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Integrated Systems for Elemental Geochemical Cycling and Sustainable Development
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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 1389

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Xu Liu

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Guest Editor
Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, China
Interests: soil chemistry; environmental geochemistry; heavy metals; biogeochemical cycling
Dr. Chenning Deng

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Guest Editor
Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, China
Interests: environmental hydrology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Tao Yu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. School of Science, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China
2. Key Laboratory of Ecological Geochemistry, Ministry of Natural Resources, Beijing 100037, China
Interests: environmental chemistry; ecological geochemistry

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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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  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
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  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

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

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

23 pages, 36763 KB  
Article
Towards Spatial Mapping and Local Interpretation of Soil Organic Carbon Contents in a Subtropical Mountainous Region Using Integrated Machine Learning Approaches
by Manxuan Mao, Nannan Zhang, Yunfan Li, Xiang Wang, Shaowen Xie, Ting Li, Shujuan Liu, Hongyi Zhou and Haofan Xu
Sustainability 2026, 18(10), 4943; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18104943 - 14 May 2026
Viewed by 148
Abstract
Understanding the environmental drivers underlying the spatial heterogeneity of soil organic carbon (SOC) in mountainous regions remains a major challenge in digital soil mapping. This study investigated the spatial distribution and driving mechanisms of SOC contents in a typical subtropical mountainous area using [...] Read more.
Understanding the environmental drivers underlying the spatial heterogeneity of soil organic carbon (SOC) in mountainous regions remains a major challenge in digital soil mapping. This study investigated the spatial distribution and driving mechanisms of SOC contents in a typical subtropical mountainous area using an integrated modeling and interpretation framework based on 132 soil samples. The SOC content in Yangshan County ranged from 3.33 to 50.00 g kg−1, with a coefficient of variation of 48.64%, indicating a moderate level of variability across the study area. Six mainstream modeling approaches were compared, including multiple linear regression (MLR), geographically weighted regression (GWR), Cubist, eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), random forest (RF), and a hybrid RF-GWR model. The results showed that RF outperformed traditional linear methods and other machine learning approaches, achieving an R2 of 0.45 and RMSE of 7.78 g kg−1, while the hybrid model further improved prediction accuracy (R2 = 0.48). Then, spatial mapping revealed a clear elevational gradient, with higher SOC values concentrated in forested mountainous areas in the north and lower values distributed across low-elevation cultivated and disturbed zones. SHAP analysis identified intrinsic soil properties, particularly total nitrogen (TN) and cation-exchange capacity (CEC), as dominant controls on SOC contents. When extended to prediction datasets, relative humidity (RH) and mean annual precipitation (MAP) showed greater importance on SOC, suggesting an amplification of climatic factors at the broader scale. Subsequently, hotspot analysis of GeoShapley components further revealed the spatial differentiations in group indicators, with overall contributions ranked as soil physicochemical properties (36.4%) > geographic conditions (21.1%) > climate (17.4%) > organisms (12.9%) > parent material (12.1%). Soil properties formed clustered hotspots overlaid on carbonate-dominated areas, while geographic conditions and climate primarily acted as spatial modulators, generating localized zones of intensified or weakened influence across the landscape. The integrated framework proposed in this study has potential applicability across broader regions. These findings provided a scientific basis for the localized interpretation of environmental drivers of SOC and offered valuable support for region-specific land management and sustainable decision-making. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated Systems for Elemental Geochemical Cycling and Sustainable Development)
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19 pages, 1880 KB  
Article
Distribution, Environmental Risks, and Source Apportionment of Heavy Metals in the Lake Sediments and Riparian Soils in Bangong Co Lake of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau in China
by Yuxiang Shao, Buqing Yan, Kun Zhang, Bo Zhang, Yunshang Zhang, Bo Li, Yong Chen, Fan Xiang, Xufeng Zhuang and Shuai Guo
Sustainability 2025, 17(24), 11274; https://doi.org/10.3390/su172411274 - 16 Dec 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 671
Abstract
The lake systems of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, while serving as vital hubs for socioeconomic development, have become critical zones of heavy metal contamination, posing severe threats to the fragile “Third Pole” ecosystem and regional environmental security. This study investigated the concentration, distribution, sources, [...] Read more.
The lake systems of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, while serving as vital hubs for socioeconomic development, have become critical zones of heavy metal contamination, posing severe threats to the fragile “Third Pole” ecosystem and regional environmental security. This study investigated the concentration, distribution, sources, and ecological risks of eight heavy metals (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in lake sediments and riparian soils of Bangong Co Lake, a remote alpine lake on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. Lake sediment and soil samples were collected and tested from various shoreline types, including natural and human-affected areas. The Pollution Load Index (PLI) was applied to assess contamination levels, and source apportionment was performed using principal component analysis (PCA) combined with the Absolute Principal Component Score–Multiple Linear Regression (APCS-MLR) receptor model. Results revealed that heavy metal concentrations were generally higher in soils than in sediments. Compared to regional background values, elevated levels of most heavy metals were observed in human-affected shores, while natural-type soils exhibited higher concentrations of Co, Cr, Ni, and As. In sediments, only Cd and As were notably elevated in human-affected areas. The PLI results indicated that most sampling sites were either uncontaminated or slightly contaminated, with higher pollution levels occurring primarily in human-affected shoreline zones. Source apportionment demonstrated that heavy metals in sediments were predominantly derived from natural sources such as rock weathering, with anthropogenic contributions being relatively limited. In contrast, soils exhibited significant anthropogenic influences, with industrial, transportation, and agricultural activities contributing substantially to Cu (53.27%), Pb (58.64%), Zn (57.98%), Cd (34.09%), and As (39.87%). The research underscores the differential impacts of human activities on heavy metal accumulation in sediments and soils of high-altitude lake systems. It offers valuable baseline data for monitoring and managing heavy metal pollution in ecologically sensitive alpine regions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated Systems for Elemental Geochemical Cycling and Sustainable Development)
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