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Land
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Contamination of Soils and Environmental Risks
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Contamination of Soils and Environmental Risks

A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X). This special issue belongs to the section "Land Socio-Economic and Political Issues".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (29 December 2023) | Viewed by 14062

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Gregorio García

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Guest Editor
Agronomical Engineering Department, Technical University of Cartagena, 30202 Cartagena, Murcia, Spain
Interests: soil science; soil and sediment contamination assessment; heavy metal contamination; environmental degradation and management of mining areas; phytotechnologies; environmental remediation and risk minimization in areas contaminated by potentially toxic elements; soil erosion and its impacts on ecosystems; environmental regulation of contaminated soils
Dr. Rocio Millan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
CIEMAT, Avenida Complutense 40, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Interests: soil-plant system; soil contamination; mercury environmental behaviour; soil conservation; soil recuperation; industrial and mining areas reclamation; environmental restoration; phytotechnologies; green technologies; gentle remediation
Dr. Araceli Pérez-Sanz

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agricultural Chemistry and Food Science, Autonomous University of Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain
Interests: soil pollution; soil health; soil biodiversity; metal speciation; rhizosphere; plant–soil–microorganisms interactions

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Due to the increasing human impact on the environment, soil quality is becoming a serious concern. Soil is an irreplaceable resource that sustains life on the planet, challenged by the food and energy demands of a growing population. Soil contamination and the assessment of the associated risks is therefore a critical issue that must be addressed if we are to ensure the quality of life of present and future generations. The serious contamination of lands by increasing concentrations of potentially toxic elements and other pollutants has caused great concern worldwide, due to its negative impacts on the environment and on human health. Therefore, during the last several decades, an increasing number of scholars have focused on soil contamination, on pollution processes, on the identification of sources using various geostatistical methods, and on the effects that different types of land use or pollution sources have on pollutant concentrations in soils and in different functional areas. In a complementary way, studies on the human health risk assessment of different soil contaminants have become an important research topic in recent years. In this sense, this Special Issue should consider innovative approaches for the assessment of soil contamination, but also for its remediation, as well as for the use of different tools that help to make an efficient assessment of the risks associated with different types and levels of contamination. Therefore, the assessment of contamination and its impacts, the use of different soil contamination and associated risk indices to assess hazards, the use of screening levels and/or bioassays to estimate these risks, the different soil management and remediation techniques (phyto/bioremediation, metabolomics, physico-chemical technologies, etc.), and any technical reviews of the regulations concerning the assessment, treatment, and management of contaminated soils in different national or international frameworks could be appropriate for this Special Issue.

Dr. Gregorio García
Dr. Rocio Millan
Dr. Araceli Pérez-Sanz
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. Land 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 2600 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

  • Soil pollution assessment
  • Soil screening levels
  • Soil pollution and risk indices
  • Risk assessment
  • Soil contamination bioassays
  • Remediation techniques
  • Physico-chemical treatment of polluted soils
  • Metabolomics of contaminated soils
  • Phyto/bioremediation
  • Management of polluted soils
  • Critical review of contaminated soil regulations

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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21 pages, 37421 KiB  
Article
Distinguishing Geogenic Load and Anthropogenic Contribution to Soil Contamination in Mineralised Mountain Landscape of Ore Mountains (Czech Republic) Using Cumulative Distribution Functions
by Michal Hošek, Petra Pavlíková, Matěj Šoltýs, Štěpánka Tůmová and Tomáš Matys Grygar
Land 2024, 13(2), 218; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/land13020218 - 09 Feb 2024
Viewed by 699
Abstract
In ore regions impacted by mining and metal smelting emissions, distinguishing between geogenic anomalies and anthropogenic contamination poses a significant challenge. In a study from two areas with different mining histories in the Ore Mountains, Czech Republic, we demonstrate that sampling of topsoils [...] Read more.
In ore regions impacted by mining and metal smelting emissions, distinguishing between geogenic anomalies and anthropogenic contamination poses a significant challenge. In a study from two areas with different mining histories in the Ore Mountains, Czech Republic, we demonstrate that sampling of topsoils and subsoils respecting local geology and correct soil data treatment respecting soil textural variability effects are indispensable to the correct construction and interpretation of geochemical maps and identification of anthropogenic contamination by As, Cu, Pb, and Zn. The list of analysed elements must include both potentially toxic and lithogenic elements, otherwise natural controls of soil composition cannot be deciphered. By using empirical cumulative distribution functions, we found that local backgrounds for As/Fe and Pb/Ti are naturally elevated (5.7 to 9.8 times and 2.1 to 2.7 times higher, respectively) compared to the global averages. We constructed geochemical maps with topsoil minus subsoil concentrations to show the main directions of spreading anthropogenic contamination. The anthropogenic diffuse contamination contribution was calculated and expressed as an enrichment relative to the local background (16% and 12% for As/Fe and 17% and 14% for Pb/Ti, respectively). This corresponds to topsoil enrichment by ca. 15 and 14 mg kg−1 for As and ca. 35 and 42 mg kg−1 for Pb in the two study areas. The obtained estimates were comparable to the results from the local peat archives. The approach we used is efficient in deciphering natural and anthropogenic controls of PTEs in geochemically complicated areas. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Contamination of Soils and Environmental Risks)
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23 pages, 1850 KiB  
Article
Mineralogy, Geochemistry and Environmental Hazards of Different Types of Mining Waste from a Former Mediterranean Metal Mining Area
by Roberto Rodríguez-Pacheco, Gregorio García, Ana Vanessa Caparrós-Ríos, Virginia Robles-Arenas, Cristóbal García-García, Rocío Millán, Araceli Pérez-Sanz and Luis Alberto Alcolea-Rubio
Land 2023, 12(2), 499; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/land12020499 - 17 Feb 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1763
Abstract
Mine waste constitutes one of the biggest environmental and management problems, both due to its quantity and its danger when they are rich in toxic elements. There is a wide variety of waste from the oxidation of ores in metal mining areas, both [...] Read more.
Mine waste constitutes one of the biggest environmental and management problems, both due to its quantity and its danger when they are rich in toxic elements. There is a wide variety of waste from the oxidation of ores in metal mining areas, both metal sulphide and other minerals. These residues may be enriched in potentially toxic elements that can spread and contaminate ecosystems, farmland and villages. This study has focused on the characterization and evaluation of residues derived from metal-bearing mining waste in abandoned mining areas. Mineralogy and geochemical characteristics were determined by XRD, WDXRF and TG-MS techniques. In addition, DIN 38414-S4 leaching tests were carried out to assess the risk and mobility of potentially toxic elements. Silicates and oxides were found as the main mineral groups, followed by sulphates. These tailings were particularly enriched in Zn, Pb, As, Sb and Cd, while their leachates had high or extreme metal content. Consequently, these mining wastes are considered toxic and hazardous, even for landfills. Sulphides, as the primary source, and sulphates from their oxidation, were the main sources of these pollutants. Sulphates, As, Zn, Cd and Cu determined the specific environmental impact of the different tailing types, which were grouped into different clusters according to their mineralogy and geochemistry. These results provided a better understanding of the environmental hazards associated with the different types of metal mining waste in the area studied. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Contamination of Soils and Environmental Risks)
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13 pages, 3291 KiB  
Article
Effects of Biochars Derived from Sewage Sludge and Olive Tree Prunings on Cu Fractionation and Mobility in Vineyard Soils over Time
by Ioannis Zafeiriou, Konstantina Karadendrou, Dafni Ioannou, Maria-Anna Karadendrou, Anastasia Detsi, Dimitrios Kalderis, Ioannis Massas and Dionisios Gasparatos
Land 2023, 12(2), 416; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/land12020416 - 04 Feb 2023
Viewed by 1283
Abstract
Copper-contained products that are widely employed yearly in viticulture for vine disease management, lead to Cu accumulation in topsoil creating an increased risk for land workers and for leaching and/or uptake of Cu by plants, especially in acidic soils where Cu mobility is [...] Read more.
Copper-contained products that are widely employed yearly in viticulture for vine disease management, lead to Cu accumulation in topsoil creating an increased risk for land workers and for leaching and/or uptake of Cu by plants, especially in acidic soils where Cu mobility is higher. In this study, the impact of two biochar types on Cu distribution and redistribution in fractions was evaluated in four acidic vineyard soils in relation to incubation time. The two biochars were derived from sewage sludge (SG) and olive tree prunings (OL). Soils (control) and biochar-amended soils with application rate of 20 % (w/w) were spiked with CuCl2 (160 mg kg−1) and incubated in the laboratory at ambient temperature 22 ± 5 °C. After 1, 3, 7, 15, 36, and 90 days of incubation, modified BCR sequential extraction procedure was used to determine Cu distribution in the four soil chemical phases and to examine potential Cu redistribution between these fractions both in soils and in amended soils with biochars. Results show that biochar amendment affects Cu distribution in different soil fractions. In SG treatment, from the 1st and up to 36th incubation day, both exchangeable and reducible Cu fractions decreased, while oxidizable Cu increased, in relation to control soils. At 90th incubation day, a redistribution of Cu was observed, mainly from the oxidizable to the residual fraction. In OL treatment, during the first 36 incubation days exchangeable and oxidizable Cu slightly increased, while reducible Cu decreased. At the 90th incubation day the higher percentage of Cu was extracted from the residual fraction, but exchangeable Cu was present in remarkable quantities in the three of the four studies soils. SG application in the studied soils highly restricted the availability of added Cu promoting Cu-stable forms thus reducing the environmental risk while OL did not substantially reduce Cu available fraction over the experimental incubation period. Fourier transformation infrared analysis (FTIR) provided convincing explanations for the different behavior of the two biochar types. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Contamination of Soils and Environmental Risks)
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24 pages, 2384 KiB  
Article
Environmental Implications of Saline Efflorescence Associated with Metallic Mining Waste in a Mediterranean Region
by Luis Alberto Alcolea-Rubio, Ana Vanessa Caparrós-Ríos, Virginia Robles-Arenas, Cristóbal García-García, Gregorio García, Rocío Millán, Araceli Pérez-Sanz and Roberto Rodríguez-Pacheco
Land 2023, 12(1), 4; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/land12010004 - 20 Dec 2022
Viewed by 1411
Abstract
Salt efflorescences from metal sulphides and their waste are important drivers of pollution both in and around mining areas. However, little is known about these supergene minerals, particularly in the mining areas of the Mediterranean. This study aims to characterise saline efflorescences and [...] Read more.
Salt efflorescences from metal sulphides and their waste are important drivers of pollution both in and around mining areas. However, little is known about these supergene minerals, particularly in the mining areas of the Mediterranean. This study aims to characterise saline efflorescences and their leachates from a Mediterranean mining area located in Southeast Spain. The physicochemical characteristics were determined using stereomicroscopy and compositional analysis, with the following techniques: XRD, WDXRF and TG-MS. Additionally, to assess the risk and potential mobility of their analytes, the samples were subjected to the leaching test DIN 38414-S4. The results showed that the salt efflorescences presented a wide range of crystalline habits and colours. Sulphates were by far the largest mineral group, followed by silicates, oxides and sulphides. Their geochemistry was dominated by elements such as S or Fe, although other potentially toxic elements such as Cd, As, Zn, Pb, Ni and Cu were also present. Due to their high metal(loid) concentrations, the salt crusts studied may act as sources of environmental contaminants, demonstrating that their leachates pose a considerable risk to soil and drinking water quality. An analysis of the correlations and provenances of the components of the salt efflorescences revealed the possible presence of some rare supergene minerals of great interest, such as cuprocopiapite and Pb-As-jarosite. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Contamination of Soils and Environmental Risks)
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12 pages, 493 KiB  
Article
Assessment of the Ecological and Health Risks of Potentially Toxic Metals in Agricultural Soils from the Drosh-Shishi Valley, Pakistan
by Muhammad Sarim, Tayyab Jan, Seema Anjum Khattak, Adil Mihoub, Aftab Jamal, Muhammad Farhan Saeed, Somayeh Soltani-Gerdefaramarzi, Saadia Rashid Tariq, Manuel Pulido Fernández, Roberto Mancinelli and Emanuele Radicetti
Land 2022, 11(10), 1663; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/land11101663 - 27 Sep 2022
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2458
Abstract
Soil pollution is a highlighted concern of modern society, particularly in developing countries. The Drosh-Shishi valley, which is a hilly region near Afghanistan with a land area of around 15,000 km2, is situated in the south of Chitral District (Pakistan) and [...] Read more.
Soil pollution is a highlighted concern of modern society, particularly in developing countries. The Drosh-Shishi valley, which is a hilly region near Afghanistan with a land area of around 15,000 km2, is situated in the south of Chitral District (Pakistan) and has a population of approximately 450,000. Nowadays, this region is being explored for soil pollution, specifically heavy metals which pose a potential risk to human health. Therefore, our main goal was to investigate possible sources of heavy metals’ spread and to assess the content levels in soil and the associated risks for human. We collected 34 representative samples from transported sediments and 31 from agricultural crops. We analyzed the soil samples for the contents of Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn using ICP-OES analyzers. These values were used to obtain the contamination factor (CF) and to estimate the potential health risk caused by heavy metals according to the USEPA dose–response model. Our results suggest that the heavy metal pollution has a geogenic source, but it is also aggregated by chemical fertilizers used in farming. Regarding levels, most of the metals except Pb showed contents above the permissible level, with CF values from moderate to high. Overall, Cu and Ni showed a significant total cancer risk (TCR > 1 × 10−4) in children. Therefore, we conclude that heavy metal pollution is causing a serious threat to humans in this area, and we recommend that authorities should make more efforts in monitoring the heavy metals content in soils to reduce potential health risks. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Contamination of Soils and Environmental Risks)
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20 pages, 4466 KiB  
Article
Pollution Characteristics, Spatial Patterns, and Sources of Toxic Elements in Soils from a Typical Industrial City of Eastern China
by Fang Xia, Youwei Zhu, Bifeng Hu, Xueyao Chen, Hongyi Li, Kejian Shi and Liuchang Xu
Land 2021, 10(11), 1126; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/land10111126 - 22 Oct 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2453
Abstract
Soil pollution due to toxic elements (TEs) has been a core environmental concern globally, particularly in areas with developed industries. In this study, we sampled 300 surface (0–0.2 m) soil samples from Yuyao City in eastern China. Initially, the geo-accumulation index, potential ecological [...] Read more.
Soil pollution due to toxic elements (TEs) has been a core environmental concern globally, particularly in areas with developed industries. In this study, we sampled 300 surface (0–0.2 m) soil samples from Yuyao City in eastern China. Initially, the geo-accumulation index, potential ecological risk index, single pollution index, and Nemerow composite pollution index were used to evaluate the soil contamination status in Yuyao City. Ordinary kriging was then deployed to map the distribution of the soil TEs. Subsequently, indicator kriging was utilized to identify regions with high risk of TE pollution. Finally, the positive matrix factorization model was used to apportion the sources of the different TEs. Our results indicated that the mean content of different TEs kept the order: Zn > Cr > Pb > Cu > Ni > As > Hg ≈ Cd. Soil pollution was mainly caused by Cd and Hg in the soil of Yuyao City, while the content of other TEs was maintained at a safe level. Regions with high TE content and high pollution risk of TEs are mainly located in the central part of Yuyao City. Four sources of soil TEs were apportioned in Yuyao City. The Pb, Hg, and Zn contents in soil were mainly derived from traffic activities, coal combustion, and smelting. Meanwhile, Cu was mainly sourced from industrial emissions and atmospheric deposition, Cr and Ni mainly originated from soil parental materials, and Cd and As were produced by industrial and agricultural activities. Our study provides important implications for improving the soil environment and contributes to the development of efficient strategies for TE pollution control and remediation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Contamination of Soils and Environmental Risks)
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12 pages, 1698 KiB  
Essay
Phytoremediation Potential of Four Native Plants in Soils Contaminated with Lead in a Mining Area
by Nan Lu, Gang Li, Yingying Sun, Yang Wei, Lirong He and Yan Li
Land 2021, 10(11), 1129; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/land10111129 - 24 Oct 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2266
Abstract
Metal pollution in soils is an issue of global concern, and lead (Pb) pollution is considered to be the most serious type. The arid and semi-arid areas of Northwest China are rich in Pb ore resources. In this study, four native crops [wormwood [...] Read more.
Metal pollution in soils is an issue of global concern, and lead (Pb) pollution is considered to be the most serious type. The arid and semi-arid areas of Northwest China are rich in Pb ore resources. In this study, four native crops [wormwood (Artemisia capillaris), dandelion (Taraxacum mongolicum), alfalfa (Medicago sativa), and plantain (Plantago asiatica L.)] that grow naturally around tailings slag in a mining area in Northwest China were selected to screen their ecological restoration impacts on Pb-contaminated soil. In pot experiments, four different metal lead pollution gradients (0, 2, 3, and 5‰ w/w) were set, and crop growth indexes such as plant height, root length, and biomass, together with the changes of soil Pb content in different tissues and organs before and after planting were analyzed. The results showed the difference in the amount of accumulated Pb in relation to the level of Pb content in the soil. It was found that wormwood and plantain have great potential as remediation plants for soil metal lead pollution in the arid and semi-arid lead bearing mining areas of Northwest China. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Contamination of Soils and Environmental Risks)
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