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Sustainable Remediation of Contaminated Soils through Phytoremediation

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Resources and Sustainable Utilization".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 November 2022) | Viewed by 12987

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Ecotechnology and Sustainable Building Engineering, Mid Sweden University, SE-831 25 Östersund, Sweden
Interests: soil, water and air pollution from a sustainability perspective; new approaches to monitoring and remediation of polluted soil and water

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Guest Editor
Department of Ecotechnology and Sustainable Building Engineering, Mid Sweden University, SE-831 25 Östersund, Sweden
Interests: multifunctional land use; bioremediation; agroforestry; ecological engineering; agroecology; sustainable development in the Global South

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue addresses the topic of phytoremediation from an interdisciplinary and systemic perspective, at all spatial levels, from local to global. It aims to bring light on environmental as well as legal, health, nutritional, agricultural, socio-economic, technological and institutional aspects of phytoremediation. The goal of this Special Issue is to exhibit practices that have the potential to cost-effectively address the problem of soil pollution but also call attention to obstacles that need to be overcome for phytoremediation to be a safe and sustainable option for remediation of polluted soil. The issue will supplement existing literature by adding in-depth, up-to-date knowledge and understanding of the potential and challenges associated with phytoremediation of polluted soil.

Soil pollution is a serious threat to human health, food security and economies worldwide. Phytoremediation technologies have developed during the last decades and it is now emerging as one of the most promising remediation methods for polluted soils where resource-intense methods such as ex situ treatment are not economically viable. Phytoremediation is an in situ, solar driven, cost-effective technology that typically lead to minimal ecosystem disturbance. Value-adding synergies can be obtained by integrating phytoremediation with activities such as biomass energy production, erosion control, carbon sequestration for climate change mitigation, promoting biodiversity and even food production.

Accordingly, we invite submissions from various disciplines, in the context of (but not limited to) concerns such as:

  • Identification of appropriate species for phytoremediation
  • Quantitative assessments such as mass balance analysis to determine phytoremediation potential
  • Mapping of bioaccumulation and translocation patterns of organic and inorganic soil pollutants
  • Postharvest treatment of the biomass used for phytoextraction
  • Potential for value-adding of phytoremediation by multifunctional land use
  • Amelioration of phytoremediation by the use of surfactants, chelating agents, plant-associated microorganisms, etc.
  • Legislative and policy issues related to phytoremediation

Prof. Anders Jonsson
Dr. Henrik Haller
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. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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

  • phytoremediation
  • post-harvest treatment
  • translocation
  • mass balance
  • multifunctional land use

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 917 KiB  
Article
Phytoremediation Using Willow in Industrial Contaminated Soil
by Tommy Landberg and Maria Greger
Sustainability 2022, 14(14), 8449; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14148449 - 11 Jul 2022
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 9614
Abstract
In our previous work, we used Salix viminalis in the field to decontaminate agricultural soils containing cadmium. Our aim in the current study was to determine whether S. viminalis could decrease the levels of heavy metals, arsenic, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polycyclic aromatic [...] Read more.
In our previous work, we used Salix viminalis in the field to decontaminate agricultural soils containing cadmium. Our aim in the current study was to determine whether S. viminalis could decrease the levels of heavy metals, arsenic, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in industrial soil at a former workshop site. The site was planted with S. viminalis cuttings in July 2003. Soil samples were collected yearly from 2005 to 2015 and analysed for heavy metals, arsenic, PCBs and PAHs. The results showed that 21% of chromium, 30% of arsenic, 54% of cadmium, 61% of zinc, 62% of copper, 63% of lead, 87% of nickel, 53% of PCBs and up to 73% of PAHs were removed from the soil after 10 years of S. viminalis treatment. After just 1 year of Salix cultivation, a significant decrease was observed in most of the contaminants in the soil. The reduction in contaminants was linear at first but slowed down after a few years. The number of years prior to a slow-down in rate of removal differed between the contaminants. This study concludes that S. viminalis can be used for the phytoremediation of contaminated industrial soil and that the rate of decontamination differs between substances. Full article
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14 pages, 1430 KiB  
Article
Modeling the Carbon Sequestration Potential of Multifunctional Agroforestry-Based Phytoremediation (MAP) Systems in Chinandega, Nicaragua
by Elisie Kåresdotter, Lisa Bergqvist, Ginnette Flores-Carmenate, Henrik Haller and Anders Jonsson
Sustainability 2022, 14(9), 4932; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14094932 - 20 Apr 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2428
Abstract
Global sustainability challenges associated with increasing resource demands from a growing population call for resource-efficient land-use strategies that address multiple sustainability issues. Multifunctional agroforestry-based phytoremediation (MAP) is one such strategy that can simultaneously capture carbon, decontaminate soils, and provide diverse incomes for local [...] Read more.
Global sustainability challenges associated with increasing resource demands from a growing population call for resource-efficient land-use strategies that address multiple sustainability issues. Multifunctional agroforestry-based phytoremediation (MAP) is one such strategy that can simultaneously capture carbon, decontaminate soils, and provide diverse incomes for local farmers. Chinandega, Nicaragua, is a densely populated agricultural region with heavily polluted soils. Four different MAP systems scenarios relevant to Chinandega were created and carbon sequestration potentials were calculated using CO2FIX. All scenarios showed the potential to store significantly more carbon than conventional farming practices, ranging from 2.5 to 8.0 Mg CO2eq ha−1 yr−1. Overall, carbon sequestration in crops is relatively small, but results in increased soil organic carbon (SOC), especially in perennials, and the combination of crops and trees provide higher carbon sequestration rates than monoculture. Changes in SOC are crucial for long-term carbon sequestration, here ranging between 0.4 and 0.9 Mg C ha−1 yr−1, with the most given in scenario 4, an alley cropping system with pollarded trees with prunings used as green mulch. The adoption rate of multifunctional strategies providing both commodity and non-commodity outputs, such as carbon sequestration, would likely increase if phytoremediation is included. Well-designed MAP systems could help reduce land-use conflicts, provide healthier soil, act as climate change mitigation, and have positive impacts on local health and economies. Full article
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