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Environments
Special Issues
Soil and Water Contamination, Remediation and Conservation
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Soil and Water Contamination, Remediation and Conservation

A special issue of Environments (ISSN 2076-3298).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2017) | Viewed by 70105

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Yu-Pin Lin

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Guest Editor
Department of Bioenvironmental Systems Engineering, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
Interests: ecological hydrology monitoring and modeling in drainage basins; global change land use modeling; landscape ecology; system dynamic modeling of wetlands; spatial analysis and modeling; blockchain; spatial dynamic modeling
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Zeng-Yei Hseu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agricultural Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
Interests: soil contamination; biogeochemistry; pedology; nutrient cycles
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Chihhao Fan

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Guest Editor
Department of Bioenvironmental Systems Engineering, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
Interests: river pollution control and water quality management; assessment of carrying capacity of water bodies; strategy for TMDL (total maximum daily load) implementation; watershed management; environmental chemistry; water and wastewater treatment; advanced oxidation processes; impact of macromolecule on AOP treatment efficiency; photo-catalytic oxidation of disinfection by-products in drinking water; transport and fate of environmental contaminants; quality assurance and conservation of agro-environment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Over the years, the advancement of modern technologies and urban expansion has resulted in a substantial increase in industrial pollution. As a consequence, sustainable management of soil and groundwater resources has become an issue of concern due to the massive and rapid aggravation of the environment by the discharge of anthropogenic pollutants. Without proper pretreatment, these discharged pollutants enter and accumulate in the soil and groundwater environmental compartments. They impair the sustainable use of these natural resources and may pose significant threats to both the ecological communities and the public. To mitigate such pollution, much effort has been undertaken in the investigation of: (1) applicable technologies for environmental quality improvement; (2) transport and distribution of concerning pollutants in the environment, and (3) risk assessment and management for the sustainable use of environment resources.

Being aware of the importance of land resource sustainability, the journal “Environments” intended to launch a special issue with the main theme of “Soil and Water Pollution Remediation and Ecological Conservation”. Articles related to, but not limited to, the innovative/significant findings in the field of environment pollution, remediation technology, contaminant transport and fate in the environment, ecological monitoring and restoration, risk assessment and management of land resource sustainability are welcome. All the papers submitted to this Special Issue, will receive a rigorous peer review procedure, rapid processing and wide dissemination of research results, developments and applications in the area of environmental protection.

Prof. Dr. Yu-Pin Lin
Prof. Dr. Zeng-Yei Hseu
Prof. Dr. Chihhao Fan
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. Environments 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 1800 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 fate and transport

  • Ecological monitoring and restoration

  • Risk assessment and management

  • Environmental remediation

  • Soil and water conservation

  • Management and sustainability of land resources

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

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20 pages, 1870 KiB  
Article
Physicochemical and Bacteriological Analysis of Water Quality in Drought Prone Areas of Pune and Satara Districts of Maharashtra, India
by Rutuja Dhawde, Nuzhat Surve, Ragini Macaden, Aina Charlotte Wennberg, Isabel Seifert-Dähnn, Appasaheb Ghadge and Tannaz Birdi
Environments 2018, 5(5), 61; https://doi.org/10.3390/environments5050061 - 18 May 2018
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 10928
Abstract
Drinking water quality is determined by the water’s biological, chemical, and physical features. Water sampling was carried out in 20 villages in the Pune and Satara districts of Maharashtra, with 15 falling in a low rainfall zone. Samples were collected from rivers, open [...] Read more.
Drinking water quality is determined by the water’s biological, chemical, and physical features. Water sampling was carried out in 20 villages in the Pune and Satara districts of Maharashtra, with 15 falling in a low rainfall zone. Samples were collected from rivers, open wells, and bore wells, four times in a period of a year covering all seasons. A total of 206 water samples were analyzed for their physical, chemical, and bacteriological properties. Physical and chemical properties were expressed in the form of a modified Water Quality Index (WQI). Additionally, the modified WQI was compared to an Overall Pollution Index (OIP) for rivers. The present investigation is an attempt to analyze the impact of seasonal changes on water quality of different water bodies using two different WQIs. To understand the degree to which water quality is affected by faecal bacteria, modified WQI with exclusion of faecal coliforms (FC) and OIP with inclusion of FC were compared with each other in river water bodies. Modified WQI values and bacterial counts were at a maximum during the onset of the monsoon. In terms of bacteriological contamination, the number of FC and intestinal enterococci (IE) in the water bodies was of major concern since it would impact human health. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil and Water Contamination, Remediation and Conservation)
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13 pages, 1347 KiB  
Article
Efficient Bacteria Inactivation by Ultrasound in Municipal Wastewater
by Leonel Ernesto Amabilis-Sosa, Monserrat Vázquez-López, Juan L. García Rojas, Adriana Roé-Sosa and Gabriela E. Moeller-Chávez
Environments 2018, 5(4), 47; https://doi.org/10.3390/environments5040047 - 5 Apr 2018
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 7523
Abstract
The reuse of treated wastewaters could contribute to reducing water stress. In this research, ultrasound application on bacterial inactivation in municipal wastewater (MWW) was evaluated. Total and fecal coliforms were used as standard fecal indicators; volatile suspended solids (VSS) were analyzed too. Samples [...] Read more.
The reuse of treated wastewaters could contribute to reducing water stress. In this research, ultrasound application on bacterial inactivation in municipal wastewater (MWW) was evaluated. Total and fecal coliforms were used as standard fecal indicators; volatile suspended solids (VSS) were analyzed too. Samples were taken from the effluent of secondary clarifiers. In addition, inactivation tests were carried out on pure cultures of E. coli (EC) and B. subtilis (BS). Sonication was performed at 20 kHz, 35% amplitude and 600 W/L for 15, 30 and 45 min. After 15 min of sonication, bacterial density was reduced by 1.85 Log10 MPN/100 mL for EC and 3.16 Log10 CFU/mL for BS. After 30 min, no CFU/mL of BS were observed in MWW and, after 45 min, the reduction of total and fecal coliforms was practically 6.45 Log10 MPN/100mL. Inactivation mechanism was made by cavitation, which causes irreversible damage to the cell wall. Although high bacterial densities were employed, percentages of inactivation >99% were reached at 45 min. This research contributes to the implementation of ultrasound as a disinfection technique with high potential due to its high efficiency without producing byproducts. In fact, the water meets the guidelines for reuse in direct human contact services. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil and Water Contamination, Remediation and Conservation)
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16 pages, 385 KiB  
Article
Management Recommendations for Improving Decentralized Wastewater Treatment by the Food and Beverage Industries in Nigeria
by Olajumoke F. Kayode, Christoph Luethi and Eldon R. Rene
Environments 2018, 5(3), 41; https://doi.org/10.3390/environments5030041 - 12 Mar 2018
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 11327
Abstract
The main aim of this study was to identify the enabling conditions that can lead to better wastewater management by industries (non-oil and gas sector) in Nigeria. The relevant data and information’s required for this study were obtained through semi-structured interviews with different [...] Read more.
The main aim of this study was to identify the enabling conditions that can lead to better wastewater management by industries (non-oil and gas sector) in Nigeria. The relevant data and information’s required for this study were obtained through semi-structured interviews with different stakeholders in the Nigerian environmental sector. The lack of financial capability, technical expertise, and environmental awareness was envisaged as the main reason for non-compliance. According to the results, the enabling conditions that can lead to better decentralized wastewater management are government support, improved legal and regulatory framework, increased capacity, and skills of the regulators and financial arrangements for implementing environmental policies and treatment technologies in polluting facilities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil and Water Contamination, Remediation and Conservation)
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1394 KiB  
Article
Nitrate Leaching from Sand and Pumice Geomedia Amended with Pyrogenic Carbon Materials
by Jihoon Kang, Marissa Davila, Sergio Mireles and Jungseok Ho
Environments 2017, 4(4), 70; https://doi.org/10.3390/environments4040070 - 3 Oct 2017
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 7126
Abstract
There is increasing interest in using pyrogenic carbon as an adsorbent for aqueous contaminants in stormwater. The objective of this study was to investigate pyrogenic carbon materials as an amendment to geomedia to reduce nitrate leaching. Batch adsorption and column experiments were conducted [...] Read more.
There is increasing interest in using pyrogenic carbon as an adsorbent for aqueous contaminants in stormwater. The objective of this study was to investigate pyrogenic carbon materials as an amendment to geomedia to reduce nitrate leaching. Batch adsorption and column experiments were conducted to evaluate the performance of a commercial activated carbon and two biochars incorporated (5% by weight) into sand and pumice columns. The batch adsorption with 50 mg L−1 of nitrate solution showed that only activated carbon resulted in a substantial adsorption for nitrate up to 41%. Tested biochars were not effective in removing aqueous nitrate and even released nitrate (<1%) with 1 h reaction time. Column experiment with a pulse input of nitrate solution (50 mg L−1) confirmed that the sand or pumice columns amended with biochars were not as effective as those amended with activated carbon for reducing nitrate leaching. Our results suggested that net negatively charged surfaces of biochar may inhibit nitrate anion adsorption while activated carbon has reactive sites containing acidic functional groups to improve nitrate retention. There was no difference between sand and pumice for nitrate retention in any of the carbon amendments. Additional surface activation process during biochar production may be needed to improve adsorptive capacity of biochar for aqueous nitrate removal. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil and Water Contamination, Remediation and Conservation)
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1519 KiB  
Article
Applicability of a Freundlich-Like Model for Plant Uptake at an Industrial Contaminated Site with a High Variable Arsenic Concentration
by Francesca Pedron, Martina Grifoni, Meri Barbafieri, Gianniantonio Petruzzelli, Irene Rosellini, Elisabetta Franchi, Roberto Bagatin and Marco Vocciante
Environments 2017, 4(4), 67; https://doi.org/10.3390/environments4040067 - 23 Sep 2017
Cited by 21 | Viewed by 6330
Abstract
Phytoextraction is a low-cost technology with negligible environmental impacts. A major issue at the field scale is the heterogeneity of contaminant concentration since the entire site needs to be treated evenly even though zones may need different incisiveness in the treatment. The concentration [...] Read more.
Phytoextraction is a low-cost technology with negligible environmental impacts. A major issue at the field scale is the heterogeneity of contaminant concentration since the entire site needs to be treated evenly even though zones may need different incisiveness in the treatment. The concentration ratio (Cshoot/Csoil) is generally used to evaluate plant species performance and it includes for simplicity an assumption of linearity in the uptake behavior, although deviation from linearity has been observed in several studies. This work describes a phytoextraction feasibility test, conducted at a greenhouse scale for the remediation of an arsenic-contaminated site. Since a feasibility test should also provide an uptake model that accounts for plant growth in heterogeneous areas, the investigation focused on defining the uptake behavior of the various selected species growing in a site with homogeneous soil properties, but with considerable differences in arsenic concentration. Among the many models selectable to describe the soil-to-plant transfer, the Freundlich-like approach was tested. While remaining easy to handle, the non-linear model selected proves to be adequate to predict the arsenic uptake despite the complex contamination considered, thus allowing a more realistic prediction of the potential of a field-scale phytoremediation procedure. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil and Water Contamination, Remediation and Conservation)
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3594 KiB  
Article
Determination of Water Quality Degradation Due to Industrial and Household Wastewater in the Galing River in Kuantan, Malaysia Using Ion Chromatograph and Water Quality Data
by Daisuke Kozaki, Norhasmira Idayu Binti Harun, Mohd Hasbi Bin Ab. Rahim, Masanobu Mori, Nobutake Nakatani and Kazuhiko Tanaka
Environments 2017, 4(2), 35; https://doi.org/10.3390/environments4020035 - 23 Apr 2017
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 9318
Abstract
Water quality of the Galing River in Kuantan, Malaysia was examined to understand the anthropogenic environmental load in each administrative section, using water quality monitoring data and land use pattern. The National Physical Plan 2005 identified Kuantan as one of the country’s future [...] Read more.
Water quality of the Galing River in Kuantan, Malaysia was examined to understand the anthropogenic environmental load in each administrative section, using water quality monitoring data and land use pattern. The National Physical Plan 2005 identified Kuantan as one of the country’s future growth centers, which has resulted in rapid development and environmental degradation in the past decade. Multiple water quality indexes used by the Department of Environment, Malaysia and concentrations of several ionic species were examined to assess the river’s water quality. The following inferences were drawn in this study: (1) Cl− and Na+ concentrations indicated that the basin area near the eastern urbanized area was subject to lesser human influence and lower environmental burden; (2) the Western side of the Galing River was subject to higher anthropogenic influence and indicated lower class levels of ammoniacal nitrogen, chemical oxygen demand, and dissolved oxygen, compared to the eastern side; (3) Class V or near class V pH values were obtained upstream at the western side of the Galing River in the industrial area; (4) Two types of environmental burden were identified in the western side of the Galing River, namely, inflow of industrial wastewater upstream on the western side and the effect of household wastewater or untreated raw sewage wastewater. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil and Water Contamination, Remediation and Conservation)
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Review

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1016 KiB  
Review
Ammonia Oxidizing Archaea and Bacteria in East Asian Paddy Soils—A Mini Review
by Hussnain Mukhtar, Yu-Pin Lin and Johnathen Anthony
Environments 2017, 4(4), 84; https://doi.org/10.3390/environments4040084 - 18 Nov 2017
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 7618
Abstract
Ammonia oxidation is crucial in nitrogen removal and global nitrogen dynamics since it is the first step of the nitrification process. In this review, we focus on the distribution and community structure of ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) in East Asian [...] Read more.
Ammonia oxidation is crucial in nitrogen removal and global nitrogen dynamics since it is the first step of the nitrification process. In this review, we focus on the distribution and community structure of ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) in East Asian paddy soils with variable soil properties. The available East Asian paddy soil data shows that the ammonium concentration and pH ranges from 0.4 to 370 mg/kg and 5.1 to 8.2, respectively. Our meta-analysis suggest that AOA specific gene sequences are generally more abundant than those of AOB in both acidic and alkaline paddy soils, where Nitrosophaera and Nitrosospira amoA clusters mainly dominate the microbial community, respectively. In addition, the contribution of ammonia oxidizers to the nitrification process has been demonstrated using DNA-SIP (DNA-based stable-isotope probing); the results of these studies indicate that pH is the most important factor in niche separation of AOA and AOB under a variety of edaphic conditions. Finally, we discuss a number of other environmental variables that affect the abundance, distribution, and activity of AOA and AOB in East Asian paddy soils. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil and Water Contamination, Remediation and Conservation)
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Other

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27 pages, 3280 KiB  
Technical Note
Analysis of Basic Physical-Chemical Parameters, Nutrients and Heavy Metals Content in Surface Water of Small Catchment Area of Karašica and Vučica Rivers in Croatia
by Ana Amić and Lidija Tadić
Environments 2018, 5(2), 20; https://doi.org/10.3390/environments5020020 - 27 Jan 2018
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 8507
Abstract
This paper deals with the surface water quality of a small catchment area of the Karašica and Vučica rivers based on the analysis of water physical and chemical parameters according to the national Decree on Water Quality Standards (2013). Water samples were collected [...] Read more.
This paper deals with the surface water quality of a small catchment area of the Karašica and Vučica rivers based on the analysis of water physical and chemical parameters according to the national Decree on Water Quality Standards (2013). Water samples were collected and analysed monthly at five sampling stations situated along the watercourses in the period between 1998 and 2015. Analysed parameters were pH, chemical oxygen demand (COD-Mn), five-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5), nutrients: nitrate compounds (nitrates and total nitrogen), phosphorus compounds (orthophosphates and total phosphorus), and the content of heavy metals. The obtained results indicate a water quality status between moderate and good, depending on the parameter and sampling station. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil and Water Contamination, Remediation and Conservation)
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