Retention of Metal(loid)s in Soils Contaminated by Mining and Smelting

Dear Colleagues,

Metals and metalloids in soils represent a potential risk for the environment when they are mobilized. Therefore, recent efforts are focused on the stabilization of risk elements in situ to limit their release and bioavailability using various soil amendments. Mining and smelting areas represent specific multi-element contaminated sites with long-term leaching of contaminants from several sources, including waste rock or metallurgical residues.

The investigation of different forms of metal(loid)s (e.g., Cu, Cd, Pb, Zn, As, Sb), their stable or reactive compounds, and their behavior and transport in the environment are crucial for (i) assessing the environmental hazards, (ii) evaluating natural attenuation, and (iii) selecting the most appropriate amendment for their immobilization. The remediation process is affected by many factors including bulk soil composition, pH-Eh conditions, the presence of organic matter, Fe/Mn/Al (hydr)oxides, as well as by microbial activity.

With this in mind, we encourage researchers and authors of various backgrounds (e.g., geology, chemistry, biology, soil science, material and environmental sciences) to support this multidisciplinary manuscript collection. Contributions on chemical stabilization/immobilization as well as natural attenuation processes are welcome. We invite manuscripts focused on, but not limited to, the use of soil amendments (inorganic- or organic-based materials, engineered composites, nano-sized amendments, etc.), mineralogical studies on solid speciation of metal(loid) contaminants, and the role of plants and microbes in metal(loid) stabilization. These may include laboratory experiments, field studies, basic research, as well as applied science.

This Special Issue aims to provide a complex image on metal(loid) retention when assessing contaminants’ fate and behavior in soils, with particular focus on (post-)mining and smelting areas and potentials for their remediation.

Dr. Martina Vitkova
Dr. Barbora Hudcová
Prof. Dr. Edgar Hiller
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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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.

• soil amendment
• stabilization/immobilization
• contaminant speciation
• sorption
• metals
• arsenic
• iron oxides
• biochar
• zeolites
• clay minerals