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Water and Soil Pollution from Agriculture: Mechanisms, Assessments and Mitigation...
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Water and Soil Pollution from Agriculture: Mechanisms, Assessments and Mitigation Strategies

A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Soil and Water".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 September 2025 | Viewed by 1947

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Xinyu Mao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Agricultural Science and Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
Interests: agricultural non-point source pollution; ecological treatment technology; farmland retreated water; aquaculture wastewater; livestock and poultry manure resource utili-zation; paddy-pond water circulation aquaculture; microplastics; antibiotics; antibi-otic-resistant genes; organic fertilizer
Dr. Hiba Shaghaleh

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
Interests: agricultural non-point source pollution; soil remediation; water treatment technolo-gies; heavy metals and microplastics; bio-based fertilizer formulations; biomass pre-treatment and utilization; adsorbents; functional nanomaterials; sustainable fertiliz-ers/water management; plant physiology/biochemistry
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Tingting Chang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Agricultural Science and Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
Interests: soil health and quality; soil remediation; land cover crops; manure/organic fertilizer/poultry litter; soil and water conservation; irrigation; drainage
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Agricultural activities are a major contributor to water and soil pollution through the excessive use of fertilizers, pesticides, and improper land management practices. This Special Issue explores the mechanisms through which agricultural pollutants—such as nitrates, phosphates, heavy metals, and agrochemicals—enter and degrade ecosystems. It highlights the advanced assessment methods, including remote sensing, modeling, and biomonitoring, that are used to evaluate pollution levels and their ecological impacts. Additionally, this Special Issue presents innovative mitigation strategies, such as precision farming, bioremediation, buffer zones, and policy interventions, that promote sustainable agriculture. By publishing scientific research, case studies, and technological solutions, this collection will foster interdisciplinary dialogue and actionable approaches for reducing agriculture’s environmental footprint while maintaining food security. 

Key Themes for the Special Issue:

  1. Pollution Sources and Contaminant Behavior;
  2. Transport Mechanisms and Environmental Fate;
  3. Advanced Monitoring and Assessment Techniques;
  4. Ecological and Human Health Impacts;
  5. Mitigation Strategies and Sustainable Practices;
  6. Policy, Economics, and Societal Engagement;
  7. Emerging Technologies and Future Challenges.

Dr. Xinyu Mao
Dr. Hiba Shaghaleh
Dr. Tingting Chang
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. Water 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 2600 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

  • pollution sources and contaminants
  • transport and environmental behavior
  • monitoring and assessment
  • ecological and health impacts
  • mitigation and sustainable practices
  • policy and socioeconomics
  • emerging technologies

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

Published Papers (2 papers)

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26 pages, 1960 KiB  
Article
Understanding Lowland Rice Farmers’ Knowledge of Soil Fertilization Practices and Perceptions of Nitrogen-Induced Water Pollution Risks in the Ouémé Watershed, Central Benin
by Sabi Kidirou Gbedourorou, Pierre G. Tovihoudji, Alice Alonso, P. B. Irenikatche Akponikpè and Marnik Vanclooster
Water 2025, 17(6), 779; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17060779 - 7 Mar 2025
Viewed by 1118
Abstract
In Benin’s lowland rice fields, water resources are vulnerable to nitrogen pollution due to shallow water tables, nutrient runoff, and inappropriate fertilization practices. This study assessed rice farmers’ soil fertilization practices and their perceptions of water pollution risks. Data from 176 farmers were [...] Read more.
In Benin’s lowland rice fields, water resources are vulnerable to nitrogen pollution due to shallow water tables, nutrient runoff, and inappropriate fertilization practices. This study assessed rice farmers’ soil fertilization practices and their perceptions of water pollution risks. Data from 176 farmers were analyzed using descriptive statistics, logit, and tree regression. The results revealed that farmers applied an average of 79.4 ± 1.55 kg N ha−1 (53 kg N ha−1 from urea (46% N) and 26.4 kg N ha−1 from NPK), exceeding the recommended rate of 60 kg N ha−1. This excess was due to the overapplication of urea by 75% of farmers, who applied it at an average rate of 115.2 ± 2.59 kg ha−1 instead of the recommended 75 kg ha−1. Only 16% adopted pro-environmental practices. Farmers trained in water pollution risks and familiar with fertilizer policies were 36 times more likely to adopt sustainable practices. Downstream farmers applied less urea and were eight times more likely to adopt such practices. Farmers with over 10 years of experience were 17 times more likely to understand the watershed network. Despite 60.8% reporting eutrophication and 72.2% noticing water quality decline, only 34.1% linked nitrogen use and water pollution. Tree regression analysis indicated that 78% of untrained farmers were unaware of the environmental impacts of poor fertilization. These findings underscore the need to integrate specific concepts on nutrient management and water resource pollution into training programs and policies for lowland rice farmers in Benin, while also improving the knowledge transfer mechanism. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water and Soil Pollution from Agriculture: Mechanisms, Assessments and Mitigation Strategies)
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25 pages, 3716 KiB  
Article
Evolution Characteristics and Control Suggestions for Agricultural Non-Point Source Pollution in the Yellow River Basin of China
by Qilu Tan, Haoran Su and Yousheng Zhang
Water 2025, 17(11), 1626; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17111626 - 27 May 2025
Viewed by 226
Abstract
The Yellow River Basin in China is the region with the most severe agricultural non-point source pollution. The control of agricultural non-point source pollution is an important task for ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin at present and in [...] Read more.
The Yellow River Basin in China is the region with the most severe agricultural non-point source pollution. The control of agricultural non-point source pollution is an important task for ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin at present and in the near future. This paper takes the eight provinces located along the Yellow River, except Sichuan, as the research object. This study estimates the total amount, intensity, and structure of agricultural non-point source pollution from 2014 to 2023 by adopting quantitative methods such as the pollutant discharge coefficient method, the equivalent pollution load method, and so on. The results reveal that the total amount of non-point source pollution of the Yellow River Basin has risen from approx. 4.94 million tons in 2014 to approx. 7.45 million tons in 2023. However, the growth rate has decelerated over the past five years, and the pollution intensity has decreased by 15~40% on average. The characteristics of agricultural non-point source pollution presents as follows: chemical oxygen demand (COD) emissions have become the most significant pollutant, accounting for 90% of the total pollution; livestock and poultry breeding has become the main source of pollution; and the key areas of pollution have shifted from the lower reaches to the middle and upper reaches, but the regional differences have been narrowing, as measured by the Gini coefficient. An analysis of the Kuznets curve indicates that most of the provinces in the Yellow River Basin still depend on an extensive growth model characterized by high input, high emission, and low output. Finally, this paper proposes a classified governance and measurement system for regions and sources, aiming to enhance the agricultural non-point source pollution prevention and control system. It also advocates for accelerating the green transformation of agricultural production in the Yellow River Basin to achieve the rapid decoupling of pollution emission from economic growth. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water and Soil Pollution from Agriculture: Mechanisms, Assessments and Mitigation Strategies)
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