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Removal of Heavy Metals Contamination to Enhance the Sustainable Environment
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Removal of Heavy Metals Contamination to Enhance the Sustainable Environment

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Pollution Prevention, Mitigation and Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 December 2025 | Viewed by 4400

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Meng Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
Interests: heavy metal uptake, translocation and accumulation in soil-plant system; ecological risk assessment and remediation of contaminated agricultural soils; sessment and remediation of contaminated agricultural soils
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Shanshan Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Technical Centre for Soil, Agriculture and Rural Ecology and Environment, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Beijing 100012, China
Interests: heavy metal pollution; black soil protection; microplastic pollution; nonpoint source pollution

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Unlike organic contaminants, most heavy metals do not undergo microbial or chemical degradation and persists for a long time. After their introduction into various environmental media, they may cause potential harm to human health through food-chain. Therefore, with great public awareness of the implications of contaminated environments by metals on human and animal health, there has been increasing interest in the occurrence and characteristics of heavy metals, and the development of technologies to remove heavy metals from contaminated media to enhance the sustainable environment.

Being aware of the importance of sustainable environment, the journal intended to launch a special issue with the theme of Removal of Heavy Metals Contamination to Enhance the Sustainable Environment. Following scientific issues will be focused:

1) Source, processes, and risk assessment of heavy metals in environment;
2) Behavior, fate, bioavailability, and effects of heavy metals in environment;
3) Removal, mitigation and control measures of heavy metals in contaminated environments.

Here, this Special Issue titled “Removal of Heavy Metals Contamination to Enhance the Sustainable Environment” of the Sustainability invites the submission of papers on the above areas. In this special issue, we will gather leading experts from various disciplines to share their recent knowledge on theoretical foundations and practical removal strategies for cleaning up heavy metals from contaminated environments, ultimately in order to improve the quality of our ambient environment, and to save our earth.

Dr. Meng Wang
Dr. Shanshan Li
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. Sustainability 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

  • cadmium
  • arsenic
  • lead
  • chromium
  • mercury
  • ecotoxicology
  • biogeochemistry
  • removal
  • remediation

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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28 pages, 11099 KB  
Article
Bone Meal as a Sustainable Amendment for Zinc Retention in Polluted Soils: Adsorption Mechanisms, Characterization, and Germination Response
by Mirela Cișmașu (Enache), Cristina Modrogan, Oanamari Daniela Orbuleț, Magdalena Bosomoiu, Madălina Răileanu and Annette Madelene Dăncilă
Sustainability 2025, 17(17), 8027; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17178027 - 5 Sep 2025
Viewed by 882
Abstract
Soil contamination with heavy metals often resulting from industrial activities and wastewater discharge is a major ecological problem. Bone meal, a by-product of the agri-food industry, is a promising material for remediating soils affected by heavy metal pollution. Bone meal, rich in phosphorus, [...] Read more.
Soil contamination with heavy metals often resulting from industrial activities and wastewater discharge is a major ecological problem. Bone meal, a by-product of the agri-food industry, is a promising material for remediating soils affected by heavy metal pollution. Bone meal, rich in phosphorus, calcium, and other essential minerals, provides advantages both in immobilizing inorganic pollutants and in improving soil fertility. This study explores the potential of bone meal as an ecological and sustainable solution for the retention of zinc from soils polluted with wastewater. This study analyzes the physicochemical properties of bone meal, the mechanisms of its interaction with metal ions through adsorption processes as revealed by equilibrium and kinetic studies, and its effects on plant germination. The results indicate a maximum adsorption capacity of 2375.33 mg/kg at pH = 6, according to the Langmuir model, while the pseudo-second-order kinetic model showed a coefficient of R2 > 0.99, confirming the chemical nature of the adsorption. At pH 12, the retention capacity increased to 2937.53 mg/kg; however, parameter instability suggests interference from precipitation phenomena. At pH 12, zinc retention is dominated by precipitation (Zn(OH)2 and Zn–phosphates), which invalidates the Langmuir assumptions; accordingly, the Freundlich isotherm provides a more adequate description. Germination tests revealed species-specific responses to Zn contamination and bone meal amendment. In untreated contaminated soil, germination rates were 84% for cress, 42% for wheat, and 50% for mustard. Relative to the soil + bone meal treatment (100% performance), the extent of inhibition reached 19–21% in cress, 24–29% in wheat, and 12% in mustard. Bone meal mitigated Zn-induced inhibition most effectively in wheat (+31% vs. soil; +40% vs. control), followed by cress (+23–27%) and mustard (+14%), highlighting its species-dependent ameliorative potential. Thus, the experimental results confirm bone meal’s capacity to reduce the mobility of zinc ions and improve the quality of the agricultural substrate. By transforming an animal waste product into a material with agronomic value, this study supports the integration of bone meal into modern soil remediation strategies, aligned with the principles of bioeconomy and sustainable development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Removal of Heavy Metals Contamination to Enhance the Sustainable Environment)
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14 pages, 4131 KB  
Article
An Experimental and Modelling Study on the Effect of Vegetation-Influenced Water Velocity on Cadmium Accumulation in Corbicula fluminea
by Nan Geng, Guojin Sun, Lin Zhang and Hui Wang
Sustainability 2025, 17(14), 6570; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17146570 - 18 Jul 2025
Viewed by 361
Abstract
Cadmium (Cd) accumulation by benthic organisms poses a significant threat to aquatic environmental safety. Both vegetation and water velocity in rivers could influence this process, yet their coupled interaction mechanisms remain unclear. This study used laboratory flume experiments to simulate four scenarios: static [...] Read more.
Cadmium (Cd) accumulation by benthic organisms poses a significant threat to aquatic environmental safety. Both vegetation and water velocity in rivers could influence this process, yet their coupled interaction mechanisms remain unclear. This study used laboratory flume experiments to simulate four scenarios: static water (C0), pure water velocity (C+H), vegetation-water velocity (V+H), and coexistence of vegetation-water velocity-Corbicula fluminea (C. fluminea) (C+V+H). The dynamics of Cd release from sediment to overlying water and its bioaccumulation within C. fluminea were investigated. A mathematical model coupling Cd release, diffusion, and C. fluminea bioaccumulation was developed based on the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM). The results showed that compared to the non-vegetation group (C+H), the presence of vegetation (V+H, C+V+H) initially reduced sediment resuspension and Cd release. However, the turbulence induced by vegetation significantly increased the Cd diffusion coefficient and equilibrium concentration in the water. Consequently, Cd accumulation in C. fluminea within the vegetation-water velocity group (C+V+H) was significantly higher than in the pure water velocity group (C+H). The established LBM model exhibited good simulation accuracy (for overlying water Cd concentration: R2 = 0.8201–0.942; for C. fluminea Cd concentration: R2 = 0.7604–0.8191) and successfully reproduced the processes of Cd release and bioaccumulation under varying vegetation-water velocity conditions. This study elucidates the mechanism by which vegetation promotes Cd accumulation in C. fluminea by altering water velocity structure and diffusion characteristics, providing crucial theoretical parameters for multi-media migration and transformation models of heavy metals in complex water velocity environments and for early warning systems concerning Cd accumulation risks in riverine organisms. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Removal of Heavy Metals Contamination to Enhance the Sustainable Environment)
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Review

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26 pages, 2226 KB  
Review
Unveiling the Sustainable and Biological Remediation of Heavy Metals Contaminations in Soils and Water Ecosystems Through Potential Microbes—A Review
by Kallol Das, Md Abdullah Al Masud, Aniruddha Sarker, Ramadan A. Arafa and Margi Patel
Sustainability 2025, 17(16), 7357; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17167357 - 14 Aug 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2515
Abstract
This review provides a critical summary of the biological remediation of heavy metals by leveraging the potential of microbes in soils and water ecosystems, highlighting major research findings and practical obstacles. Heavy metals (HMs) pose a severe threat to environmental health due to [...] Read more.
This review provides a critical summary of the biological remediation of heavy metals by leveraging the potential of microbes in soils and water ecosystems, highlighting major research findings and practical obstacles. Heavy metals (HMs) pose a severe threat to environmental health due to their toxicity and persistence, necessitating effective remediation strategies. Biological remediation, especially through microorganisms and enzymatic actions, offers a promising alternative to conventional methods due to its eco-friendly and cost-effective nature. The review discusses various microbes, including bacteria, fungi, and algae known for their metal-binding capacities and transformation abilities. It delves into the mechanisms of bioremediation, such as biosorption, bioaccumulation, and biotransformation, facilitated by microbial enzymes like oxidoreductases and hydrolases that remove or bind the chemical structure of HMs. This paper also explores genetic engineering approaches to enhance microbial efficacy in HMs’ uptake and resistance. Furthermore, the review addresses the significant challenges in scaling bioremediation from a laboratory to the field, such as the complexity of environmental conditions, the presence of mixed contaminants, and the need for system optimization to improve efficiency and sustainability. It also evaluates the current legislative framework governing bioremediation practices, suggesting a need for clearer policies to support the integration of biological methods into mainstream remediation strategies. Conclusively, while microbial and enzymatic remediation presents considerable potential, extensive research is needed to overcome existing hurdles and develop robust, field-applicable systems. This paper calls for a multidisciplinary approach combining microbiology, engineering, and environmental sciences to advance this promising field. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Removal of Heavy Metals Contamination to Enhance the Sustainable Environment)
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