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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Science and Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2022) | Viewed by 28901

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Fayuan Wang

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College of Environment and Safety Engineering, Qingdao University of Science & Technology, Qingdao 266042, China
Interests: soil pollution and remediation; ecotoxicity of environmental pollutants; emerging contaminants; arbuscular mycorrhizae; phytoremediation; ecotoxicology and environmental risks; heavy metals; ecological restoration
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Prof. Dr. Liping Li

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Guest Editor

School of the Environment, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou 450001, China
Interests: heavy metal; soil; health risk; wheat; bioavailability
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Lanfang Han

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Institute of Environmental and Ecological Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
Interests: soil remediation; natural organic matter; carbon sequestration; biochar; microplastics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Aiju Liu

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Guest Editor

School of Resources and Environmental Egineering, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo 255049, China
Interests: soil microbial ecology; soil contamination; ecological restoration; ecotoxicology; risk of joint contamination

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Soil pollution has been identified as a global environmental issue, posing potential risks for soil ecosystems, food security, and human health. Recently, the Global Assessment of Soil Pollution report, jointly issued by FAO and UNEP, caught our attention on this topic again. As the report pointed out: “Soil pollution hampers the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including achieving zero hunger, ending poverty, ensuring healthy lives and human well-being, halting and reversing land degradation and biodiversity loss, and making cities safe and resilient.” Therefore, effective soil remediation technologies, including physical, chemical and biological approaches, are required in order to make the polluted soils safer for humans and other organisms. In addition to traditional pollutants, such as heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants, soils are also being contaminated by emerging contaminants, such as microplastics, nanoparticles, antibiotics, perfluorinated compounds, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, personal care products, and flame retardants. Due to their emerging state, little information is available on the occurrence and contamination status of these emerging contaminants in the soil environment, which needs to be urgently investigated. Meanwhile, soil contamination by these contaminants calls for more novel and effective soil remediation techniques. This Special Issue focuses on soil pollution with both traditional and emerging contaminants, as well as novel and green remediation technologies.

This Special Issue is open to all aspects related to soil pollution and remediation, particularly emerging contaminants in soils, and novel soil remediation materials and technologies. Studies on the occurrence, fate, risks, toxicity, and ecological impacts of soil contaminants are also welcome. The listed keywords represent a few of the priorities.

Contributions can include, but are not limited to:

Occurrence, fate, and transformation of contaminants in soil;
Monitoring and assessment of soil contaminants;
Risks, toxicity, and ecological effects of soil contaminants;
Development and applications of novel materials for soil remediation;
Development and applications of novel technologies for soil remediation.

Prof. Dr. Fayuan Wang
Prof. Dr. Liping Li
Dr. Lanfang Han
Dr. Aiju Liu
Guest Editors

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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. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

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Keywords

Soil pollution
Soil pollutants
Emerging contaminants
Soil community
Soil remediation
Organic pollutants
Degradation
Heavy metals
Bioavailability
Accumulation
Ecological impacts
Ecotoxicology

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Published Papers (11 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research

3 pages, 252 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Imperfect but Hopeful: New Advances in Soil Pollution and Remediation

by Liping Li, Lanfang Han, Aiju Liu and Fayuan Wang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(16), 10164; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191610164 - 16 Aug 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1961

Abstract

Soil is the most important resource for plant growth and human survival, supporting agricultural production and human habitation [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Soil Pollution and Remediation)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

14 pages, 12445 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Study on the Enhanced Remediation of Petroleum-Contaminated Soil by Biochar/g-C₃N₄ Composites

by Hongyang Lin, Yang Yang, Zhenxiao Shang, Qiuhong Li, Xiaoyin Niu, Yanfei Ma and Aiju Liu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(14), 8290; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19148290 - 7 Jul 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2284

Abstract

This work developed an environmentally-friendly soil remediation method based on BC and g-C₃N₄, and demonstrated the technical feasibility of remediating petroleum-contaminated soil with biochar/graphite carbon nitride (BC/g-C₃N₄). The synthesis of BC/g-C₃N₄ composites was used for the removal of TPH in soil via adsorption and photocatalysis. BC, g-C₃N₄, and BC/g-C₃N₄ have been characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area analyzer (BET), FT-IR, and X-ray diffraction (XRD). BC/g-C₃N₄ facilitates the degradation due to reducing recombination and better electron-hole pair separation. BC, g-C₃N₄, and BC/g-C₃N₄ were tested for their adsorption and photocatalytic degradation capacities. Excellent and promising results are brought out by an apparent synergism between adsorption and photocatalysis. The optimum doping ratio of 1:3 between BC and g-C₃N₄ was determined by single-factor experiments. The removal rate of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) by BC/g-C₃N₄ reached 54.5% by adding BC/g-C₃N₄ at a dosing rate of 0.08 g/g in a neutral soil with 10% moisture content, which was 2.12 and 1.95 times of BC and g-C₃N₄, respectively. The removal process of TPH by BC/g-C₃N₄ conformed to the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. In addition, the removal rates of different petroleum components in soil were analyzed in terms of gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and the removal rates of nC₁₃-nC₃₅ were above 90% with the contaminated soil treated by BC/g-C₃N₄. The radical scavenger experiments indicated that superoxide radical played the major role in the photocatalytic degradation of TPH. This work definitely demonstrates that the BC/g-C₃N₄ composites have great potential for application in the remediation of organic pollutant contaminated soil. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Soil Pollution and Remediation)

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15 pages, 28016 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Arsenic Release from Soil Induced by Microorganisms and Environmental Factors

by Yitong Yin, Ximing Luo, Xiangyu Guan, Jiawei Zhao, Yuan Tan, Xiaonan Shi, Mingtao Luo and Xiangcai Han

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(8), 4512; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19084512 - 8 Apr 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2250

Abstract

In rhizospheric soil, arsenic can be activated by both biological and abiotic reactions with plant exudates or phosphates, but little is known about the relative contributions of these two pathways. The effects of microorganisms, low-molecular-weight organic acid salts (LMWOASs), and phosphates on the migration of As in unrestored and nano zero-valent iron (nZVI)-restored soil were studied in batch experiments. The results show that As released by microbial action accounted for 17.73%, 7.04%, 92.40%, 92.55%, and 96.68% of the total As released in unrestored soil with citrate, phytate, malate, lactate, and acetate, respectively. It was only suppressed in unrestored soil with oxalate. In restored soil, As was still released in the presence of oxalate, citrate, and phytate, but the magnitude of As release was inhibited by microorganisms. The application of excess nZVI can completely inhibited As release processes induced by phosphate in the presence of microorganisms. Microbial iron reduction is a possible mechanism of arsenic release induced by microorganisms. Microorganisms and most environmental factors promoted As release in unrestored soil, but the phenomenon was suppressed in restored soil. This study helps to provide an effective strategy for reducing the secondary release of As from soils due to replanting after restoration. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Soil Pollution and Remediation)

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16 pages, 1962 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Comprehensive Evaluation Method for Soil Remediation Technology Selection: Case Study of Ex Situ Thermal Desorption

by Shuang Li, Liao He, Bo Zhang, Yan Yan, Wentao Jiao and Ning Ding

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(6), 3304; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19063304 - 11 Mar 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3632

Abstract

Quantitative evaluation of different contaminated soil remediation technologies in multiple dimensions is beneficial for the optimization and comparative selection of technology. Ex situ thermal desorption is widely used in remediation of organic contaminated soil due to its excellent removal effect and short engineering period. In this study, a comprehensive evaluation method of soil remediation technology, covering 20 indicators in five dimensions, was developed. It includes the steps of constructing an indicator system, accounting for the indicator, normalization, determining weights by analytic hierarchy process, and comprehensive evaluation. Three ex situ thermal desorption technology—direct thermal desorption, indirect thermal desorption, and indirect thermal heap—in China were selected for the model validation. The results showed that the direct thermal desorption had the highest economic and social indicator scores of 0.068 and 0.028, respectively. The indirect thermal desorption had the highest technical and environmental indicator scores of 0.118 and 0.427, respectively. The indirect thermal heap had the highest resource indicator score of 0.175. With balanced performance in five dimensions, the indirect thermal desorption had the highest comprehensive score of 0.707, which is 1.6 and 1.4 times higher than the direct thermal desorption and indirect thermal heap, respectively. The comprehensive evaluation method analyzed and compared the characteristics of the ex situ thermal desorption technology from different perspectives, such as specific indicators, multiple dimensions, and single comprehensive values. It provided a novel evaluation approach for the sustainable development and application of soil remediation technology. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Soil Pollution and Remediation)

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15 pages, 2194 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Arsenic Accumulation and Physiological Response of Three Leafy Vegetable Varieties to As Stress

by Yuan Meng, Liang Zhang, Zhi-Long Yao, Yi-Bin Ren, Lin-Quan Wang and Xiao-Bin Ou

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(5), 2501; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19052501 - 22 Feb 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2033

Abstract

Arsenic (As) in leafy vegetables may harm humans. Herein, we assessed As accumulation in leafy vegetables and the associated physiological resistance mechanisms using soil pot and hydroponic experiments. Garland chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum coronarium L.), spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.), and lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) were tested, and the soil As safety threshold values of the tested leafy vegetables were 91.7, 76.2, and 80.7 mg kg⁻¹, respectively, i.e., higher than the soil environmental quality standard of China. According to growth indicators and oxidative stress markers (malondialdehyde, the ratio of reduced glutathione to oxidized glutathione, and soluble protein), the order of As tolerance was: GC > SP > LE. The high tolerance of GC was due to the low transport factor of As from the roots to the shoots; the high activity of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and catalase; and the high content of phytochelatin in the roots. Results of this work shed light on the use of As-contaminated soils and plant tolerance of As stress. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Soil Pollution and Remediation)

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23 pages, 3255 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Ecological Risk, Input Flux, and Source of Heavy Metals in the Agricultural Plain of Hebei Province, China

by Kui Cai and Chang Li

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(4), 2288; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19042288 - 17 Feb 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2432

Abstract

A large amount of heavy metal (HM) inputs exists in the farming areas of the Hebei plain of northern China. However, the potential ecological risk, source, and input flux of HMs in these areas have not been well-investigated. In this study, atmospheric deposition, fertilizer, irrigation water, and agricultural soil samples were collected from farming areas (~74,111 km²) in Hebei Province, China. The HM index of geoaccumulation (I_geo) and potential ecological risk index (RI) of soil was calculated for eight HMs. The source and input flux of each element were predicted using the input flux and principal component score–multiple linear regression (PCS–MLR) methods. The results showed that Cd and Hg increased I_geo values, and the maximum levels of As (29.5 mg/kg), Cu (228.9 mg/kg), Cd (4.52 mg/kg), and Zn (879.0 mg/kg) were greater than the health risk screening values in the soil quality standard of China. The potential ecological risk factor (Er) of Cd demonstrated a moderately potential ecological risk, accounting for 67.72%. The distribution map showed that Cd was mainly concentrated in eastern area of Baoding (BD) in the study area. The result of the atmospheric dry and wet deposition contributed more to soil pollution than the usage of fertilizer or irrigation water by calculating the input flux. The order was Zn (94%) > Cu (92%) > Pb (89%) > Cr (86%) > Cd (72%) > Hg = Ni (71%) > As (59%). Principal component analysis (PCA) results showed that there were four sources of HMs in soil. Geological sources contribute to the accumulation of As, Cr, and Ni in soil. Cu and Pb in the soil were attributable to the input from vehicular emissions and irrigation water. Cd and Zn in the soil were attributable to the farming activity, whereas Hg originates from the combustion of coal. The results of PCS–MLR demonstrated that the contribution rate of As, Ni, and Cr in the study area was 30.06%, 71.86%, 57.71% for the first group (natural source); Cu, Pb and Zn were 71.78%, 63.59%, and 30.72% for the second group (vehicle emissions); Zn was 60.93% for the third group (fertilizer application and irrigation water); and Hg was 85.16%, for the fourth group (coal combustion). These factors provide a valuable reference for remediating HM pollution. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Soil Pollution and Remediation)

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16 pages, 1799 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Antimony Immobilization in Primary-Explosives-Contaminated Soils by Fe–Al-Based Amendments

by Ningning Wang, Yucong Jiang, Tianxiang Xia, Feng Xu, Chengjun Zhang, Dan Zhang and Zhiyuan Wu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(4), 1979; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19041979 - 10 Feb 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1911

Abstract

Soils at primary explosives sites have been contaminated by high concentrations of antimony (Sb) and co-occurring heavy metals (Cu and Zn), and are largely overlooked and neglected. In this study, we investigated Sb concentrations and species and studied the effect of combined Fe- and Fe–Al-based sorbent application on the mobility of Sb and co-occurring metals. The content of Sb in soil samples varied from 26.7 to 4255.0 mg/kg. In batch experiments, FeSO₄ showed ideal Sb sorption (up to 97% sorption with 10% FeSO₄·7H₂O), whereas the sorptions of 10% Fe⁰ and 10% goethite were 72% and 41%, respectively. However, Fe-based sorbents enhanced the mobility of co-occurring Cu and Zn to varying levels, especially FeSO₄·7H₂O. Al(OH)₃ was required to prevent Cu and Zn mobilization. In this study, 5% FeSO₄·7H₂O and 4% Al(OH)₃ mixed with soil was the optimal combination to solve this problem, with Sb, Zn, and Cu stabilizations of 94.6%, 74.2%, and 82.2%, respectively. Column tests spiked with 5% FeSO₄·7H₂O, and 4% Al(OH)₃ showed significant Sb (85.85%), Zn (83.9%), and Cu (94.8%) retention. The pH-regulated results indicated that acid conditioning improved Sb retention under alkaline conditions. However, no significant difference was found between the acidification sets and those without pH regulation. The experimental results showed that 5% FeSO₄·7H₂O + 4% Al(OH)₃ without pH regulation was effective for the stabilization of Sb and co-occurring metals in primary explosive soils. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Soil Pollution and Remediation)

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18 pages, 41860 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Stabilization/Solidification of Heavy Metals and PHe Contaminated Soil with β-Cyclodextrin Modified Biochar (β-CD-BC) and Portland Cement

by Geng Li, Haibo Li, Yinghua Li, Xi Chen, Xinjing Li, Lixin Wang, Wenxin Zhang and Ying Zhou

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(3), 1060; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19031060 - 18 Jan 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2314

Abstract

Conventional stabilization/solidification materials have defects in the simultaneous treatment of heavy metals (HMs) and phenanthrene (PHe). In order to solve this problem, a new functional material β-cyclodextrin modified biochar (β-CD-BC) was prepared by integrating the properties of biochar (BC) and the hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties of the β-CD surface and combined with Portland cement (PC) to cure and stabilize HMs and PHe. The effect of key parameters on the treatment effect was discussed by response surface method. The results showed that the minimum leaching concentration if HMs was 16.81 mg·L⁻¹, and the leaching concentration of PHe can be as low as 0.059 μg/kg under the conditions of β-CD-BC and Portland cement ratio of 9.75% and 11.4%, curing for 22.85 d. The weak acid soluble state reduced from 9~13% to 0.5~6%, the residual state was increased from 37~61% to 77~87%. The unconfined compressive strength of sample is more than 50 kPa. The results of this study can provide a new technical scheme for long-term curing and stabilization of HMs and PHe. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Soil Pollution and Remediation)

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12 pages, 2747 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Soil Solution Properties and Cu²⁺ Co-Existence on the Adsorption of Sulfadiazine onto Paddy Soil

by Ziwen Xu, Shiquan Lv, Shuxiang Hu, Liang Chao, Fangxu Rong, Xin Wang, Mengyang Dong, Kai Liu, Mingyue Li and Aiju Liu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(24), 13383; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182413383 - 19 Dec 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2805

Abstract

Paddy soils are globally distributed and saturated with water long term, which is different from most terrestrial ecosystems. To better understand the environmental risks of antibiotics in paddy soils, this study chose sulfadiazine (SDZ) as a typical antibiotic. We investigated its adsorption behavior and the influence of soil solution properties, such as pH conditions, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), ionic concentrations (IC), and the co-existence of Cu²⁺. The results indicated that (1) changes in soil solution pH and IC lower the adsorption of SDZ in paddy soils. (2) Increase of DOC facilitated the adsorption of SDZ in paddy soils. (3) Cu²⁺ co-existence increased the adsorption of SDZ on organic components, but decreased the adsorption capacity of clay soil for SDZ. (4) Further FTIR and SEM analyses indicated that complexation may not be the only form of Cu²⁺ and SDZ co-adsorption in paddy soils. Based on the above results, it can be concluded that soil solution properties and co-existent cations determine the sorption behavior of SDZ in paddy soils. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Soil Pollution and Remediation)

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16 pages, 3992 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Organochlorine Pesticides in Karst Soil: Levels, Distribution, and Source Diagnosis

by Wei Chen, Faming Zeng, Wei Liu, Jianwei Bu, Guofeng Hu, Songshi Xie, Hongyan Yao, Hong Zhou, Shihua Qi and Huanfang Huang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(21), 11589; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182111589 - 4 Nov 2021

Cited by 34 | Viewed by 2861

Abstract

Excessive reclamation and improper use of agrochemicals in karst areas leads to serious non-point source pollution, which is of great concern and needs to be controlled, since contaminants can easily pollute groundwater due to the thin patchy soil and developed karst structures. The occurrences of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in karst soil were investigated by analyzing 25 OCPs in the karst soils near the Three Gorges Dam, China. The total concentrations of OCPs ranged 161–43,100 (6410 ± 9620) pg/g, with the most abundant compounds being p,p’-DDT and mirex. The concentration differences between the orchard and vegetable field and between upstream and downstream presented the influences of land-use type and water transport on the OCP spatial distributions. Composition analysis indicated the possible fresh inputs of lindane, technical DDT, aldrin, endrin, mirex, and methoxychlor. Their illegal uses implied an insufficient agrochemical management system in undeveloped karst areas. Principal component analysis with multiple linear regression analysis characterized the dominant sources from current agricultural use and current veterinary use in the study area. OCPs in the soils might not pose significant cancer risk for the residents, but they need to be controlled due to their illegal uses and bioaccumulation effect via the food chain. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Soil Pollution and Remediation)

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18 pages, 3340 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Potentially Toxic Element Contaminations and Lead Isotopic Fingerprinting in Soils and Sediments from a Historical Gold Mining Site

by Lei Tang, Yiyue Zhang, Shuai Ma, Changchun Yan, Huanhuan Geng, Guoqing Yu, Hongbing Ji and Fei Wang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(20), 10925; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182010925 - 18 Oct 2021

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2215

Abstract

Lead (Pb) isotopes have been widely used to identify and quantify Pb contamination in the environment. Here, the Pb isotopes, as well as the current contamination levels of Cu, Pb, Zn, Cr, Ni, Cd, As, and Hg, were investigated in soil and sediment from the historical gold mining area upstream of Miyun Reservoir, Beijing, China. The sediment had higher ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁷Pb ratios (1.137 ± 0.0111) than unpolluted soil did (1.167 ± 0.0029), while the soil samples inside the mining area were much more variable (1.121 ± 0.0175). The mean concentrations (soil/sediment in mg·kg⁻¹) of Pb (2470/42.5), Zn (181/113), Cu (199/36.7), Cr (117/68.8), Ni (40.4/28.9), Cd (0.791/0.336), As (8.52/5.10), and Hg (0.168/0.000343) characterized the soil/sediment of the studied area with mean I_geo values of the potentially toxic element (PTE) ranging from −4.71 to 9.59 for soil and from −3.39 to 2.43 for sediment. Meanwhile, principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) coupled with Pearson’s correlation coefficient among PTEs indicated that the major source of the Cu, Zn, Pb, and Cd contamination was likely the mining activities. Evidence from Pb isotopic fingerprinting and a binary mixing model further confirmed that Pb contamination in soil and sediment came from mixed sources that are dominated by mining activity. These results highlight the persistence of PTE contamination in the historical mining site and the usefulness of Pb isotopes combined with multivariate statistical analysis to quantify contamination from mining activities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Soil Pollution and Remediation)

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