Submit to Special Issue Submit Abstract to Special Issue Review for Water Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser

Environmental Behavior and Prevention Strategies of Toxic Chemicals in Farmland Soil Within River Basins

Print Special Issue Flyer
Editor
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
Published Papers

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 November 2026 | Viewed by 2547

Share This Special Issue

Editor

Prof. Dr. Qing Luo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Key Laboratory of Eco-Restoration of Regional Contaminated Environment, Shenyang University, Shenyang, China
Interests: emerging contaminants; environmental behaviour; environmental analytical chemistry; risk assessment; bioremediation; soil and water pollution
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are seeking papers for a new Special Issue entitled “Environmental Behavior and Prevention Strategies of Toxic Chemicals in Farmland Soil within River Basins”.

River basins serve as vital ecosystems that support diverse agricultural activities, providing essential resources for food production. However, these ecosystems are increasingly threatened by soil pollution resulting from industrial discharge, agricultural runoff, and improper waste disposal. Contaminated soil can lead to reduced crop yields, increased pest resistance, and the bioaccumulation of harmful substances in food chains, posing significant risks to human health. Furthermore, soil pollution can disrupt ecosystem services, such as nutrient cycling and water purification, impacting both aquatic and terrestrial biodiversity. Understanding the characteristics of farmland soil pollution in river basins is essential for developing targeted prevention strategies that can mitigate these adverse effects. By identifying pollution sources, assessing contamination levels, and understanding the transport and transformation processes of pollutants in soil, researchers can design effective measures to reduce pollutant inputs, enhance soil remediation techniques, and promote sustainable agricultural practices. Such research is pivotal in safeguarding the productivity of farmland, protecting human health, and preserving the ecological integrity of river basins for future generations.

In this context, we are proposing this Special Issue in order to present the latest theories, methods, technologies, risk assessments, and case studies related to pollutants in farmland soil. All related manuscripts are welcome to be submitted. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following: pollution characteristics, source apportionments, health and ecological risk assessments, emerging contaminants, heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants, and meta-analyses.

Original research papers and critical reviews are welcome to be submitted.

Prof. Dr. Qing Luo
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 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-anonymized 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

farmland soil
pollution characteristics
source apportionment
risk assessment
toxic chemicals
emerging contam-inants
heavy metal
persistent organic pollutants

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
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.
External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
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 (3 papers)

Download All Papers

Order results

Result details

Show export options Show export options

Select all

Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

16 pages, 2392 KB

Open AccessArticle

Characteristics of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Contamination, Sources, and Risk Assessment in Farmland Soil Across Different River Basins in China

by Qing Luo, Yixuan Zheng, Yukun Jiang, Qing He, Lu Yang, Shuxin Hu and Xinye Zhao

Water 2026, 18(12), 1489; https://doi.org/10.3390/w18121489 - 17 Jun 2026

Viewed by 359

Abstract

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in farmland soils pose potential ecological and human health risks, yet their contamination characteristics and source-related risks in farmland soils across different river basins in China remain insufficiently understood. This present study analyzed 84 farmland soil samples from northeast (primarily the middle and lower reaches of the Songhua River and Liao River basin), central (primarily the middle reaches of the Yellow River basin and Dongting Lake system), northwest (primarily the middle and upper reaches of the Yellow River and Yarlung Zangbo River basin), and southern (primarily the upper reaches of the Pearl River and Yangtze River basin) China in order to assess the contamination characteristics, sources, ecological risks, and human health risks associated with 16 US EPA priority PAHs in the samples. The findings suggest that the 16 aggregate PAHs’ concentrations in Chinese farmland soils varied from 63.9 to 9637.7 μg/kg, with an average of 1919.3 μg/kg. A gradual decline was observed from north to south, with dibenz[a,h]anthracene (DahA) accounting for the highest proportion at 14.3%. Correlation analysis, principal component analysis, and positive matrix factorization jointly indicated that fossil fuel combustion, high-temperature combustion, and traffic-related emissions were the main PAH inputs to farmland soils. The results of the ecological risk assessment indicated that the northeastern region exhibited the highest PAH ecological risk, with 41.2% of sample plots demonstrating severe PAH contamination. Conversely, the southern region exhibited the lowest PAH ecological risk, with 73.9% of the sample plots demonstrating no ecological risk. The human health risk assessment found that non-carcinogenic risks for both children and adults were within safe limits, while carcinogenic risks for both groups were relatively high. DahA was identified as the primary carcinogen, accounting for 45.9% and 70.3% of the total carcinogenic risk for children and adults, respectively. Oral ingestion was the primary route of exposure. This study provides an integrated basin-scale assessment of PAH contamination and source-related risks in Chinese farmland soils, supporting targeted management of PAH inputs in agricultural environments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Behavior and Prevention Strategies of Toxic Chemicals in Farmland Soil Within River Basins)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

20 pages, 2631 KB

Open AccessArticle

Characterization of Heavy Metal Pollution in Urban Wetland Sediments and Evaluation of Human Health Risk

by Tao Tian, Lingyun Mo, Litang Qin, Junfeng Dai, Dunqiu Wang and Qiutong Lu

Water 2026, 18(11), 1384; https://doi.org/10.3390/w18111384 - 5 Jun 2026

Viewed by 420

Abstract

Urban wetlands are transitional sub-ecosystems, which have an important part in connecting the city sources of heavy metal pollution with freshwater ecosystems, and numerous studies have studied the nature of heavy metal pollution, though only several have investigated the consequences of heavy metals on the health of city dwellers residing in urban wetlands. The Monte Carlo simulation-based method of assessing health risks was employed to calculate the health risks related to the population residing within the study site as one of the measures taken within the framework of the present research to identify the health risks faced by the population when using the sediments of Huixian Wetland Mudong Lake, Guilin City, to evaluate health outcomes. The results showed that Cd and As had the highest geoaccumulation index values and were the most seriously polluted metals. The northeastern and northwestern areas of the lake exhibited a strong level of ecological risk, likely due to their proximity to anthropogenic pollution sources and slower water exchange rates. Non-carcinogenic risk indices (HI) for both adults and children were below 1, with children facing higher risk than adults. For carcinogenic risk, As, Cd, Cr, and Pb posed greater risks to children than adults, with 99.96% of the total carcinogenic risk (TCR) values exceeding the USEPA threshold of 1.00 × 10⁻⁴, indicating an unacceptable risk to children. Sensitivity analysis revealed that the hand–oral intake rate (IRing), As, and Cr were the main factors affecting the human health risk. These findings provide clear guidance for targeted risk control; priority should be given to pollution control of Cd and As, as well as protective measures in high-risk zones, to reduce children’s exposure. The results of this study provide a scientific basis for precise risk control and remediation measures in the region. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Behavior and Prevention Strategies of Toxic Chemicals in Farmland Soil Within River Basins)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 3110 KB

Open AccessArticle

Water Quality Assessment and Pollution Source Analysis of Lake Wetlands Using WQI and APCS-MLR—A Case Study of Mudong Lake in Huixian Wetland, Guilin

by Tao Tian, Lingyun Mo, Litang Qin, Junfeng Dai, Dunqiu Wang and Qiutong Lu

Water 2026, 18(9), 1071; https://doi.org/10.3390/w18091071 - 30 Apr 2026

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 925

Abstract

Water pollution control for wetland lakes has undergone a fluctuating development process. Effective pollution management requires not only scientific water quality monitoring data but also clear identification of pollution sources within the study area. Accordingly, this study investigated Mudong Lake, the core area of the Huixian Wetland, and conducted water quality monitoring in January 2023 (dry season) and June 2023 (wet season). Based on the Water Quality Index (WQI) assessment results, water quality was better in the wet season than in the dry season. To identify pollution sources, the Absolute Principal Component Score-Multiple Linear Regression (APCS-MLR) model was applied. The results showed that pollution in the dry season was mainly derived from aquaculture and agricultural non-point source pollution, anthropogenic point source pollution, and internal release from sediments, while pollution in the wet season exhibited mixed characteristics, driven by agricultural non-point sources, domestic sewage discharge, and natural factors. Source apportionment analysis indicated that composite pollution sources (domestic sewage and aquaculture wastewater), agricultural non-point source pollution, and other unidentified sources contributed 43.71%, 34.11%, and 22.18% of the total pollution load, respectively. The findings of this study can provide a scientific basis for pollution control, emission reduction, and the targeted management of Mudong Lake. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Behavior and Prevention Strategies of Toxic Chemicals in Farmland Soil Within River Basins)

► Show Figures

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Environmental Behavior and Prevention Strategies of Toxic Chemicals in Farmland Soil Within River Basins

Share This Special Issue

Editor

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

Published Papers (3 papers)

Research

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI