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Processes
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Advances in Remediation of Contaminated Sites: 3rd Edition
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Advances in Remediation of Contaminated Sites: 3rd Edition

A special issue of Processes (ISSN 2227-9717). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental and Green Processes".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 1253

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Guining Lu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
Interests: pollution control; soil remediation; e-waste; mining area; heavy metals; persistent organic pollutants; polybrominated diphenyl ethers
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Zenghui Diao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Resources and Environment, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou 510225, China
Interests: soil remediation; water pollution; biochar; nZVI; heavy metals; organic compounds; microorganism; Fenton; advanced oxidation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Yaoyu Zhou

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Resources and Environment, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
Interests: decontamination of aqueous effluents and waste management; ionizing radiation in environmental application; fundamental soil science and remediation of various contaminants in soils
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Kaibo Huang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
Interests: soil washing; photo-transformation; surfactant; e-waste; polychlorinated biphenyls; bi-metal; emerging contaminants
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

With the development of the social economy, the population has increased sharply, and the land area used for production and in people’s lives has also gradually increased. To meet the production and development needs of society, land resources have simultaneously been damaged and polluted due to human activity. Indeed, most site contaminations result from past and present human activities. Given that land resources are non-renewable, the development of efficient land restoration and improvement approaches is an important aspect of achieving the sustainable development of human society.

The remediation of contaminated sites has been one of the most rapidly developing environmental research subjects. The process of remediation is a site-specific phased approach comprising site characterization, risk assessment, and the selection and application of remediation technology. Site remediation technology has developed rapidly in recent years, and has brought hope for environmental remediation. However, it has also encountered bottlenecks, and new breakthroughs are urgently required.

With the success of Volumes I (see details in website: www.mdpi.com/si/92730) and II  (see details on the website: www.mdpi.com/si/146340) of the Special Issue “Advances in Remediation of Contaminated Sites”, we have decided to continue organizing the Special Issue on this subject and launch a third volume, “Advances in Remediation of Contaminated Sites: 3rd Edition”. Here, we aim to gather the latest advancements in the remediation of contaminated sites to help overcome bottlenecks in the development of site remediation technology. We invite researchers to contribute original research papers, review articles, and communications on related subjects to this Special Issue. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Survey and assessment of contaminated sites;
  • Environmental processes and effects of pollutants;
  • Remediation technology and its application in contaminated sites;
  • Remediation strategy and management in contaminated sites.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Guining Lu
Prof. Dr. Zenghui Diao
Prof. Dr. Yaoyu Zhou
Dr. Kaibo Huang
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. Processes 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 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

  • site contamination
  • survey and assessment
  • remediation technology
  • remediation strategy
  • site management
  • heavy metals
  • organic pollutants
  • emerging contaminants
  • soils and groundwater
  • water and sediments
  • environmental processes
  • environmental behaviors
  • environmental effects
  • environmental engineering

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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23 pages, 3051 KiB  
Article
Photolytic Formation of Polybrominated Dibenzofurans (PBDFs) in Various Simulated Soil-Washing Solutions Containing Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs)
by Chenyu Zhang, Xiaodong Du, Songhan Zeng, Jinghong Wen, Jielei Luo, Sile Wu, Qian Zhang, Xueqin Tao and Guining Lu
Processes 2025, 13(6), 1806; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13061806 - 6 Jun 2025
Viewed by 341
Abstract
Soil washing is an efficient method to remove polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) from contaminated soils. The obtained solutions from soil-washing still contain PBDEs, requiring further treatment before disposal or reuse. Although photolysis is effective for PBDE degradation in solutions, the concurrent formation of [...] Read more.
Soil washing is an efficient method to remove polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) from contaminated soils. The obtained solutions from soil-washing still contain PBDEs, requiring further treatment before disposal or reuse. Although photolysis is effective for PBDE degradation in solutions, the concurrent formation of toxic polybrominated dibenzofurans (PBDFs) may limit its practical application. In this study, 2,8-dibromodibenzofurans (2,8-BDF) formation rate and mechanisms during 2,4,4′-tribromodiphenyl ether (BDE-28) photolysis in various simulated soil-washing solutions was investigated. Results revealed significant effects of solubilizers on 2,8-BDF formation. The nonionic surfactants polysorbate (TW80), polyoxyethylene octylphenyl ether (TX series), and the cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) resulted in low 2,8-BDF formation rate (1–5%), while the β-cyclodextrin led to the highest 2,8-BDF formation rate (about 28%). The nonionic surfactants polyoxyethylene dodecyl ethers (Brij series), and the anionic surfactants sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), also showed a high level of 2,8-BDF formation rate (7–17%). Solubilizer structure and its interaction with BDE-28 determined the 2,8-BDF formation. The role of the micelle microenvironment on 2,8-BDF formation was verified via an experiment and molecular dynamics simulation. The organic region of micelle exhibited high hydrogen donation ability, which inhibited 2,8-BDF formation. The results indicated distinct risks of PBDE photolysis in various soil-washing solutions, providing an important reference for solubilizer selection and the application of photolysis on the treatment of soil-washing solutions containing PBDEs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Remediation of Contaminated Sites: 3rd Edition)
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21 pages, 2573 KiB  
Article
Mitigation Effect of Low-Accumulation Rice Varieties and Soil Conditioners on Hg and Cd Pollution in Rice
by Xiaohua Fu, Yingqi Liang, Huimin Hu, Shuo Wang, Kun Li, Kuifu Zhang, Rui Lu, Guiqiong Hou, Zhihua Sun, Wei Wang, Jiwen Deng and Zhenxing Wang
Processes 2025, 13(5), 1542; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13051542 - 16 May 2025
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Abstract
Heavy metal pollution severely affects soil and rice quality in China. In a one-year field experiment conducted in Hg-Cd co-contaminated farmland in Tongren, Guizhou, we examined the effects of low-accumulation rice cultivars, soil amendments (Fupei (D1), Wansan (D2), Shengwujun (D3), and Shigou (D4)) [...] Read more.
Heavy metal pollution severely affects soil and rice quality in China. In a one-year field experiment conducted in Hg-Cd co-contaminated farmland in Tongren, Guizhou, we examined the effects of low-accumulation rice cultivars, soil amendments (Fupei (D1), Wansan (D2), Shengwujun (D3), and Shigou (D4)) and foliar barrier agents on Hg and Cd transport and uptake. The rice cultivar Longliangyouhuanglizhan (P1) showed lower Hg and Cd accumulation. When combined with amendments, P1 further reduced health risks. All amendments effectively reduced non-carcinogenic health risks, with Fupei reducing Hg and Cd accumulation in rice by 65.16% and 97.54%, respectively, achieving a 91.74% reduction in health risks. Foliar barrier agents further decreased heavy metal content in rice. Additionally, D1 was the most cost-effective option. Soil assessments showed amendments reduced available Hg content by 66.67–70.51%, while Cd content increased by 3.51–16.67%. Mechanistic analysis indicated that D1 and D2 mainly immobilized heavy metals through adsorption and precipitation, while D3 facilitated removal via microbial reduction, and D4 relied on adsorption. Overall, D1 was most effective in mitigating heavy metal risks and improving soil quality, providing a comprehensive strategy for managing contamination in rice production with important implications for food safety and sustainable agriculture. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Remediation of Contaminated Sites: 3rd Edition)
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20 pages, 5993 KiB  
Article
Investigation of the Plant-Growth-Promoting Potential of Plant Endophytic Keystone Taxa in Desertification Environments
by Tianle Kong, Baoqin Li, Xiaoxu Sun, Weimin Sun, Huaqing Liu, Ying Huang, Yize Wang and Pin Gao
Processes 2025, 13(4), 1199; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13041199 - 16 Apr 2025
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Abstract
The Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau (QTP) is under serious desertification stress, which has been receiving increasing attention. Although the restoration of surface vegetation is crucial, the growth of plants is often hindered by unfavorable nutrient-deficient conditions. The plant-associated endophytic microbiome is considered the secondary genome [...] Read more.
The Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau (QTP) is under serious desertification stress, which has been receiving increasing attention. Although the restoration of surface vegetation is crucial, the growth of plants is often hindered by unfavorable nutrient-deficient conditions. The plant-associated endophytic microbiome is considered the secondary genome of the host and plays a significant role in host survival under environmental stresses. However, the community compositions and functions of plant-endophytic microorganisms in the QTP desertification environments remain unclear. Therefore, this study investigated the endophytic microbiome of the pioneer plant Gueldenstaedtia verna on the QTP and its contribution to host growth under stressful conditions. The results showed that nutrient-deficient stresses strongly influenced the microbial community structures in the rhizosphere. The impacts of these stresses, however, decreased from the rhizosphere community to the plant endophytes, resulting in consistent plant endophytic microbial communities across different sites. Members of Halomonas were recognized as keystone taxa in the endophytic microbiome of G. verna. Correlation analysis, metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs), and comparative genome analyses have shown that the keystone taxa of the plant endophytic microbiome may promote plant growth through pathways such as nitrogen fixation, IAA, and antioxidant production, which are important for improving plant nutrient acquisition and tolerance. This finding may provide a crucial theoretical foundation for future phytoremediation efforts in desertification environments on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Remediation of Contaminated Sites: 3rd Edition)
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