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The Mobilization, Speciation and Transformation of Organic and Inorganic Contaminants in Soil-Groundwater Ecosystems, 2nd Edition

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 January 2025) | Viewed by 5425

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Yizhi Sheng

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Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China
Interests: microbial biogeochemistry; microbe-mineral interaction; soil and groundwater contamination; microbial ecology; hydrogeochemistry
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Wanjun Jiang

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Guest Editor
China Geological Survey, Tianjin 300170, China
Interests: environment; water quality; hydrogeochemistry; environmental geochemistry; hydrochemistry; water chemistry
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Min Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100037, China
Interests: pollution hydrogeology; geology; geochemistry
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Soil and groundwater systems serve as a crucial link between the hydrosphere, pedosphere, atmosphere and anthroposphere. The well-being of soil and groundwater is vital for the health of the biosphere and human life under different land use types. However, in regions such as arid and semi-arid inland basins, plateau grassland areas and hilly mountainous areas, intensive human activities pose significant risks of contamination to soil and groundwater systems. Some contaminants, such as heavy metals, organic pollutants and nitrogen, are highly mobile and resistant to rapid microbial degradation, resulting in their prolonged retention in the soil and groundwater. The fate of these pollutants is influenced by various geogenic and anthropogenic factors, including local precipitation, groundwater flow system, vadose zone and aquifer lithology, land use type and functional microbial activities. Therefore, it is crucial to investigate the sources, migration and transformation of these pollutants in soil–groundwater systems across different media and interfaces. This Special Issue focuses on the spatiotemporal evolution of soil–groundwater contamination in different typical regions/sites, the associated ecological and human health risks, and natural attenuation and hydrogeochemical models for soil–groundwater systems.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Transportation and fate of soil and groundwater contaminants;
  • Assessment of soil and groundwater contaminants;
  • Hydrochemical characteristics of groundwater resources;
  • Remediation strategy of contaminants at different land use sites;
  • Biogeochemical activity of soil and groundwater systems.

Prof. Dr. Yizhi Sheng
Dr. Wanjun Jiang
Prof. Dr. Min Zhang
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. Applied Sciences 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

  • contaminant hydrogeochemistry
  • isotopic hydrogeochemistry
  • remediation of contaminants in soil and groundwater
  • biogeochemical processes in multi-interfaces

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 3180 KiB  
Article
Significance in Numerical Simulation and Optimization Method Based on Multi-Indicator Sensitivity Analysis for Low Impact Development Practice Strategy
by Qian Zhang, Mucheng Zhang, Wanjun Jiang, Yizhi Sheng, Yingwei Yuan and Meng Zhang
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(8), 4165; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15084165 - 10 Apr 2025
Viewed by 164
Abstract
Evaluating the performance of sponge city practices under actual conditions is essential for managing urban stormwater. Existing studies in urban stormwater management have rarely employed numerical simulations to model hydrological processes under actual Three-Dimensional (3D) conditions. In this study, a numerical computational model [...] Read more.
Evaluating the performance of sponge city practices under actual conditions is essential for managing urban stormwater. Existing studies in urban stormwater management have rarely employed numerical simulations to model hydrological processes under actual Three-Dimensional (3D) conditions. In this study, a numerical computational model is developed to simulate the hydrological processes and reveal the temporal and spatial variation of runoff in relation to impervious surfaces and concave herbaceous fields. The applicability of the 3D modules was evaluated using the Chicago rain pattern formula under three recurrence periods: precipitation within one, five, and ten years. The results indicate that the thickness and slope of planting soil are the most sensitive factors regarding sponge city performance, with comprehensive factors of 0.754 and 0.461. The optimal structural parameters of the concave herbaceous field were obtained as follows: aquifer height, 200 mm; planting soil thickness, 600 mm; planting soil slope, 1.5%; planting soil porosity, 0.45; overflow pipeline porosity, 0.3. The flood peak reduction rate, delay rate, and total runoff control rate were the best in a recurrence period of 5a, with 88.93%, 51.11%, and 78.76%, respectively. This study offers technical and conformed methodological support for simulating water quantity processes in sponge cities, and for the control of waterlogging and the recycling of runoff. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Mobilization, Speciation and Transformation of Organic and Inorganic Contaminants in Soil-Groundwater Ecosystems, 2nd Edition)
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22 pages, 4450 KiB  
Article
A Data-Driven Method for Determining DRASTIC Weights to Assess Groundwater Vulnerability to Nitrate: Application in the Lake Baiyangdian Watershed, North China Plain
by Xianglong Hou, Liqin Peng, Yuan Zhang, Yan Zhang, Yunxia Wang, Wenzhao Feng and Hui Yang
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(5), 2866; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15052866 - 6 Mar 2025
Viewed by 503
Abstract
Nitrate pollution due to agricultural activities challenges the management of groundwater resources. The most popular technique used for groundwater vulnerability assessments is the DRASTIC. The subjectivity introduced by the DRASTIC has always been questioned. Therefore, the determination of rating scores and weights of [...] Read more.
Nitrate pollution due to agricultural activities challenges the management of groundwater resources. The most popular technique used for groundwater vulnerability assessments is the DRASTIC. The subjectivity introduced by the DRASTIC has always been questioned. Therefore, the determination of rating scores and weights of parameters has become the main difficulty in DRASTIC applications. In this paper, a new data-driven weighting method based on Monte Carlo or genetic algorithm was developed. The new method considers both single factors and the relationship among factors, overcomes the subjectivity of weight determination, and is theoretically applicable to various hydrogeological environments and as a general weight determination method. In addition, a new method for the verification of the evaluation results on a temporal scale was established, which is based on changes in the nitrate concentration over the past 20 years. To verify and test these methods, they were used for the evaluation of groundwater vulnerability to nitrate in the plain area of the Baiyangdian watershed in the North China Plain and compared with other commonly used methods. The Pearson correlation coefficient increased by 15%. From a time perspective, the changes in nitrate concentration confirmed that the correctness of the assessment is 88%. In this study, the effect of the revision of the rating ranges on the improvement of the evaluation results is very obvious. Therefore, the focus of future work should be on determining the rating ranges and their rating scores, and whether the corresponding weights based on the data-driven method will yield more reliable results. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Mobilization, Speciation and Transformation of Organic and Inorganic Contaminants in Soil-Groundwater Ecosystems, 2nd Edition)
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36 pages, 7490 KiB  
Article
Metal Contamination and Human Health Risk Assessment of Soils from Parks of Industrialized Town (Galati, Romania)
by Antoaneta Ene, Alina Sion, Claudia Stihi, Anca Irina Gheboianu, Vasile Basliu, Alina Mihaela Ceoromila and Steluta Gosav
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(22), 10379; https://doi.org/10.3390/app142210379 - 11 Nov 2024
Viewed by 2032
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to evaluate the contamination state of the surface soil from 10 parks from Galati, Romania, and the health hazards of the soil. The soil samples, collected in each site from the playing ground and from the [...] Read more.
The aim of the present study was to evaluate the contamination state of the surface soil from 10 parks from Galati, Romania, and the health hazards of the soil. The soil samples, collected in each site from the playing ground and from the edge of the park, were analyzed by using combined Wavelength- (WDXRF) and Energy-Dispersive (EDXRF) X-ray fluorescence techniques. A total number of 27 chemical elements (Ag, Al, As, Ba, Ca, Cd, Cr, Co, Cu, Fe, Hg, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, P, Pb, Rb, Sb, Sc, Sn, Sr, Ti, V, Zn and Zr) were quantified in the urban soils, and the results were compared to the normal and alert values from Romanian legislation for toxic trace elements, as well as with European and world average values of element concentrations. The mineralogical analyses were performed by Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy-Dispersive X-ray Analysis (SEM-EDX) and the Attenuated Total Reflectance–Fourier Transform Infrared technique (ATR-FTIR). To assess the soil contamination and the impact on human health of the presence of potential toxic elements and heavy metals in the soil, a series of pollution and health risk indices were used. All the results indicated an unpolluted to moderately polluted soil. The soil samples collected from the edge of the parks presented higher values for the specific pollutants, which originated from heavy traffic, such as Cu, Cr, Zn and Pb. The non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risk to children was assessed using estimated daily intake (EDI) in relation to the pathways whereby pollutants can enter the human body, such as ingestion, dermal contact, inhalation and vaporization. Using the obtained values for EDI, the hazard quotient and hazard index were determined, which strengthen the formerly issued presumption that soil pollution is moderate and, by itself, does not present any threat to children’s health. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Mobilization, Speciation and Transformation of Organic and Inorganic Contaminants in Soil-Groundwater Ecosystems, 2nd Edition)
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11 pages, 1263 KiB  
Article
Speciation of the Removed Pollutants in Bioremediation of Hydrocarbon-Contaminated Soil
by Andrea Vergnano, Carla Maria Raffa, Alberto Godio and Fulvia Chiampo
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(21), 9813; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14219813 - 27 Oct 2024
Viewed by 792
Abstract
The biological removal of a mixture of soil contaminants, namely, hydrocarbons, is not equally efficient for each compound. Some pollutants can be metabolized by the microbial consortium but also generated again as by-products from the removal of others. At the end of the [...] Read more.
The biological removal of a mixture of soil contaminants, namely, hydrocarbons, is not equally efficient for each compound. Some pollutants can be metabolized by the microbial consortium but also generated again as by-products from the removal of others. At the end of the runs, notwithstanding the high integral removal, single compounds can still be present with a relevant concentration. This paper presents the results achieved in a study of the aerobic degradation of diesel oil in three mesocosms carried out for several months with the same operative conditions. They differed in biological management: Natural Attenuation (NA), Biostimulated without inoculation (BS), and Biostimulated with Inoculation (BS + IN). At the end of the runs, the pollution removal was calculated by measuring the residual diesel oil, both as an average in the total amount of soil and only at the bottom of each column. The overall removal was around 2%, 66%, and 72% for NA, BS and BS + IN, reduced to 0%, 48%, and 47%, respectively, if measured only at the bottom. For the biostimulated mesocosms, the speciation of the hydrocarbons was carried out to assess their concentration. The findings evidence the need to delve deeper into this issue and assess the speciation of contaminants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Mobilization, Speciation and Transformation of Organic and Inorganic Contaminants in Soil-Groundwater Ecosystems, 2nd Edition)
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22 pages, 64606 KiB  
Article
Spatial Variations and Regulating Processes of Groundwater Geochemistry in an Urbanized Valley Basin on Tibetan Plateau
by Wanping Wang, Shilong Zhang, Shengbin Wang, Chumeng Zhang, Guoqiang Zhang, Jie Wang, Liwei Wang, Hongjie Yang, Wenxu Hu, Yuqing Zhang, Ning Wang and Yong Xiao
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(21), 9804; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14219804 - 27 Oct 2024
Viewed by 951
Abstract
Groundwater resource is crucial for the development of agriculture and urban communities in valley basins of arid and semiarid regions. This research investigated the groundwater chemistry of a typical urbanized valley basin on the Tibetan Plateau to understand the hydrochemical status, quality, and [...] Read more.
Groundwater resource is crucial for the development of agriculture and urban communities in valley basins of arid and semiarid regions. This research investigated the groundwater chemistry of a typical urbanized valley basin on the Tibetan Plateau to understand the hydrochemical status, quality, and controlling mechanisms of groundwater in arid urbanized valley basins. The results show groundwater is predominantly fresh and slightly alkaline across the basin, with approximately 54.17% of HCO3-Ca type. About 12.5% and 33.33% of sampled groundwaters are with the hydrochemical facies of Cl-Mg·Ca type and Cl-Na type, respectively. Groundwater is found with the maximum TDS, NO3−, NO2−, and F− content of 3066 mg/L, 69.33 mg/L, 0.04 mg/L, and 3.12 mg/L, respectively. Groundwater quality is suitable for domestic usage at all sampling sites based on EWQI assessment but should avoid direct drinking at some sporadic sites in the urban area. The exceeding nitrogen and fluoride contaminants would pose potential health hazards to local residents, but high risks only existed for infants. Both minors and adults are at medium risk of these exceedingly toxic contaminants. Groundwater quality of predominant sites in the basin is suitable for long-term irrigation according to the single indicator of EC, SAR, %Na, RSC, KR, PI, and PS and integrated irrigation quality assessment of USSL, Wilcox, and Doneen diagram assessment. But sodium hazard, alkalinity hazard, and permeability problem should be a concern in the middle-lower stream areas. Groundwater chemistry in the basin is predominantly governed by water-rock interaction (silicate dissolution) across the basin in natural and sporadically by evaporation. Human activities have posed disturbances to groundwater chemistry and inputted nitrogen, fluoride, and salinity into groundwater. The elevated nitrogen contaminants in groundwater are from both agricultural activities and municipal sewage. While the elevated fluoride and salinity in groundwater are only associated with municipal sewage. It is imperative to address the potential anthropogenic contaminants to safeguard groundwater resources from the adverse external impacts of human settlements within these urbanized valley basins. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Mobilization, Speciation and Transformation of Organic and Inorganic Contaminants in Soil-Groundwater Ecosystems, 2nd Edition)
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Review

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42 pages, 10040 KiB  
Review
Urban Underground Space Geological Suitability—A Theoretical Framework, Index System, and Evaluation Method
by Ji Tian, Yubo Xia, Jinhuan Zhang, Hongwei Liu, Mengchen Zhang, Yihang Gao, Jidong Liu, Bo Han and Shaokang Huang
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(8), 4326; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15084326 - 14 Apr 2025
Viewed by 294
Abstract
With rapid urbanization, urban underground space (UUS) development has become crucial for sustainable urban growth. This paper systematically reviews geological suitability evaluation (GSE) methods for UUS, integrating theoretical frameworks, indicator systems, and assessment techniques. We establish a comprehensive evaluation framework based on environmental [...] Read more.
With rapid urbanization, urban underground space (UUS) development has become crucial for sustainable urban growth. This paper systematically reviews geological suitability evaluation (GSE) methods for UUS, integrating theoretical frameworks, indicator systems, and assessment techniques. We establish a comprehensive evaluation framework based on environmental strategic assessment (ESA) principles, analyzing key geological factors, including rock/soil properties, hydrogeological conditions, geological hazards, and existing underground structures. The study compares weighting methods (AHP, EWM, CRITIC) and comprehensive evaluation models (FCE, TOPSIS, BNM), highlighting their advantages and application scenarios. A case study of Xiong’an New Area demonstrates how multi-layer UUS planning integrates geological constraints with sustainable development goals. The results show that combining 3D geological modeling with hybrid evaluation methods significantly improves decision-making accuracy. The review provides practical guidance for optimizing UUS utilization while addressing current challenges in indicator selection, weight rationalization, and heterogeneity management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Mobilization, Speciation and Transformation of Organic and Inorganic Contaminants in Soil-Groundwater Ecosystems, 2nd Edition)
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