Air and Soil Pollution Effects on Agroecosystems

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Farming Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2021) | Viewed by 8441

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Faculty of Biology, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, Bdul Carol I, no. 20A, 700505 Iași, Romania
Interests: plant anatomy; electron microscopy; plant histology; cytology; air pollutants effects on plant structure

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Air and soil pollution is a major problem in today's society. Agroecosystems are negatively influenced by these pollutants, just like any natural ecosystem. Crop plants (especially those in intensive agriculture) may be affected by air and soil pollutants, resulting in foliar damage, a reduction in the rate of photosynthesis, a decrease in crop yield with varying degrees of contamination (in leaves, stems, roots, fruits, and seeds used by humans or in animal feed), etc.; at the same time, pollutants can affect other species living in agroecosystems, in addition to the main cultivated plant species.

This Special Issue intends to collect papers investigating the effects of various air and soil pollutants (chemical and physical agents) on the structure and ultrastructure of crop plants (histological, cellular, and micromorphological modifications), and on their biochemical and physiological processes. Additionally, papers dealing with the content of heavy metals in crop plants (especially in parts of the plant intended for human or animal consumption), the influence of pollutants on secondary species in agroecosystems (such as pollinators and pests), and pollution sources for agroecosystems are welcome.

Dr. Irina Neta Gostin
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • air pollutants
  • soil pollutants
  • crop plants
  • agroecosystems
  • plant structure/anatomy
  • ultrastructural changes
  • physiological and biochemical changes
  • heavy metals
  • pollinators and pests

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 1261 KiB  
Article
Cd and Zn Concentrations in Soil and Silage Maize following the Addition of P Fertilizer
by Andrea Giovanna Niño-Savala, Benedikt Weishaar, Jürgen Franzaring, Xuejun Liu and Andreas Fangmeier
Agronomy 2021, 11(11), 2336; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11112336 - 18 Nov 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1700
Abstract
Studies of soil Cd and Zn are often performed on sites that are contaminated or have deficient Zn conditions. Soil characteristics and crop management could impact the soil mobility and uptake of Cd and Zn, even when considering unpolluted Cd soils and adequate [...] Read more.
Studies of soil Cd and Zn are often performed on sites that are contaminated or have deficient Zn conditions. Soil characteristics and crop management could impact the soil mobility and uptake of Cd and Zn, even when considering unpolluted Cd soils and adequate soil Zn levels. The concentrations of these two metals were assessed in soil and silage maize under five P fertilization treatments at two growth stages under low Cd and sufficient Zn conditions. Pearson correlation coefficients and stepwise linear regressions were calculated to investigate the soil characteristics influencing the bioavailable metal fraction in soil and the metal concentration in silage maize. P treatments did not impact Cd accumulation in maize; however, the Zn uptake was affected by P placement at the leaf development stage. From early development to maturity, the Cd level in maize decreased to 10% of the initial uptake, while the Zn level decreased to 50% of the initial uptake. This reduction in both metals may be attributed to a dilution effect derived from high biomass production. Silage maize could alleviate the initial Cd uptake while diminishing the depressant effect of P fertilizer on Zn concentration. Further research is required to understand the effect of P fertilizer on Cd uptake and its relation to Zn under field conditions at early and mature stages. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air and Soil Pollution Effects on Agroecosystems)
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17 pages, 1261 KiB  
Article
Sulfonamides in Tomato from Commercial Greenhouses Irrigated with Reclaimed Wastewater: Uptake, Translocation and Food Safety
by Raquel Camacho-Arévalo, Carlos García-Delgado, Begoña Mayans, Rafael Antón-Herrero, Jaime Cuevas, María Luz Segura and Enrique Eymar
Agronomy 2021, 11(5), 1016; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11051016 - 20 May 2021
Cited by 22 | Viewed by 3039
Abstract
The presence of antibiotics in crops is mainly caused by their irrigation with reclaimed wastewater and by the use of organic amendments of animal origin. During this work, the fate of sulfonamide antibiotics in tomato crop has been assessed in two commercial greenhouses [...] Read more.
The presence of antibiotics in crops is mainly caused by their irrigation with reclaimed wastewater and by the use of organic amendments of animal origin. During this work, the fate of sulfonamide antibiotics in tomato crop has been assessed in two commercial greenhouses located in Almería (Spain) irrigated with reclaimed wastewater. Samplings were made annually for two years. Sulfonamides in several parts of the plant (roots, leaves and fruits) as well as reclaimed wastewater, amendments and soils were analyzed by UHPLC-MS/MS. The results showed that sulfonamides accumulated in soils (sulfamethoxazole between 2 and 14 µg kg−1; sulfadiazine, sulfathiazole, sulfapyridine, sulfamerazine and sulfadimethoxine in concentrations below 1 µg kg−1) were in the reclaimed wastewater at concentrations in the ng L−1 range. Their distribution in plants depended on the sulfonamide. The sulfonamides detected in tomato were sulfadiazine, sulfapyridine, sulfamethazole, sulfamethoxazole and sulfadimethoxine. Sulfamethoxazole was the antibiotic with highest concentration in tomato fruit, exceeding 30 µg kg−1. All sulfonamides were below the Acceptable Daily Intake, however, further studies and legislation are needed to assure food safety. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air and Soil Pollution Effects on Agroecosystems)
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20 pages, 589 KiB  
Article
Determination of the Elemental Composition of Aromatic Plants Cultivated Industrially in the Republic of Moldova Using Neutron Activation Analysis
by Alexandru Ciocarlan, Gergana Hristozova, Aculina Aricu, Ion Dragalin, Inga Zinicovscaia, Nikita Yushin, Dmitrii Grozdov and Violeta Popescu
Agronomy 2021, 11(5), 1011; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11051011 - 20 May 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2863
Abstract
The mineral contents of roots, leaves, stalks, and inflorescences of the aromatic plant species Anethum graveolens L., Coriandrum sativum L., Lavandula angustifolia Mill., Levisticum officinale W.D.J. Koch, and Salvia sclarea L. were studied by means of neutron activation analysis. The contents of 36 [...] Read more.
The mineral contents of roots, leaves, stalks, and inflorescences of the aromatic plant species Anethum graveolens L., Coriandrum sativum L., Lavandula angustifolia Mill., Levisticum officinale W.D.J. Koch, and Salvia sclarea L. were studied by means of neutron activation analysis. The contents of 36 major and trace elements were determined and biological transfer coefficients were calculated. Among major and minor elements, K with a content in the range of 9230–59,600 mg/kg and Fe in the range of 69–3420 mg/kg were the most abundant elements in the studied plants. The content of the toxicant As ranged between 0.14–0.79 mg/kg; however, in the leaves (1.3 mg/kg) and inflorescences (1.0 mg/kg) of L. angustifolia there was found to be about 1 mg/kg, equal to the guideline maximal level recommended for food by the WHO. By comparing the data to Markert’s Reference Plant, “chemical fingerprints” were identified for each species. High contents of the elements Al, Hf, Se, Sc, Na, Ta, Th were determined in all studied plants. Collocated soil samples from the cultivation field were analyzed to calculate the biological accumulation coefficients for 35 of the elements determined in the plants. Considering the levels of chemical elements, the medicinal herb samples investigated are considered as relatively safe for human consumption. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air and Soil Pollution Effects on Agroecosystems)
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