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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Social Ecology and Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2022) | Viewed by 18833

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Vinod Kumar

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Guest Editor

Department of Botany, Government Degree College Ramban, Jammu & Kashmir 182144, India
Interests: heavy metal pollution in water, soil, sediments, food crops, and plant species; multivariate statistical analysis and remote sensing

Dr. Raj Setia

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Guest Editor

Punjab Remote Sensing Centre, Ludhiana, India
Interests: precision agriculture; soil science; remote and proximal sensing; GIS
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The surface and groundwater quality is mainly imperiled due to industrial, agricultural and urban sectors throughout the world. The release of waste water, waste dumping, industrial, agricultural and transport activities are the primary sources of contamination of metals in water bodies. The metals enter into water bodies/soil/sediments/plants through various processes and affect human/ animal health. The metal contamination in water, soil, sediments and plants is evaluated using multiple approaches (like statistical analysis, modeling, indices and geospatial mapping, etc.). Different strategies are used to reduce the risk of health hazards like adopting natural remediation techniques, advanced treatment systems, and alternative water resources, etc.

This Special Issue focuses on the following topics:

Appraisal of heavy metal contamination in water resources (surface and ground water resources), soils, sediments, food crops and plant species using machine learning techniques/ multivariate statistics
Integrated analysis on source-exposure risk of heavy metals in the water-soil-plant continuum
Geospatial assessment of environmental pollutants
Modeling and simulation of heavy metal tranport in water, soils, and sediments
Advanced treatment processes for management of heavy metal contamination in water, soil and plants
Developing decision support systems for quantifying heavy metal contamination, risk assessment, and remediation

The research outcomes, remediation techniques, recommendations and management plans covering the above themes will be useful for decision and policy makers, international research community, and private organisations to implement the water quality managment projects which will be helpful in restoring the ecological stability and economic viability of the water resources.

We encourage submissions that involve new findings. Submit your paper to our Special Issue, as we are looking for new and innovative scientific studies.

Dr. Vinod Kumar
Dr. Raj Setia
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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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. Sustainability 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

heavy metals
soils
sediment
water
contamination factor
enrichment factor
geoaccumulation index
pollution index
health risk assessment
multivariate statistical analysis

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

22 pages, 2495 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Bioaccumulation of Heavy Metals in a Soil–Plant System from an Open Dumpsite and the Associated Health Risks through Multiple Routes

by Muhammad Sabir, Edita Baltrėnaitė-Gedienė, Allah Ditta, Hussain Ullah, Aatika Kanwal, Sajid Ullah and Turki Kh. Faraj

Sustainability 2022, 14(20), 13223; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su142013223 - 14 Oct 2022

Cited by 24 | Viewed by 2783

Abstract

Screening various plant species to act as hyperaccumulators and associated health risks could serve as a sustainable solution for the bioremediation heavy metals (HMs). For the first time, the present study explored the phytoremediation potential of native plants, soil enrichment, and human health risks associated with the contamination of HMs in soil and plant samples collected from a municipal solid-waste open dump site. Soil and plant samples (n = 18 + 18) from the dumpsite and (n = 18) from the control site were analyzed for selected HMs, i.e., Chromium (Cr), Lead (Pb), Nickel (Ni), Iron (Fe), and Zinc (Zn). The phytoremediation potential of plants was assessed using the bioaccumulation factor (BAF), bioaccumulation coefficient (BAC), and translocation factor (TF), while soil pollution levels were evaluated using the contamination factor (CF), geoaccumulation index (Igeo), enrichment factor (EF), potential ecological risk index (PERI), and human health risk indices. The results revealed that based on TF and BAC values, Alhagi maurorum Medic., Astragalus creticus Lam., Cichorium intybus L., Berberis lycium Royle, and Datura stramonium L. were hyperaccumulators for Cr while Parthenium hysterophorus L. was a promising species for both Ni and Cr. Similarly, CF values for Fe, Ni, Pb, and Cr were >6, thereby showing very high contamination, while Igeo values for Fe, Ni, Pb, and Cr were (class 6, >5), showing that the soil was extremely polluted. Furthermore, EF values for Fe, Ni, Pb, Cr, and Zn were 2 < EF ≤ 5, depicting moderate enrichment, while PERI values were in the range of 91.31–195.84, employing moderate ecological risks (95 < PERI < 190) from the dumpsite’s soil. Moreover, for non-carcinogenic exposure, none of the analyzed metals exceeded the threshold limit HRI values > 1 in both adults and children. Likewise, in the case of carcinogenic effects, the CRI values were lower than the tolerable limits (1 × 10⁻⁶–1 × 10⁻⁴) in both adults and children. Moreover, almost all studied plants could be utilized for the phytoextraction of mentioned HMs. In future, the present study can help in the implementation of public policies to ensure sustainability and developmental activities in contaminated sites. Based on these results, it is concluded that there is a dire need of monitoring solid waste dumpsites due to various types of potential risks associated with the contamination of HMs. Moreover, to minimize the potential health problems arising from the dumpsite, it is substantive that special attention should be paid to work on sustainable and eco-friendly remedial measures. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers on Ecological and Environmental Risk Assessment and Remediation)

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20 pages, 2168 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Accessing Occupational Health Risks Posed by Fishermen Based on Fuzzy AHP and IPA Methods: Management and Performance Perspectives

by Jin-Ling Yan, Yong-Jie Xue and Muhammad Mohsin

Sustainability 2022, 14(20), 13100; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su142013100 - 13 Oct 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1900

Abstract

In developing countries such as China, commercial fishermen’s occupational health risks are rarely studied despite being extremely critical for the sustainable development of the fisheries sector. In this study, we attempt for the first time to categorize and prioritize multiple types of health risks posed by these fishermen. This was accomplished by conducting a structured questionnaire survey between 9 January 2022 and 24 May 2022. We sought the professional opinion of fishermen that were located in the coastal areas of Zhejiang, China, namely Zhoushan (121 responses, 64%), Taizhou (66 responses, 49%), and Wenzhou (94 responses, 53%). This study used two hundred eighty-one questionnaires with a consistency ratio (CR) below 0.1 and completed in every respect. Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchical Process (Fuzzy AHP) and Importance Performance Analysis (IPA) statistics were employed to perform statistical analysis. Results have revealed that commercial fishermen’s health is affected by five main risk factors, namely natural (0.058), biological (0.088), social (0.152), psychological (0.234), and physical (0.468), which are arranged from the least to the most significant risk factors. As for the performance of the main risk factors, the physical risk was ranked first (4.786), followed by social risk (4.571), psychological risk (4.214), biological risk (4.000), and natural risk (3.429). These research findings can serve as guidelines for managers. Moreover, this study discusses ramifications, constraints, and proposals for future research. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers on Ecological and Environmental Risk Assessment and Remediation)

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21 pages, 5384 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Metal Contents and Pollution Indices Assessment of Surface Water, Soil, and Sediment from the Arieș River Basin Mining Area, Romania

by Ana Moldovan, Anamaria Iulia Török, Eniko Kovacs, Oana Cadar, Ionuț Cornel Mirea and Valer Micle

Sustainability 2022, 14(13), 8024; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14138024 - 30 Jun 2022

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3609

Abstract

The current study was conducted to assess the level and spatial distribution of metal pollution in surface water, soil, and sediment samples from the Arieș River basin, located in central Romania, an area impacted by various mining and industrial operations. Several pollution indices, spatial distributions, cluster analyses, principal component analyses, and heat maps were applied for evaluating the contamination level with Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, Mn, As, and Hg in the area. Based on the results of the Heavy-Metal Pollution Index and of the Heavy-Metal Evaluation Index of the surface-water samples, the middle part of the Arieș River basin, near and downstream of the gold mine impoundment, was characterized by high pollution levels. The metal concentration was higher near the tailing impoundment, with increased levels of Cu, Ni, Zn, and Pb in the soil samples and As, Cd, Pb, Na, K, Ca, Mn, and Al in the sediment samples. Ca (23.7–219 mg/L), Mg (2.55–18.30 mg/L), K (0.64–14.70 mg/L), Al (0.06–22.80 mg/L), and Mn (0.03–22.40 mg/L) had the most remarkable spatial variation among the surface-water samples, while various metal contents fluctuated strongly among the sampling locations. Al varied from 743 to 19.8 mg/kg, Fe from 529 to 11.4 mg/kg, Ca from 2316 to 11.8 mg/kg, and Mg from 967 to 2547 mg/kg in the soil samples, and Al varied from 3106 to 8022 mg/kg, Fe from 314 to 5982 mg/kg, Ca from 1367 to 8308 mg/kg, and Mg from 412 to 1913 mg/kg in the sediment samples. The Potential Ecological Risk Index values for soil and sediments were in the orders Cu > Ni > Pb > Hg > Cr > As > Mn > Zn > Cd and As > Cu > Cr > Cd > Pb > Ni > Hg > Mn > Zn, respectively, and the highest values were found around the gold mine impoundment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers on Ecological and Environmental Risk Assessment and Remediation)

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12 pages, 21358 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Biochar-Assisted Phytostabilization for Potentially Toxic Element Immobilization

by Maja Radziemska, Zygmunt Mariusz Gusiatin, Zbigniew Mazur, Tereza Hammerschmiedt, Agnieszka Bęś, Antonin Kintl, Michaela Vasinova Galiova, Jiri Holatko, Aurelia Blazejczyk, Vinod Kumar and Martin Brtnicky

Sustainability 2022, 14(1), 445; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14010445 - 31 Dec 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1997

Abstract

In response to the growing threat to the quality of the soil environment, new technologies are being developed to protect and remediate contaminated sites. A new approach, namely, assisted phytostabilization, has been used in areas contaminated with high levels of potentially toxic elements (PTEs), using various soil additives. This paper determined the effectiveness of biochar-assisted phytostabilization using Dactylis glomerata L. of soil contaminated with high concentrations of the selected PTEs (in mg/kg soil): Cu (780 ± 144), Cd (25.9 ± 2.5), Pb (13,540 ± 669) and Zn (8433 ± 1376). The content of the selected PTEs in the roots and above-ground parts of the tested grass, and in the soil, was determined by atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). The addition of biochar to the contaminated soil led to an increase in plant biomass and caused an increase in soil pH values. Concentrations of Cu, Cd, Pb and Zn were higher in the roots than in the above-ground parts of Dactylis glomerata L. The application of biochar significantly reduced the total content of PTEs in the soil after finishing the phytostabilization experiment, as well as reducing the content of bioavailable forms extracted from the soil using CaCl₂ solution, which was clearly visible with respect to Cd and Pb. It is concluded that the use of biochar in supporting the processes of assisted phytostabilization of soils contaminated with PTEs is justified. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers on Ecological and Environmental Risk Assessment and Remediation)

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15 pages, 3098 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of Compost and Biochar to Mitigate Chlorpyrifos Pollution in Soil and Their Effect on Soil Enzyme Dynamics

by Humera Aziz, Xiukang Wang, Ghulam Murtaza, Ambreen Ashar, Sarfraz Hussain, Muhammad Abid, Behzad Murtaza, Muhammad Hamzah Saleem, Sajid Fiaz and Shafaqat Ali

Sustainability 2021, 13(17), 9695; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13179695 - 29 Aug 2021

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2040

Abstract

The widespread environmental contamination of chlorpyrifos (CP) has raised human health concerns and necessitated cost-effective methods for its remediation. The current study evaluated the degradation behavior of CP in compost and biochar amended and unamended (original and sterilized) soils in an incubation trial. Two levels of CP (100 and 200 mg kg⁻¹), compost and biochar (0.50%) were applied, and soil was collected at different time intervals. At the higher CP level (200 mg kg⁻¹), CP a showed lower degradation rate (ƙ = 0.0102 mg kg⁻¹ d⁻¹) compared with a low CP level (ƙ = 0.0173 mg kg⁻¹ d⁻¹). The half-lives of CP were 40 and 68 days for CP at 100 and 200 mg kg⁻¹ in original soil, respectively, and increased to 94 and 141 days in sterilized soils. CP degradation was accelerated in compost amended soils, while suppressed in biochar amended soils. Lower half lives of 20 and 37 days were observed with compost application at CP 100 and 200 mg kg⁻¹ doses, respectively. The activities of soil enzymes were considerably affected by the CP contamination and significantly recovered in compost and biochar amended soils. In conclusion, the application of organic amendments especially compost is an important strategy for the remediation of CP contaminated soil. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers on Ecological and Environmental Risk Assessment and Remediation)

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16 pages, 4711 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Proximate Composition and Nutritive Value of Some Leafy Vegetables from Faisalabad, Pakistan

by Mobeen, Xiukang Wang, Muhammad Hamzah Saleem, Abida Parveen, Sahar Mumtaz, Amara Hassan, Muhammad Adnan, Sajid Fiaz, Sajjad Ali, Zafar Iqbal Khan, Shafaqat Ali and Ghulam Yasin

Sustainability 2021, 13(15), 8444; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13158444 - 28 Jul 2021

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3198

Abstract

The supply of nutrients and proximate matter is insufficient to fulfil the dietary needs of the quickly expanding human population. Green leafy vegetables can prove economical sources of minerals, vitamins and fibers to overcome nutritional deficiencies. Five leafy vegetables (Brassica juncea, Spinacia oleracea, Trigonella foenum-graecum, Chenopodium album and Lactuca sativa) were collected from a horticulture garden and vegetable market for the evaluation of their proximate matter and nutritional composition. Their contents of proximate (moisture, ash, fats, fibers, carbohydrates and protein), minerals (Ca²⁺, K⁺ and P⁺) and anti-nutrients were examined using standard protocols. The contents of fats (0.43 mg g⁻¹f.w.) in S. oleracea; fibers (0.8 mg g⁻¹f.w.) in S. olerace; carbohydrates (0.89 mg g⁻¹f.w.); in B. juncea, proteins (0.91 mg g⁻¹f.w.) in L. sativa; and vitamin A (1.18 mg g⁻¹f.w.) in C. album from the horticulture garden were high enough to meet the daily dietary requirements of adults. Tannins were higher in species collected from the market, which is toxic for human health. It is concluded that vegetables of horticulture garden grown in suitable environmental conditions possess better nutritional composition as compared to vegetables purchased from markets. However, a large-scale research is needed for the analysis of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, anti-nutrients and heavy metals in leafy vegetables. Further research on ethnomedicinal attributes of leafy vegetables is recommended. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers on Ecological and Environmental Risk Assessment and Remediation)

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17 pages, 4038 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Identification of Ecological Risk Zoning on Qinghai-Tibet Plateau from the Perspective of Ecosystem Service Supply and Demand

by Wei Shi, Fuwei Qiao and Liang Zhou

Sustainability 2021, 13(10), 5366; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13105366 - 11 May 2021

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2211

Abstract

With the interaction of global change and human activities, the contradistinction between supply and demand of ecosystem services in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is becoming increasingly tense, which will have a profound impact on the ecological security of China and even Asia. Based on land cover data on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in 1990, 2005, and 2015, this paper estimated the supply capacity of ecosystem services using the value equivalent method, calculated the demand for ecosystem services using population density and economic density, established an ecosystem risk index based on the idea of an ecosystem service matrix to reveal the spatio-temporal pattern of the supply and demand of ecosystem services in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and identified the potential ecological risk areas arising from the imbalance between supply and demand. The results showed that: (1) In terms of the spatio-temporal pattern of land use change, the desert area of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau decreased the most with 26,238.9 km², and other types of land use increased, of which construction land increased by 131.7%; (2) In terms of the supply and demand of ecosystem services, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau was mainly dominated by low-level surplus areas, accounting for 64.0%, and the deficit in some areas has worsened significantly; and (3) In terms of division pattern of ecological risk areas, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau presented characteristics of high risk in the east and low risk in the west. The high-risk area accounted for 1.1%, mainly distributed in the Huangshui Valley and the “One River and Two Tributaries” (Yarlung Zangbo River, Lhasa River, Nianchu River). The research results can provide reference for ecosystem management and policy formulation of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and have important significance for realizing the coupling and coordinated development of human–land relationship in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers on Ecological and Environmental Risk Assessment and Remediation)

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