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Potentially Toxic Trace Elements in Contaminated Sites: Fate, Risk and...
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Potentially Toxic Trace Elements in Contaminated Sites: Fate, Risk and Remediation

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2023) | Viewed by 10339

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Alessandro Acquavita

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
Regional Agency for the Protection of the Environment of Friuli Venezia Giulia (ARPA FVG), 33057 Palmanova, UD, Italy
Interests: environmental pollution of coastal areas; marine biogeochemistry; mercury; nutrients and trophic state; risk assessment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Beatrice Campanella

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Istituto di Chimica dei Composti OrganoMetallici, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, 56124 Pisa, Italy
Interests: ultratrace analysis; elements speciation; atomic spectroscopy; analytical methods development
Dr. Elena Pavoni

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Dipartimento di Matematica e Geoscienze, Università Degli Studi di Trieste, 34128 Trieste, Italy
Interests: environmental geochemistry, contamination of soils; sediments and water; potentially toxic trace elements

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The occurrence, distribution and fate of potentially toxic trace elements (PTEs, including As, Cd, Hg and Pb) of both anthropogenic and natural origin in the environment represents an issue of global concern. These contaminants are easily accumulated in the soil and sediment matrices leading to a general worsening of the environmental quality in both continental and aquatic systems. Moreover, PTEs can be also subjected to remobilisation processes with subsequent release of more mobile and often more toxic chemical forms, which can result in PTEs potential bioaccumulation in plants and in the food chain as well as ecological and health risks. Thus, PTEs pose a risk to marine and terrestrial life and human health, and they often lead to expensive mitigation procedures. In this context, in situ remediation techniques such as the use of sustainable sorbent amendments have been shown to be effective in mitigating the risks related to the occurrence of bioavailable forms of PTEs in soils and sediments with respect to traditional approaches including dredging, removal and capping.

This Special Issue of Applied Sciences is a valuable opportunity to publish recent studies related to the risk assessment and management of contaminated sites in both marine and continental environments. Moreover, the assessment of bioavailability, transport and fate of PTEs will be also considered.

Dr. Alessandro Acquavita
Dr. Beatrice Campanella
Dr. Elena Pavoni
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. Applied Sciences 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

  • potentially toxic trace elements
  • marine biogeochemistry
  • contamination of soils
  • sediments and water
  • mercury

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Editorial

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3 pages, 180 KiB  
Editorial
Special Issue on Potentially Toxic Trace Elements in Contaminated Sites: Fate, Risk and Remediation
by Elena Pavoni, Beatrice Campanella and Alessandro Acquavita
Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(18), 10034; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app131810034 - 06 Sep 2023
Viewed by 461
Abstract
The occurrence of potentially toxic elements (PTEs, including As, Cd, Hg and Pb) of both anthropogenic and natural origin in the environment represents an issue of global concern, leading to a general decline in environmental quality in both continental and aquatic systems [...] [...] Read more.
The occurrence of potentially toxic elements (PTEs, including As, Cd, Hg and Pb) of both anthropogenic and natural origin in the environment represents an issue of global concern, leading to a general decline in environmental quality in both continental and aquatic systems [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Potentially Toxic Trace Elements in Contaminated Sites: Fate, Risk and Remediation)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

13 pages, 1550 KiB  
Article
Biochar Effects on Ce Leaching and Plant Uptake in Lepidium sativum L. Grown on a Ceria Nanoparticle Spiked Soil
by Guido Fellet, Pellegrino Conte and Luca Marchiol
Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(11), 6846; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app13116846 - 05 Jun 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1178
Abstract
The increasing use of nanoparticles is causing a threat to the environment and humans. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of the quenching procedure of biochar production on the biochar capacity to retain the CeO2 nanoparticle (CeO2 [...] Read more.
The increasing use of nanoparticles is causing a threat to the environment and humans. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of the quenching procedure of biochar production on the biochar capacity to retain the CeO2 nanoparticle (CeO2NP) in soil. The effects on Lepidium sativum L. (watercress) were considered. Two biochars were produced from fir wood pellets under the same pyrolysis conditions but with different quenching procedures: dry quenching and wet quenching. The two biochars (BCdryQ and BCwetQ) were separately added to a CeO2NP-spiked soil (1000 mg kg−1) at the dose 5%DW and placed in 12 lysimeters under controlled conditions. Lepidium sativum L. seeds were sowed on each lysimeter. The lysimeters were irrigated once a week for 7 weeks, and the leachates were collected. At the end of the experiment, the aboveground biomass was harvested; the total number of plants and the number of plants at the flowering stage were counted, and the height of the tallest plant and the total dry biomass were measured. The data showed that the quenching procedure influences the CeO2NP retention in soil, and BCdryQ can reduce the leaching of the nanoparticles. Biochar significantly increased the flowering in plants, and BCwetQ reduced the biomass production. This work highlights the importance of the biochar production process for soil applications. The production settings are crucial in determining the efficacy of the product for its ultimate use. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Potentially Toxic Trace Elements in Contaminated Sites: Fate, Risk and Remediation)
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21 pages, 5061 KiB  
Article
Arsenic Contamination in Groundwater, Soil and the Food-Chain: Risk Management in a Densely Populated Area (Versilia Plain, Italy)
by Lisa Ghezzi, Simone Arrighi, Riccardo Petrini, Monica Bini, Livia Vittori Antisari, Fabrizio Franceschini, Maria Letizia Franchi and Roberto Giannecchini
Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(9), 5446; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app13095446 - 27 Apr 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1317
Abstract
This study deals with arsenic distribution in groundwater, soil and edible vegetables in the densely populated area of the Versilia Plain (Tuscany region, Italy), addressing potential impacts on people’s health. The data revealed high As concentrations in some domestic irrigation wells, exceeding 1200 [...] Read more.
This study deals with arsenic distribution in groundwater, soil and edible vegetables in the densely populated area of the Versilia Plain (Tuscany region, Italy), addressing potential impacts on people’s health. The data revealed high As concentrations in some domestic irrigation wells, exceeding 1200 µg/L. The average As concentration in topsoil and subsoil was 39 and 46 mg/kg, respectively, with the highest concentration reaching about 200 mg/kg. Arsenic concentrates in plant roots compared with the edible parts; in tomato fruits, black cabbage leaves and edible leek parts As reached about 0.2 mg/kg, 0.4 mg/kg and 3 mg/kg, respectively. Geochemical and hydrostratigraphic data suggest that As in soils and alluvial sediments originated from mineralized and historical upstream mining areas. The exposure routes for both non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risk assessment here considered include soil ingestion, dermal absorption, soil dust inhalation and vegetable consumption. For non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic effects, the hazard was higher than the acceptance threshold. The calculated soil screening levels resulted even lower than the guideline soil-concentration imposed by Italian regulations, and this poses an issue on the actual meaning of arsenic regulatory thresholds. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Potentially Toxic Trace Elements in Contaminated Sites: Fate, Risk and Remediation)
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21 pages, 9073 KiB  
Article
Mercury Levels in Sediment, Water and Selected Organisms Collected in a Coastal Contaminated Environment: The Marano and Grado Lagoon (Northern Adriatic Sea, Italy)
by Nicola Bettoso, Federico Pittaluga, Sergio Predonzani, Antonella Zanello and Alessandro Acquavita
Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(5), 3064; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app13053064 - 27 Feb 2023
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2487
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) is a global pollutant capable of bioaccumulates/biomagnifies along the trophic chain and posing concerns for organisms and humans. The historical mining in Idrija (NW Slovenia) and the more recent activity of a chlor-alkali plant (CAP) sited in Torviscosa (NE Italy) causes [...] Read more.
Mercury (Hg) is a global pollutant capable of bioaccumulates/biomagnifies along the trophic chain and posing concerns for organisms and humans. The historical mining in Idrija (NW Slovenia) and the more recent activity of a chlor-alkali plant (CAP) sited in Torviscosa (NE Italy) causes diffuse Hg contamination in the Marano and Grado Lagoon (MGL, northern Adriatic Sea, Italy). Despite the importance of fishing and aquaculture for local inhabitants, knowledge of the Hg content of MGL fish is still scarce and fragmentary. This paper reports the results obtained from the collection of sediments, water, and biota during the implementation of the WFD/2000/60/CE. The solid phase is characterised by high Hg concentrations (up to 7.4 mg kg−1) with a net positive gradient moving eastward, but chemical speciation suggests the prevalence of cinnabar (not mobile) species. The scarce mobility of Hg is attested to by the low concentrations found in surface waters. Hg in fish often exceeds the limit set for commercialization (0.5 mg kg−1 ww), especially in the Grado basin, but its content is variable depending on the size and habits of species. Although there was a significant linear relationship between THg content in sediment and tissues of Chelon auratus, the values of the biota sediment accumulation factor (BSAF), which were always less than one, suggest that the Hg bioavailable for transfer from sediment to biota is low. Additionally, the Target Hazard Quotient (THQ) calculated on C. auratus’s daily consumption showed that adverse effects on human health are out of the question at least for the Marano basin. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Potentially Toxic Trace Elements in Contaminated Sites: Fate, Risk and Remediation)
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12 pages, 1087 KiB  
Article
Effect of Soil Water Contents on Arsenic Accumulation in Phytoliths of Pteris multifida and Phragmites australis
by Hyun-Gi Min, Min-Suk Kim and Jeong-Gyu Kim
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(24), 12518; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app122412518 - 07 Dec 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 950
Abstract
The accumulation of metal(loid)s in phytoliths can physically immobilize the toxic materials and reduce toxicity in plant bodies and soil. Spider brake (Pteris multifida) is a well-known As hyperaccumulator that also harbors phytolith. However, As accumulation in phytoliths has not yet [...] Read more.
The accumulation of metal(loid)s in phytoliths can physically immobilize the toxic materials and reduce toxicity in plant bodies and soil. Spider brake (Pteris multifida) is a well-known As hyperaccumulator that also harbors phytolith. However, As accumulation in phytoliths has not yet been studied with P. multifida. Soil water content is considered the main factor influencing phytolith accumulation. In this study, the As concentration in the phytoliths of P. multifida was compared with that in common reed (Phragmites australis) phytoliths with various soil water content. The range of As concentration in the phytoliths of P. multifida was 414.70–1610.74 mg kg−1, and the range for P. australis phytoliths was 41.67–126.54 mg kg−1. In P. multifida, higher soil water content increased As accumulation in the phytolith but did not affect the phytolith content in the plant. In P. australis, the higher soil water content increased phytolith content in the plant but decreased As concentration in phytoliths. This study suggests that P. multifida has higher As content in phytoliths than P. australis, and this accumulation can be affected by soil water content. The current findings provide how As encapsulated in phytolith and detoxified in different plants and conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Potentially Toxic Trace Elements in Contaminated Sites: Fate, Risk and Remediation)
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13 pages, 1726 KiB  
Article
Portable X-ray Fluorescence (pXRF) as a Tool for Environmental Characterisation and Management of Mining Wastes: Benefits and Limits
by Nicolò Barago, Elena Pavoni, Federico Floreani, Matteo Crosera, Gianpiero Adami, Davide Lenaz, Francesca Larese Filon and Stefano Covelli
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(23), 12189; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app122312189 - 28 Nov 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1903
Abstract
Portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) is one of the main geochemical techniques employed in multi-elemental analysis screening for contaminated sites management. As the confidence of pXRF analyses are matrix-specific, efforts are made to provide studies of pXRF quality on different geochemical datasets, focusing on [...] Read more.
Portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) is one of the main geochemical techniques employed in multi-elemental analysis screening for contaminated sites management. As the confidence of pXRF analyses are matrix-specific, efforts are made to provide studies of pXRF quality on different geochemical datasets, focusing on less investigated elements such as mercury (Hg) and antimony (Sb), to help both new and experienced users. The analysis of environmental solid samples from two decommissioned mining sites in NE Italy, characterised by Pb-Zn and (Hg-rich) Cu-Sb ore deposits, were prepared with two different protocols and compared with traditional destructive analyses. Sample composition was found strictly dependent to the occurrence of false positives and overestimation at low concentrations. In contrast, milling the sample did not produce major variations in the overall quality. Lead (Pb), Sb, and Zn reached the definitive data quality in at least one of the two datasets. Consequently, as far as a thorough QA/QC protocol is followed, pXRF can rapidly produce chemical data that is as accurate as that produced by destructive standard laboratory techniques, thus allowing to identify potential sources of contamination that could be reprocessed for the extraction of valuable elements and mitigating the dispersion of contaminants and ecological or health risks. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Potentially Toxic Trace Elements in Contaminated Sites: Fate, Risk and Remediation)
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14 pages, 2733 KiB  
Article
Enrichment of Metals in the Sediments of an Industrially Impacted Estuary: Geochemistry, Dispersion and Environmental Considerations
by Mario Mangas-Suarez, Efren Garcia-Ordiales, Julio Antonio Pérez, Rodrigo Álvarez, Alberto Villa, Almudena Ordoñez and Nieves Roqueñí
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(21), 10998; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app122110998 - 30 Oct 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1298
Abstract
The city of Avilés is one of the most industrialized cities in the north of Spain and, accordingly, its estuary and coastal area have been subjected to great anthropic impacts in the last 100 years. This research attempts to establish a preliminary scenario [...] Read more.
The city of Avilés is one of the most industrialized cities in the north of Spain and, accordingly, its estuary and coastal area have been subjected to great anthropic impacts in the last 100 years. This research attempts to establish a preliminary scenario of the geochemical and environmental status of both coastal and estuarine sediments in this area. For this study, a total of 96 sediment samples were collected, processed and analyzed to quantify the granulometric distribution of the sediments, as well as their concentrations of organic carbon and main metal(oids) that may cause an environmental risk. The results show that the estuarine sediments present important concentrations of Cd, Hg, Pb and Zn that allow them to be clearly differentiated from the coastal sediments; this information, along with the sedimentology, implies that the estuary acts as a sink of pollution and not as source to the coastal area. Inside the estuary, the high levels of contamination produce a significant potential ecological risk due to contaminant transfers to other environmental compartments and to the biota. Although direct discharges of industrial effluents have been gradually eliminated, the current state of the sediment requires the implementation of measures that are more consistent than natural regeneration in order to ensure low risk levels for the ecosystem. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Potentially Toxic Trace Elements in Contaminated Sites: Fate, Risk and Remediation)
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