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Soil Systems
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Research on Trace and Hazardous Elements and Emerging Pollutants in...
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Research on Trace and Hazardous Elements and Emerging Pollutants in Soils and Sediments

A special issue of Soil Systems (ISSN 2571-8789).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2025 | Viewed by 4427

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Manfred Sager

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Bio Forschung Austria, 1220 Vienna, Austria
Interests: trace elements (heavy metals, platinum metals, rare earths); phosphorus; iodine—occurrence and analysis; environmental mobility and speciation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In this Special Issue, contributions covering special studies on soils and soil extracts are welcome. Apart from monitoring and screening possible pollutants, within the last decade, new technologies and pollutants have emerged that need to be considered. Much research has been conducted in the past, but some gaps in our knowledge remain. In particular, contributions should be focused on the following:

  1. Mobile soil fractions and their dependency on mineral composition, grain size, and the kinetics of dissolution.
  2. Mobile soil fractions and proof of soil-to-plant transfer via respective pot and field experiments.
  3. Elemental compositions of nanoparticles in soil extracts and groundwater, determined by micro-diffusion or time-of flight ICPMS.
  4. Non-invasive screening for plastic and microplastic particles or combustion-derived particles by using, e.g., near-infrared or magnetic methods.
  5. Interactions of surfaces of manmade materials (plastics, alloys, and other waste materials) with solutes in soil, such as sorption or surface modification reactions.
  6. Sanitation and recovery strategies of soils, such as stabilization procedures, soil washing, phytoextraction, and metal recovery from metalliferous plants and waste.
  7. Screening of rarely determined elements such as rare earths, platinum metals, bromine, and iodine.
  8. Investigations of element proportions of geochemically and physiologically similar elements, such as K/Rb, Ca/Sr, Al/Sc, Mo/W, and S/Se, possible indications of soil formation and weathering processes, and physiological discriminations.

Research on these topics should help characterize defined sources, such as waste deposits, sewage, and manure, ore formation, mining and smelting, soil excavations from metalliferous areas, fertilizers, traffic, and atmospheric inputs. Further insights may include soil formation mechanisms and the success of restoration and remediation measures.

Nanoparticles are expected to exert less environmental mobility, such as migration in the soil column and leaching to the groundwater. They can be of direct technological origin, but also derived from corrosion and weathering.

The fitting of mobile fractions to simulate soil-to-plant transfer or the transfer to benthic organisms are frequently a matter of copy-and-paste experiments which were conducted some decades ago. Thus, experiments involving different organisms under various nutrient and climatic conditions are still lacking.

Multi-element capabilities and improved detection limits via, e.g., ICP-MS and ICP-OES offer the possibility of determining the levels of less known elements situated beneath the main commonly explored elements, nutrients, and pollutants.

Dr. Manfred Sager
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. Soil Systems is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly 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

  • trace and hazardous elements
  • emerging pollutants
  • soils
  • sediments

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

24 pages, 958 KiB  
Article
Soil Heavy Metal Contamination in the Targuist Dumpsite, North Morocco: Ecological and Health Risk Assessments
by Kaouthar Andaloussi, Hafid Achtak, Abdeltif El Ouahrani, Jalal Kassout, Giovanni Vinti, Daniele Di Trapani, Gaspare Viviani, Hassnae Kouali, Mhammed Sisouane, Khadija Haboubi and Mostafa Stitou
Soil Syst. 2025, 9(3), 82; https://doi.org/10.3390/soilsystems9030082 - 22 Jul 2025
Viewed by 220
Abstract
This study aims to assess the ecological and human health risks associated with four heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, and Zn) in the soil of a dumpsite in Targuist city, Morocco. In total, 16 surface soil samples were collected from the dumpsite and [...] Read more.
This study aims to assess the ecological and human health risks associated with four heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, and Zn) in the soil of a dumpsite in Targuist city, Morocco. In total, 16 surface soil samples were collected from the dumpsite and its nearby areas following leaching drain flows. The pollution load index (PLI), geo-accumulation index (Igeo), and potential ecological risk index (RI) were subsequently determined. In addition, hazard quotient (HQ) and health index (HI) were used to assess the non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks associated with the soil heavy metal contents. The PLI indicated significant contamination by the studied heavy metals. On the other hand, the Igeo values suggested no Cr contamination, moderate contamination by Cu and Zn, and severe contamination by Cd. The RI indicated a dominant contribution from Cd, with minor contributions from Cu, Zn, and Cr accounting for 92.47, 5.44, 1.11, and 0.96%, respectively, to the potential ecological risk in the study area. The non-carcinogenic health risks associated with exposure of the nearby population to the soil heavy metals at the dumpsite and burned solid waste-derived air pollution were below the threshold value of 1 for both children and adults. Although carcinogenic risks were observed in the study area, they were acceptable for both children and adults according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). However, carcinogenic risks associated with Cr were unacceptable according to the Italian Legislation. Finally, strategies to mitigate the risks posed by the dumpsite were also discussed in this study. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on Trace and Hazardous Elements and Emerging Pollutants in Soils and Sediments)
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22 pages, 2784 KiB  
Article
Phytoremediation of Soils Contaminated with Mercury Using Piper marginatum in Ayapel, Colombia
by Mayra De la Rosa-Mendoza, Mario Viña-Pico and José Marrugo-Negrete
Soil Syst. 2025, 9(3), 68; https://doi.org/10.3390/soilsystems9030068 - 1 Jul 2025
Viewed by 413
Abstract
The main problem associated with mining is the release of heavy metals into the environment, impacting the soil and overall environment. Mercury is one of the most contaminating heavy metals. It is present in soils, sediments, surface water, and groundwater. The objective of [...] Read more.
The main problem associated with mining is the release of heavy metals into the environment, impacting the soil and overall environment. Mercury is one of the most contaminating heavy metals. It is present in soils, sediments, surface water, and groundwater. The objective of this research was to evaluate the phytoremediation carried out by the native plant Piper marginatum, in soils contaminated by mercury in an experimental lot in the municipality of Ayapel, where artisanal and small-scale gold mining is carried out. A soil phytoremediation process was carried out at a field scale using the plant species Piper marginatum in a 2.4 ha plot historically contaminated by gold mining, located in Ayapel, Colombia. A completely randomized experimental design was used with nine experimental plots, which were planted with Piper marginatum, and three controls, without planting. Through an initial soil sampling, the physicochemical characteristics and total mercury content in this matrix were determined. Piper marginatum seedlings were planted in the experimental plots and remained in the field for a period of six months. The plant biomass was collected and a final soil sampling was performed for total mercury analysis to determine the total percentage of mercury removal. The results obtained indicated mercury concentrations in soils ranging from 40.80 to 52,044.4 µg kg−1 in the experimental plots and ranged from 55.9 to 2587.4 µg kg−1 in the controls. In the plots planted with Piper marginatum, a 37.3% decrease in total mercury was achieved, while in the plots without planting there was a 23.5% increase. In plants, the average T Hg concentrations in the roots, stems, and leaves were 109.2 µg kg−1, 80.6 µg kg−1, and 122.6 µg kg−1, respectively. An average BCF < 1 and an average TF > 1 were obtained. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on Trace and Hazardous Elements and Emerging Pollutants in Soils and Sediments)
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17 pages, 673 KiB  
Article
Upgraded Protocol for Microplastics’ Extraction from the Soil Matrix by Sucrose Density Gradient Centrifugation
by Tara Grujić, Elmira Saljnikov, Slobodan Stefanović, Vojislav Lazović, Snežana Belanović Simić and Žaklina Marjanović
Soil Syst. 2025, 9(3), 66; https://doi.org/10.3390/soilsystems9030066 - 27 Jun 2025
Viewed by 652
Abstract
As land plastic pollution has piled up in recent decades, small products of its degradation, microplastics (MPs), have emerged as a rapidly growing problem in soil environments. The first step in MP evaluation from soils is the extraction of MP particles, and it [...] Read more.
As land plastic pollution has piled up in recent decades, small products of its degradation, microplastics (MPs), have emerged as a rapidly growing problem in soil environments. The first step in MP evaluation from soils is the extraction of MP particles, and it appears to be a particularly difficult substrate to work with. Aggregate formation and the presence of other organic particles of similar sizes appeared as challenges in constructing an efficient and trustworthy protocol for MP extraction from soils. Density separation-based methods are usually applied and finding efficient cost- and environment-friendly solutions is of high importance, while data comparability is a key factor in increasing general knowledge on the topic. Here, we propose an environmentally friendly protocol based on density separation using sucrose solution. Its efficiency for MP extraction from soil was tested and validated. Protocol validation showed that its use in the extraction of PE was efficient for all examined MP sizes (>32 μm) and PVC >500 μm with high recovery rates, while the extraction of PVC >125 μm is justified since sucrose solution is practically cost-free and completely environmentally safe. Result validation indicates that the proposed protocol has high potential for MP extraction from difficult soil samples. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on Trace and Hazardous Elements and Emerging Pollutants in Soils and Sediments)
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19 pages, 6962 KiB  
Article
Topographic Wetness Index as a Factor of the Toxic Metals’ Accumulation by the Alkaline Sorption Barrier and the Choice of Revegetation Strategy in the Subarctic
by Marina Slukovskaya, Yury Dvornikov, Tatiana Ivanova, Ekaterina Kopeina, Anna Petrova, Anna Shirokaya, Andrey Novikov, Liubov’ Ivanova and Irina Kremenetskaya
Soil Syst. 2025, 9(2), 52; https://doi.org/10.3390/soilsystems9020052 - 16 May 2025
Viewed by 474
Abstract
Creation of alkaline bulk layers from mining waste is economically viable way to prevent the migration of toxic metals down the soil profile and revegetate heavy polluted soils over large areas. We have conducted perennial experiments on the revegetation of industrial barren located [...] Read more.
Creation of alkaline bulk layers from mining waste is economically viable way to prevent the migration of toxic metals down the soil profile and revegetate heavy polluted soils over large areas. We have conducted perennial experiments on the revegetation of industrial barren located near the operating nonferrous smelter in humid subarctic climate. A vermiculite–lizardite material from closed phlogopite mining, containing 10% layered silicates, was used to create the alkaline sorption barrier on the sites with high level of Cu/Ni pollution and wide range of topographic wetness index (TWI). We have revealed the strong effect of TWI on metal accumulation by mineral material with the highest effectiveness for the most wet sites. At the same time, the stable Ca and Mg content over seasons revealed the prolonged material effect for the maintenance of alkalinity and macronutrient supply. Further, we demonstrate the potential of Festuca rubra, Festuca ovina, Achillea millefolium, Deschampsia cespitosa, Dactylis glomerata, Rumex acetosella, Silene suecica, and for the revegetation of mineral material in dry locations. We demonstrated the effectiveness of alkaline geochemical barrier for the accumulation of toxic metals and successful plant growth in a wide range of topographic units. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on Trace and Hazardous Elements and Emerging Pollutants in Soils and Sediments)
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