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Chemical and Ecotoxicological Assessment of Elements of Toxicological Concern in...
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Chemical and Ecotoxicological Assessment of Elements of Toxicological Concern in Agriculture

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Farming Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 October 2022) | Viewed by 22972

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Christina Emmanouil

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Spatial Planning and Development, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
Interests: risk assessment of chemicals; REACH directive; environmental health; ecotoxicology; pesti-cide pollution

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Agriculture, a critical economic sector around the globe, should rise to the challenge of successfully feeding animals and humans. It should do so while simultaneously combating megalopolis insurgence, harsher climatic conditions, water scarcity, and point or diffuse pollution from traffic, industry, housing and clashing land uses. At the same time, agriculture is now expected to cater to additional needs, such as the smooth transition to energy decarbonization via the cultivation of energy plants. Diminished raw resources as well as new industrial concepts such as waste minimization and circular economy demand the reuse of everything that can be reused. Thus, organic debris, for example, should be returned to the ecosystem, ideally closing the loop between production and consumption. However, one should always bear in mind that this agricultural modernization should not jeopardize human and environmental safety; that recirculation and augmentation of pollutants within an ecosystem should be actively avoided; and that all precautions should be taken in order to circumvent toxicant release, including improved detection and monitoring, isolation and abatement, decontamination, and depuration. Only then can we achieve sustainable, safe, and socially just and acceptable development for all.

As such, this Special Issue will focus on “Chemical and Ecotoxicological Assessment of Elements of Toxicological Concern in Agriculture”. We are open to novel research, reviews, and opinion articles covering all aspects of the aforementioned issues: monitoring and detection of these elements in relevant substrates such as irrigating water, soil, tissues, and plant and animal-based products; physical, chemical, and biological methods of decontamination and depuration of these substrates; hazard and risk assessment, and mitigation and management of the ecotoxicity of these pollutants; their fate and behavior in the environment; their source identification and contribution as well as propositions of viable solutions, policies, and long-term strategies against these threats; and natural and acquired adaptation responses and processes in examined substrates.

Dr. Christina Emmanouil
Guest Editor

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. Agronomy 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

  • Toxic metals
  • Ecotoxicity
  • Source/diffuse pollution
  • Hazard/ risk assessment
  • Agricultural products
  • Environmental fate and behavior
  • Physical, chemical, and biological methods of decontamination
  • Policies of mitigation and management

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research, Review

3 pages, 183 KiB  
Editorial
Chemical and Ecotoxicological Assessment of Elements of Toxicological Concern in Agriculture
by Christina Emmanouil
Agronomy 2023, 13(3), 796; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13030796 - 9 Mar 2023
Viewed by 1094
Abstract
Soil is one of the most important resources on land and plays a central role in sustainable development; as such, it is important for us to maintain its pristine quality and safeguard its multifaceted capabilities [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemical and Ecotoxicological Assessment of Elements of Toxicological Concern in Agriculture)

Research

Jump to: Editorial, Review

19 pages, 768 KiB  
Article
Risk Assessment and Limiting Soil Factors for Vine Production—Cu and Zn Contents in Vineyard Soils in Galicia (Rías Baixas D.O.)
by Raquel Vázquez-Blanco, Rocío González-Feijoo, Claudia Campillo-Cora, David Fernández-Calviño and Daniel Arenas-Lago
Agronomy 2023, 13(2), 309; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13020309 - 19 Jan 2023
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2340
Abstract
Characteristics of vineyard soils and management practices can be assessed to determine the soil trend evolution, risks, and limits of soils for vine production through soil factors and foliar diagnosis. This study was made with soils from a vineyard divided into two plots [...] Read more.
Characteristics of vineyard soils and management practices can be assessed to determine the soil trend evolution, risks, and limits of soils for vine production through soil factors and foliar diagnosis. This study was made with soils from a vineyard divided into two plots belonging to the Rías Baixas D.O. The vineyard soils were sampled and characterized for three years. The total and available Cu and Zn contents and the physicochemical characteristics of the soils were determined annually and every four months, respectively. The main objective was to assess edaphic properties, phytosanitary treatments, fertilization, and tillage applied to indicate the quality of the vineyard soils. The soils presented certain limitations associated with mechanization, trafficability, and ease of tillage for cultivation. The soils showed a sandy loam texture, which makes the application of compost necessary to improve water retention and cation exchange capacity. Phytosanitary treatments and fungicides caused phytotoxic contents of Cu and Zn in the soils without being detrimental to the vines. In conclusion, the edaphic factors and foliar analysis were adequate to evaluate the condition of the soils and vines and to establish the necessary measures to improve the edaphic conditions of the vineyard soils to improve plant production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemical and Ecotoxicological Assessment of Elements of Toxicological Concern in Agriculture)
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16 pages, 4250 KiB  
Article
Risk Assessment of Potentially Toxic Metals and Metalloids in Soil, Water and Plant Continuum of Fragrant Rice
by Sana Javaid, Kamran Ashraf, Khawar Sultan, Manzer H. Siddiqui, Hayssam M. Ali, Yinglong Chen and Qamar uz Zaman
Agronomy 2022, 12(10), 2480; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12102480 - 12 Oct 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2700
Abstract
Globally, the demand for food is increasing day by day due to the rapid increase in the human population. Elevated levels of metals and metalloids in soils are biomagnified over time in crops cultivated in metal-contaminated soils, hence posing a risk of food [...] Read more.
Globally, the demand for food is increasing day by day due to the rapid increase in the human population. Elevated levels of metals and metalloids in soils are biomagnified over time in crops cultivated in metal-contaminated soils, hence posing a risk of food chain contamination. The present investigation aimed to assess metal and metalloid concentrations in soil, water, and rice kernels which are widely cultivated in four districts of Punjab, Pakistan, and to determine the risk to human health. The results revealed that, of five rice varieties, super basmati was the most preferred by farmers due to its yield potential and consumer acceptance due to its taste and to its long kernel. A detailed analysis of metal and metalloid accumulation revealed that their mean concentration fluctuated in the soil, water, and rice samples in the study area. The decreasing trends of heavy metals and metalloids were observed to be Pb > Cu > As > Cr > Cd > Hg > Al in soil samples, Pb > Cr > Cu > Al > As > Hg > Cd in water samples, and Cu > Cr = Pb > Cd = Al > Hg > As in rice kernels. The bioconcentration factor for Cr was the highest in the Faisalabad area among all sampled sites. The pollution load index of As, Cd, and Hg registered the highest values, that were above the recommended safety threshold levels described by World Health Organization. The human health risk index was determined to be low at all sites except for As and Hg. These results point to potential health risks caused by the consumption of fragrant rice by humans. Regular monitoring is recommended to manage and control elevated concentrations and related health hazards as a result of the use of rice contaminated by the accumulation of metals and metalloids. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemical and Ecotoxicological Assessment of Elements of Toxicological Concern in Agriculture)
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12 pages, 1850 KiB  
Communication
Degradation of Doxycycline, Enrofloxacin, and Sulfamethoxypyridazine under Simulated Sunlight at Different pH Values and Chemical Environments
by Cristina Álvarez-Esmorís, Lucia Rodríguez-López, David Fernández-Calviño, Avelino Núñez-Delgado, Esperanza Álvarez-Rodríguez and Manuel Arias-Estévez
Agronomy 2022, 12(2), 260; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12020260 - 20 Jan 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3289
Abstract
In this work, the dissipation of the antibiotics doxycycline (DC) (from the group of tetracyclines), enrofloxacin (ENR) (a fluoroquinolone), and sulfamethoxypyridazine (SMP) (a sulfonamide) is investigated both under simulated sunlight and in the dark, at three different pH (4.0, 5.5, and 7.2), and [...] Read more.
In this work, the dissipation of the antibiotics doxycycline (DC) (from the group of tetracyclines), enrofloxacin (ENR) (a fluoroquinolone), and sulfamethoxypyridazine (SMP) (a sulfonamide) is investigated both under simulated sunlight and in the dark, at three different pH (4.0, 5.5, and 7.2), and in the presence of different salts and humic acids. The results indicate that all three antibiotics are very sensitive to photodegradation, and this sensitivity increased with rising pH values, from 4.0 to 7.2. The rise in pH also caused an increase in the degradation kinetic constants and a decrease in the half-lives of antibiotics. In general, the half-lives ranged from a few minutes to 6 h, depending on the pH conditions and the specific antibiotic, and followed the sequence DC > SMP > ENR, although at pH 5.5 the sequence changed to SMP > DC > ENR. After 24 h of simulated sunlight, mineralization was always lower than 10%, although the antibiotic was not quantifiable after the same time of exposure to light (24 h), which indicates that intermediate compounds were generated. The effect of the presence of salts on the dissipation of the three antibiotics was negligible for NaCl and NaNO3, while NaHCO3 did favor the dissipation of DC and ENR. The presence of humic acids showed no effect on the dissipation of SMP, and it only slightly increased the dissipation of DC and ENR. These results may be useful in the assessment of the persistence/degradation of the antibiotics studied when they reach different environmental compartments and may suffer exposure to light under different physicochemical conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemical and Ecotoxicological Assessment of Elements of Toxicological Concern in Agriculture)
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Review

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20 pages, 1335 KiB  
Review
Human Health and Soil Health Risks from Heavy Metals, Micro(nano)plastics, and Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria in Agricultural Soils
by Stanislava Perković, Carsten Paul, Filip Vasić and Katharina Helming
Agronomy 2022, 12(12), 2945; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12122945 - 24 Nov 2022
Cited by 21 | Viewed by 4908
Abstract
Humans are exposed to agricultural soils through inhalation, dermal contact, or the consumption of food. Human health may be at risk when soils are contaminated; while some soil contaminants such as heavy metals (HMs) have been extensively studied, others such as micro(nano)plastics (MNPs) [...] Read more.
Humans are exposed to agricultural soils through inhalation, dermal contact, or the consumption of food. Human health may be at risk when soils are contaminated; while some soil contaminants such as heavy metals (HMs) have been extensively studied, others such as micro(nano)plastics (MNPs) or antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) pose novel threats. This paper investigates the linkages between soil contamination and human health risk by reviewing the state of knowledge on HMs, MNPs, and ARB in agricultural soils. A keyword-based search in Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar was conducted, complemented with a backward snowball search. We analysed main sources of contamination for agricultural soils, risks to human health differentiated by uptake pathway (ingestion, inhalation, dermal), and interactions of contaminants with microorganism, soil fauna, and plants. Results show that the emergence and spread of ARB and antibiotic resistant genes from agricultural soils and their contribution to antibiotic resistances of human pathogens is recognized as a significant threat. Likewise, a growing body of evidence indicates that MNPs are able to enter the food chain and to have potentially harmful effects on human health. For HM, knowledge of the effects on human health is well established. Multiple agricultural practices increase HM concentrations in soils, which may lead to adverse health effects from the ingestion of contaminated products or inhalation of contaminated soil particles. Severe knowledge gaps exist about the pathways of the contaminants, their behaviour in soil, and human uptake. Little is known about long-term exposure and impacts of MNPs, antibiotics and ARB on human health or about the possible combined effects of MNPs, ARB, and HMs. Missing monitoring systems inhibit a comprehensive assessment of human health risks. Our research demonstrates the need for human health risk assessment in the context of agricultural soils, in particular to be able to assess risks related to measures reinforcing the concept of the circular economy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemical and Ecotoxicological Assessment of Elements of Toxicological Concern in Agriculture)
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14 pages, 5747 KiB  
Review
A Comprehensive Literature Review on Cadmium (Cd) Status in the Soil Environment and Its Immobilization by Biochar-Based Materials
by Hafeez Ur Rahim, Waqas Ali Akbar and Juha M. Alatalo
Agronomy 2022, 12(4), 877; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12040877 - 4 Apr 2022
Cited by 51 | Viewed by 7584
Abstract
Cadmium, Cd(II) pollution of soils is a serious environmental and agricultural issue, posing a threat to crop production, environmental quality, food safety, and human health. Therefore, immobilization of Cd(II) in soils is crucial. Biochar-based materials are receiving significant attention as Cd(II) immobilizers, due [...] Read more.
Cadmium, Cd(II) pollution of soils is a serious environmental and agricultural issue, posing a threat to crop production, environmental quality, food safety, and human health. Therefore, immobilization of Cd(II) in soils is crucial. Biochar-based materials are receiving significant attention as Cd(II) immobilizers, due to their multifunctional surface properties. The remediation/immobilization mechanisms involved are, mainly, surface complexation, chemical reduction, precipitation, ion exchange, π–π interactions, hydrogen bonding, and adsorption. These mechanisms are mostly dependent on biochar surface pore size, oxygen-containing functional groups, pyrolysis temperature used in biochar preparation, biochar feedstock, and soil characteristics. So far, various pristine and modified biochar substrates have been used to remediate heavy metal-contaminated soils. Therefore, in this review paper, we briefly summarize the chemical forms, release sources, and maximum permissible limits of Cd(II) in soil. We also summarize recent scientific findings on the performance of biochar substrates in Cd(II)-contaminated soils to minimize Cd(II) mobility, bioavailability, and potential accumulation in crops. Finally, we identify challenges associated with the use of biochar and suggest areas for future research. The review presents an overview of the knowledge of biochar as a promising amendment for the decontamination of Cd(II)-polluted soils. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemical and Ecotoxicological Assessment of Elements of Toxicological Concern in Agriculture)
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