was effective in reducing non-carcinogenic As risks via ingestion of soil and plants to acceptable levels. Regression equations explained the As absorption behavior as affected by the biochar and the importance of biochar related nutrients in reducing As stress. This study demonstrates the potential of P-enriched biochar as an amendment for As-contaminated soils, reducing As absorption, increasing P availability, and improving plant growth.
Title: Land Use and Geology-Driven Hydrogeochemical Baseline Concentrations in the Northeast Quadrilátero Ferrífero, Brazil
Authors: Pro. Dr. Roberto Dall'Agnol
Affiliation: Instituto Tecnológico Vale, Ouro Preto, Brazil
Title: Amazonian leguminous tree with phytoremediation potential of cadmium and zinc
Authors: Prof. Dr. Antonio Fernandes
Affiliation: Federal Rural University of the Amazon