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Soil Pollution and Risk Assessment
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Soil Pollution and Risk Assessment

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 (31 August 2021) | Viewed by 10899

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Anabela Cachada

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
CIIMAR-UP & Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, s/n, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
Interests: risk assessment; soil pollution; bioavailability; fate of pollutants; pollution monitoring
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Veronica Nogueira

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
CIIMAR-UP & Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, s/n, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
Interests: risk assessment; ecotoxicology

Special Issue Information

Dear colleagues,

Point and diffuse pollution by potentially toxic elements and/or organic pollutants is one of the major threats to soil’s ecological functions and to human health. Once in soils, pollutants may reach the receptors (terrestrial and aquatic organisms; humans) through volatilization/inhalation, direct ingestion or dermal contact, leaching to groundwater or runoffs to nearby aquatic ecosystems or through the food web, depending on the controlling soil properties and pollutants themselves. Therefore, soil can have direct effects on public health and threats to ecosystems. In this context, a risk assessment analysis is the best available tool to clearly understand the potential adverse effects to receptors and to ecosystems. However, this a flexible tool seeking improvements, particularly refinement methods to reduce uncertainties. Thus, this SI is seeking contributions that focus on:

  • Reliable studies that will contribute to filling the knowledge gaps on the ecotoxicity of contaminants of concern (especially organic contaminants);
  • New methods and approaches to improve the risk assessment process;
  • Innovative environmental exposure methods;
  • Selecting specific biomarkers of exposure and effect that could be used as early indicators of stress;
  • Chemical methods to assess the availability of organic and inorganic pollutants;
  • Linking the chemical availability, bioavailability, and effects of pollutants.

This Special Issue is open to research, case studies, or review papers that will contribute to the advances on the risk assessment process of contaminated soils.

Dr. Anabela Cachada
Dr. Veronica Nogueira
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. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 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 2500 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

  • exposure assessment
  • ecotoxicity
  • biomarkers of exposure
  • bioavailability
  • chemical availability

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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10 pages, 1534 KiB  
Article
The Toxicity Exerted by the Antibiotic Sulfadiazine on the Growth of Soil Bacterial Communities May Increase over Time
by Vanesa Santás-Miguel, Laura Rodríguez-González, Avelino Núñez-Delgado, Montserrat Díaz-Raviña, Manuel Arias-Estévez and David Fernández-Calviño
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(23), 8773; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph17238773 - 26 Nov 2020
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1818
Abstract
The toxicity exerted by the antibiotic sulfadiazine on the growth of soil bacterial communities was studied in two agricultural soils for a period of 100 days. In the short-term (2 days of incubation), the effect of sulfadiazine on bacterial growth was low (no [...] Read more.
The toxicity exerted by the antibiotic sulfadiazine on the growth of soil bacterial communities was studied in two agricultural soils for a period of 100 days. In the short-term (2 days of incubation), the effect of sulfadiazine on bacterial growth was low (no inhibition or inhibition <32% for a dose of 2000 mg·kg−1). However, sulfadiazine toxicity increased with time, achieving values of 40% inhibition, affecting bacterial growth in both soils after 100 days of incubation. These results, which were here observed for the first time for any antibiotic in soil samples, suggest that long-term experiments would be required for performing an adequate antibiotics risk assessment, as short-term experiments may underestimate toxicity effects. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Pollution and Risk Assessment)
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15 pages, 4834 KiB  
Article
Soil from an Abandoned Manganese Mining Area (Hunan, China): Significance of Health Risk from Potentially Toxic Element Pollution and Its Spatial Context
by Xin Luo, Bozhi Ren, Andrew S. Hursthouse, Jonathan R. M. Thacker and Zhenghua Wang
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(18), 6554; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph17186554 - 09 Sep 2020
Cited by 23 | Viewed by 2267
Abstract
This study assessed the significance and potential impact of potentially toxic element (PTE) (i.e., Mn, Pb, Cu, Zn, Cr, Cd, and Ni) pollution in the surface soil from an abandoned manganese mining area in Xiangtan City, Hunan Province, China, on the health of [...] Read more.
This study assessed the significance and potential impact of potentially toxic element (PTE) (i.e., Mn, Pb, Cu, Zn, Cr, Cd, and Ni) pollution in the surface soil from an abandoned manganese mining area in Xiangtan City, Hunan Province, China, on the health of residents. The risks were sequentially evaluated using a series of protocols including: the geo-accumulation index (Igeo), pollution load index (PLI), potential ecological risk index (RI), and implications for human health from external exposures using the hazard quotient (HQ), hazard index (HI) and carcinogenic risk (CR). The results revealed that Mn and Cd were the major pollutants in the soil samples. The ecological risk assessment identified moderate risks, which were mainly derived from Cd (82.91%). The results of the health risk assessment revealed that generally across the area, the non-carcinogenic risk was insignificant, and the carcinogenic risk was at an acceptable level. However, due to local spatial fluctuation, some of the sites presented a non-carcinogenic risk to children. The soil ingestion pathway is the main route of exposure through both non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks, with Mn being the major contributor to non-carcinogenic risk, with Cr and Cd the major contributors to carcinogenic risk. In addition, three pollution sources were identified through the Pearson correlation coefficient and principal component analysis (PCA), which included: a. mining activities and emissions from related transportation; b. natural background; c. agricultural management practices and municipal sewage discharge. The study provides information on the effects of spatial variation for the development of the abandoned mining areas and a useful approach to the prioritization of locations for the development and utilization of soil in these areas in China. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Pollution and Risk Assessment)
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14 pages, 1556 KiB  
Article
Level, Source, and Spatial Distribution of Potentially Toxic Elements in Agricultural Soil of Typical Mining Areas in Xiangjiang River Basin, Hunan Province
by Yang Yu, Haijiang Luo, Lihuan He, Wenqing Liu, Renji Xu, Linlin Zhang, Guihua Dong, Yeyao Wang, Guoping Wu and Fusheng Wei
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(16), 5793; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph17165793 - 10 Aug 2020
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2014
Abstract
The concentrations, chemical availability, distribution, and sources of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in the soil of Xiangjiang Basin in Hunan Province, China were investigated at 85 sites. The highest mean concentrations of Cd, Cu, Zn, As, and Pb were observed in Hengyang, whereas [...] Read more.
The concentrations, chemical availability, distribution, and sources of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in the soil of Xiangjiang Basin in Hunan Province, China were investigated at 85 sites. The highest mean concentrations of Cd, Cu, Zn, As, and Pb were observed in Hengyang, whereas those for Mn, Co, and Hg were observed in Changde. The pollution index values followed the order: Cd > Hg > Cu > Zn > As > Pb; the mean geo-accumulation index values were in the order: Cd > Hg > Pb > Cu > Zn > As > Co > Mn. Cd was associated with moderate contaminated level, Hg and Pb were associated with moderate contaminated to uncontaminated level, and Cu, Zn, As, Co, and Mn were associated with uncontaminated level of pollution. Furthermore, 64.5% of Cd was water-soluble and exhibited exchangeable fractions; its chemical availability posed a risk to the ecosystem. Spatial analysis, principal component analysis, and a positive matrix factorization model were used to assess the PTE sources. Four principal components contributed to 88.8% of the 8 PTEs concentrations. Mining, smelting, industrial, and agricultural activities, alongside sewage irrigation, the use of agrochemicals, and vehicular emissions are the possible anthropogenic sources that pollute agricultural products and threaten human health in the Xiangjiang Basin. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Pollution and Risk Assessment)
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Review

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42 pages, 2284 KiB  
Review
Mercury (Hg) Contaminated Sites in Kazakhstan: Review of Current Cases and Site Remediation Responses
by Mert Guney, Zhanel Akimzhanova, Aiganym Kumisbek, Kamila Beisova, Symbat Kismelyeva, Aliya Satayeva, Vassilis Inglezakis and Ferhat Karaca
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(23), 8936; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph17238936 - 01 Dec 2020
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3737
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) emissions from anthropogenic sources pose a global problem. In Central Asia, Kazakhstan’s central and northern regions are among the most severely Hg-contaminated territories. This is due to two former acetaldehyde (in Temirtau) and chlor-alkali (in Pavlodar) plants, discharges from which during [...] Read more.
Mercury (Hg) emissions from anthropogenic sources pose a global problem. In Central Asia, Kazakhstan’s central and northern regions are among the most severely Hg-contaminated territories. This is due to two former acetaldehyde (in Temirtau) and chlor-alkali (in Pavlodar) plants, discharges from which during the second half of the 20th century were estimated over 2000 tons of elemental Hg. However, the exact quantities of Hg released through atmospheric emissions to the environment, controlled discharges to the nearby aquatic systems, leakages in the cell plant, and contaminated sludge are still unknown. The present review is the initiation of a comprehensive field investigation study on the current state of these contaminated sites. It aims to provide a critical review of published literature on Hg in soils, sediments, water, and biota of the impacted ecosystems (Nura and Irtysh rivers, and Lake Balkyldak and their surrounding areas). It furthermore compares these contamination episodes with selected similar international cases as well as reviews and recommends demercuration efforts. The findings indicate that the contamination around the acetaldehyde plant site was significant and mainly localized with the majority of Hg deposited in topsoils and riverbanks within 25 km from the discharge point. In the chlor-alkali plant site, Lake Balkyldak in North Kazakhstan is the most seriously contaminated receptor. The local population of both regions might still be exposed to Hg due to fish consumption illegally caught from local rivers and reservoirs. Since the present field data is limited mainly to investigations conducted before 2010 and given the persisting contamination and nature of Hg, a recent up-to-date environmental assessment for both sites is highly needed, particularly around formerly detected hotspots. Due to incomplete site remediation efforts, recommendations given by several researchers for the territories of the former chlor-alkali and acetaldehyde plant site include ex-situ soil washing, soil pulping with gravitational separation, ultrasound and transgenic algae for sediments, and electrokinetic recovery for the former and removal and/or confinement of contaminated silt deposits and soils for the latter. However, their efficiency first needs to be validated. Findings and lessons from these sites will be useful not only on the local scale but also are valuable resources for the assessment and management of similar contaminated sites around the globe. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Pollution and Risk Assessment)
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