Integrated Systems for Elemental Geochemical Cycling and Sustainable Development
A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2026 | Viewed by 18
Special Issue Editors
Interests: soil chemistry; environmental geochemistry; heavy metals; biogeochemical cycling
Interests: environmental hydrology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
- Focus
This Special Issue focuses on innovative systems approaches to regional element cycling, emphasizing cross-media ("water–soil–air") monitoring, source-to-impact quantification, and smart governance solutions. It addresses the full pollution chain—from emission inventories and process tracing to predictive modeling and policy-driven interventions.
- Scope
Monitoring and Quantification: Advanced techniques for multi-media heavy metals, nutrients, and carbon flux assessment (e.g., atmospheric deposition, hydrological transport, soil accumulation).
Process Mechanisms: Modeling input/output pathways, biogeochemical cycles, and cross-scale elemental dynamics.
Governance and Sustainability: "Water–soil–air" coordinated control policy frameworks, smart remediation strategies, and socio-economic assessments of pollution mitigation and specialty agriculture development.
- Purpose
To bridge gaps between technical innovations (e.g., AI-driven traceability and predictive modeling) and sustainable governance, translating scientific insights into scalable solutions for agricultural safety, industrial regulation, and regional ecological resilience.
Supplement to the Existing Literature
This issue uniquely integrates three sustainability pillars:
- Scientific Rigor: New methodologies (e.g., isotope tracing, machine learning-enhanced source apportionment) to quantify sustainability metrics like pollution flux reduction efficiency and long-term soil health.
- Policy Integration: Case studies on "water–soil–air" joint prevention policies, aligning with SDGs 2 (Zero Hunger), 6 (Clean Water), and 15 (Life on Land).
By synthesizing field data, predictive models, and governance frameworks, this Issue offers a systemic roadmap to mitigate heavy metal pollution while enhancing socio-ecological resilience, directly supporting the journal’s mission to "define, measure, and monitor sustainability."
Dr. Xu Liu
Dr. Chenning Deng
Dr. Tao Yu
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
- elements flux quantification (core measurement focus aligned with journal's "quantify sustainability" aim)
- multi-media pollution tracing (emphasizes cross-media "water–soil–air" innovation)
- source apportionment modeling (advanced methodology for pollution origin identification)
- smart remediation governance (links technical solutions to policy frameworks)
- soil contamination resilience (directly addresses SDG 15 "Life on Land")
- sustainable industrial regulation (connects to journal's "policies relating to sustainability" scope)
- predictive risk assessment (key tool for "monitor sustainability" as per journal aims)
- circular resource management (ties pollution control to resource efficiency/SDG 12)
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