Search Results (143)

A field experiment in growing spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.—cv. ‘Monsun’) under organic, integrated and conventional farming systems was conducted over the period of 2020–2022 at the Czesławice Experimental Farm (Lubelskie Voivodeship, Poland). The first experimental factor analyzed was the farming system: A. organic system (control)—without the use of chemical plant protection products and NPK mineral fertilization; B. conventional system—the use of plant protection products and NPK fertilization in the range and doses recommended for spring wheat; C. integrated system—use of plant protection products and NPK fertilization in an “economical” way—doses reduced by 50%. The second experimental factor was irrigation strategy: 1. no irrigation—control; 2. double irrigation; 3. multiple irrigation The aim of the research was to determine the physical, chemical, and enzymatic properties of loess soil under spring wheat crops as influenced by the factors listed above. The highest organic C content of the soil (1.11%) was determined in the integrated system with multiple irrigation of spring wheat, whereas the lowest one (0.77%)—in the conventional system without irrigation. In the conventional system, the highest contents of total N (0.15%), P (131.4 mg kg⁻¹), and K (269.6 mg kg⁻¹) in the soil were determined under conditions of multiple irrigation. In turn, the organic system facilitated the highest contents of Mg, B, Cu, Mn, and Zn in the soil, especially upon multiple irrigation of crops. It also had the most beneficial effect on the evaluated physical parameters of the soil. In each farming system, the multiple irrigation of spring wheat significantly increased moisture content, density, and compaction of the soil and also improved its total sorption capacity (particularly in the integrated system). The highest count of beneficial fungi, the lowest population number of pathogenic fungi, and the highest count of actinobacteria were recorded in the soil from the organic system. Activity of soil enzymes was the highest in the integrated system, followed by the organic system—particularly upon multiple irrigation of crops. Summing up, the present study results demonstrate varied effects of the farming systems on the quality and health of loess soil. From a scientific point of view, the integrated farming system ensures the most stable and balanced physicochemical and biological parameters of the soil due to the sufficient amount of nutrients supplied to the soil and the minimized impact of chemical plant protection products on the soil. The multiple irrigation of crops resulting from indications of soil moisture sensors mounted on plots (indicating the real need for irrigation) contributed to the improvement of almost all analyzed soil quality indices. Multiple irrigation generated high costs, but in combination with fertilization and chemical crop protection (conventional and integrated system), it influenced the high productivity of spring wheat and compensated for the incurred costs (the greatest profit). Full article

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids are plant-derived toxins with environmental persistence and the potential to contaminate soil, water, and adjacent crops. This study investigated the leaching behavior and environmental fate of PAs from two PA-producing weeds—Myosotis arvensis L. (Boraginaceae) and Senecio vulgaris L. (Asteraceae)—in two Latvian agricultural soils: sandy loam and loam. Hot- and cold-water plant extracts were applied to soil columns (10 cm and 20 cm), and leachates were analyzed over a 14-day period using QuEChERS purification and LC-HRMS detection. Leaching varied by plant species, extract type, and soil. M. arvensis showed significantly higher cumulative leaching (77–84% for cold, 65–71% for hot extracts), attributed to the higher solubility of N-oxides. In contrast, S. vulgaris extracts leached minimally (<0.84% from sandy loam) and were undetectable in loam. The presence of cyclic diester PAs in S. vulgaris and the higher cation exchange capacity of loam favored retention or degradation. PANO-to-PA conversion occurred in both soils, indicating redox activity. The fate of PAs was influenced by structural type (diesters showing higher persistence), extraction method (hot extraction releasing more pyrrolizidine alkaloids), and soil properties such as pH, organic matter, and cation exchange capacity, which affected sorption and mobility. These findings underscore the significance of soil composition in controlling PA mobility and associated environmental risks. Future research should focus on long-term PA persistence across diverse soil types and investigate crop uptake potential and microbial degradation pathways under field conditions. Full article

Occupational exposure to commercial formic and acetic acids through dermal contact and inhalation during rubber sheet processing poses significant health risks to workers. Additionally, the use of these acids contributes to environmental pollution by contaminating water sources and soil. This study investigates the potential of three types of wood vinegar—derived from para-rubber wood, bamboo, and eucalyptus—obtained through biomass pyrolysis under anaerobic conditions, as sustainable alternatives to formic and acetic acids in the production of ribbed smoked sheets (RSSs). The organic constituents of each wood vinegar were characterized using gas chromatography and subsequently mixed with fresh natural latex to produce coagulated rubber sheets. The physical and chemical properties, equilibrium moisture content, and drying kinetics of the resulting sheets were then evaluated. The results indicated that wood vinegar derived from para-rubber wood contained a higher concentration of acetic acid compared to that obtained from bamboo and eucalyptus. As a result, rubber sheets coagulated with para-rubber wood and bamboo vinegars exhibited moisture sorption isotherms comparable to those of sheets coagulated with acetic acid, best described by the modified Henderson model. In contrast, sheets coagulated with eucalyptus-derived vinegar and formic acid followed the Oswin model. In terms of physical and chemical properties, extended drying times led to improved tensile strength in all samples. No statistically significant differences in tensile strength were observed between the experimental and reference samples. The concentration of acid was found to influence Mooney viscosity, the plasticity retention index (PRI), the thermogravimetric curve, and the overall coagulation process more significantly than the acid type. The drying kinetics of all five rubber sheet samples displayed similar trends, with the drying time decreasing in response to increases in drying temperature and airflow velocity. Full article

This review reports some aspects of soil contaminant chemistry and its fundamental role in shaping the soil–human health relationship. Exposure to soil contaminants can occur through direct pathways, such as ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact, as well as indirect pathways, including food chain contamination via plant uptake or groundwater leaching. The mobility and persistence of organic and inorganic pollutants in soil are primarily controlled by sorption–desorption processes, which involve a complex interplay of physical and chemical mechanisms. Soil properties, such as pH, organic matter content, clay minerals, and oxide hydroxides, play a crucial role in regulating these processes and determining contaminant behavior. A high sorption capacity enhances the soil’s ability to mitigate pollutant mobility, thereby reducing their infiltration into groundwater and accumulation in the food chain. Soils rich in organic matter and fine-textured minerals, such as clay, can effectively immobilize contaminants, limiting their bioavailability and potential harm to human health. A deeper understanding of how soil characteristics influence contaminant mobility and bioavailability is critical to addressing the hazards of soil pollution for human health. Beyond merely assessing contaminant concentrations, it is essential to consider the dynamic processes governing pollutant fate in soil, as they ultimately shape exposure pathways and health risks. This knowledge is the key to developing more effective strategies for mitigating soil contamination and protecting public health. Full article

Estrone (E1) is a female hormone present in large quantities in animal farming, which has, in recent decades, resulted in increasing water and soil pollution. Research into its behaviour in the environment has been more focused on water pollution than on soil or soil groups. Three agricultural soils from the Czech Republic—cambisol, fluvisol, and chernozem—were analyzed in a pot experiment to determine their influence on estrone transformation, with laccase, and Mn-oxidoreductases enzymes being measured for this purpose. From the initial concentration of 50 μg·kg⁻¹ soil E1 solution, 1.36 μg·kg⁻¹ were measured on average in the soils after 28 days. There was a clear transition in estrone concentration between 24 h and day 3, reflected in all three soils by increased enzymatic activity. Aside from this, the three soils behaved differently. Results showed that fluvisol was the most different to both cambisol and chernozem. It had the highest enzymatic activity, but also the highest estrone levels in soil at 28 days (5.09 μg·kg⁻¹) vs. cambisol (1.36 μg·kg⁻¹) and chernozem (0.94 μg·kg⁻¹). The removal mechanisms were considered a combination of estrone soil sorption and enzymatic activity, with each soil exhibiting an individual combination of the two. In fluvisol, sorption was considered predominant, thoughenzymatic activity was also relevant; cambisol presented an alternation of sorption and biodegradation, with neither deemed the main mechanism; and chernozem exhibited predominantly high enzymatic activity at the end of the experiment, which resulted in the lowest estrone in soil at the end of the experiment. Overall, all three soils presented good estrone degradation potential through their various soil properties. Full article

This paper assesses the thermodynamic stability of clay minerals in the upper organo-mineral horizon of podzolic soil, as well as in the rhizosphere of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) H. Karst.) and Norway maple (Acer platanoides L.). Moreover, it determines the impact of soil organic matter on the thermodynamic stability of clay minerals. Calculations of ΔG_f and the saturation index (SI) for clay minerals in laboratory experiments simulating soil conditions without soil moisture outflow allowed us to find out that the thermodynamic stability of clay minerals decreased in the series kaolinite > illite > vermiculite > chlorite. In the rhizosphere of spruce, kaolinite, vermiculite and illite have the lowest, and in the soil under maple-the highest thermodynamic stability, which is associated with differences in the properties of soil organic matter of rhizospheres of different tree species. Laboratory experiments on the sorption of soil humic acid (HA) on clay minerals demonstrated that sorbed HA decreased the thermodynamic stability of biotite and increased the thermodynamic stability of kaolinite and muscovite. Thermodynamic stability of clay minerals decreased with increased proportion of sorbed thermolabile organic matter. Full article

Humin, as the most stable fraction in soil organic matter, determines possibility of sustainable environmental development by influencing, among other things, the binding and migration of different chemicals in soil. The aim of this paper was to determine changes in the properties of humins after interaction with three selected active substances of herbicides differing in structure and chemical properties (pendimethalin, metazachlor, and flufenacet) and two different commercial products. In accordance with OECD 106 guidelines, humins isolated from eight different soils were saturated with herbicide compounds under study. As humin is a non-hydrolyzable organic carbon fraction, solid state research techniques (elemental analysis, NMR, FTIR, EPR, and UV-Vis) were applied. The results clearly showed that the interaction between humin and herbicides increases the concentration of oxygen-containing groups and the internal oxidation (ω) in humin. For all investigated humins, a reduction in radical concentration was observed. Radicals in humins were not completely quenched; a certain concentration of radicals with unchanged structure always remained in the samples. Other spectroscopic analyses showed no significant changes in the structure of pesticide-saturated and non-saturated humins. This suggests that sorption of the studied compounds occurs on the humins only as a result of the interaction of physical forces on the surface of the studied organic matter fraction. Thus, interaction with the studied herbicides occurs as a surface phenomenon, and the inner core remains protected by the condensed structure and/or strong binding to the clay minerals. Full article

Sustainable soil management through the use of an appropriate tillage system can positively change the edaphic parameters. The aim of the present study was to compare the effects that reduced tillage (RT) and conventional tillage (CT) systems have on changes in selected physical and chemical properties and enzymatic activity in various soil types. The study included the following soil types: Eutric Fluvisol, Mollic Fluvisol, Haplic Chernozem, Haplic Luvisol, Eutric Regosol, Eutric Gleysol, and Stagnic Planosol. Soil samples were collected in the Danubian Lowland and Eastern Slovak Lowland. The following parameters were determined in the soil samples: soil texture, pH, hydrolytic acidity and the sum of basic exchangeable cations, the contents of carbon (TOC), nitrogen (TN), and dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and the activities of dehydrogenases (DEH), catalase (CAT), peroxidases (PER), alkaline phosphatase (AlP), acid phosphatase (AcP), proteases, and β-glucosidase (BG). The reaction of the analysed soils, in the RT and CT cultivations alike, ranged from acidic to neutral, and the sorption properties differed between individual soil types. The TOC ranged from 16.53 to 42.07 g kg⁻¹ for conventional cultivation and from 15.51 to 38.90 g kg⁻¹ for reduced tillage. The values of enzymatic soil quality indices values correlated with TOC, DOC, and TN, as well as with pH, the sum of exchangeable base cations, cation exchange capacity, and degree of base saturation of the sorption complex. The tillage system determined changes in the activity of the studied enzymes, but the intensity and direction of these changes depended on the soil type. Based on the enzyme activity results, soil quality indices such as GMea and TEI were calculated. TEI proved to be a more sensitive indicator than GMea. It was shown that, of all studied soil types and regardless of the cultivation system, Eutric Gleyosols had the most variable properties. For conventional tillage, Haplic Luvisol and Eutric Regosol were characterised by the greatest uniformity. In general, the edaphic properties of soils under conventional tillage differed from those of soils under simplified tillage. Full article

Understanding the dynamics of sorption and desorption is essential for assessing the persistence and mobility of pesticides. These processes continue to influence ecological outcomes even after pesticide use has ended, as demonstrated by our study on dimethoate behavior in distinct soil samples from Croatia, including coastal, lowland, and mountainous regions. This study focuses on the sorption/desorption behavior of dimethoate in soil, explores the relationship between its molecular structure and the properties of soil organic and inorganic matter, and evaluates the mechanisms of the sorption/desorption process. The behavior of dimethoate was analyzed using a batch method, and the results were modeled using nonlinear equilibrium models: Freundlich, Langmuir, and Temkin models. Soils with a higher organic matter content, especially total organic carbon (TOC), showed a better sorption capacity compared to soils with a lower TOC. This is probably due to the less flexible structures in the glassy phase, which, unlike the rubbery phase in high TOC soils, do not allow dynamic and flexible binding of dimethoate within the organic matter. The differences between the H/C and O/C ratios indicate that in high TOC soils, flexible aliphatic compounds, typical of a rubbery phase, retain dimethoate more effectively, whereas a higher content of oxygen-containing functional groups in low TOC soils provides strong association. The lettered soils showed stronger retention of dimethoate through interactions with clay minerals and metal cations such as Mg²⁺, suggesting that clay plays a significantly more important role in enhancing dimethoate sorption than organic matter. These results highlight the importance of organic matter, clay, and metal ions in the retention of dimethoate in soil, indicating the need for remediation methods for those pesticides that, although banned, have had a long history of use. Full article

The concept of metal bioavailability in soils is increasingly becoming the key to addressing potential risks. Yet, space–time variations of heavy metal concentrations in salt-affected soils is still vague. The current work, therefore, is the first attempt to address spatial and seasonal analyses of heavy metals in a Mediterranean arid agroecosystem. This study was conducted in a coastal area in northeastern Egypt as an example. The DTPA-extractable concentrations of Cr, Co, Cu, Fe, Pb, Mn, Ni, and Zn in addition to the main properties of 70 georeferenced soil samples (0–30 cm) were determined during the wet (March) and dry (September) seasons. The results revealed that except for Cu, the concentrations of all the determined metals stood below the safe limits. On average, the concentrations of Cu were 4.1- and 5-fold the acceptable limit of 0.20 mg kg⁻¹, respectively. The statistical analysis indicated that seasonal variations greatly affect the concentrations of Mn, Ni, and Zn. Compared with the wet season, significant increases of 1.25, 1.50, and 1.28-fold in the concentrations of these metals occurred during the dry season, respectively. The principal component analysis affirmed that the presence of Cr, Co, Fe, and Ni was closely related to geogenic factors; meanwhile, agronomic practices were likely the main inputs of Cu, Pb, and Zn. The geostatistical analysis illustrated that the geographic variability of Cr, Fe, Mn, and Zn was due to interactions of natural and stochastic processes. Farming practices controlled the spatial variability of Ni, Pb (in the wet period), and Co (in the dry period). The effect of natural processes during the wet period was evident for Cu, which showed strong spatial variability. The kriged maps showed that the concentrations of Co, Fe, and Ni tended to increase seaward and were found to be affected by pH, salt ions, and exchangeable Na⁺. Moreover, both silt and organic matter content had profound impacts on the spatial distribution of Cr, while the distributions of Cu, Pb, and Zn were linked to that of CaCO₃ content. The suggested mechanisms governing metal bioavailability were sorption and complexation with ligands (for Co, Fe, and Ni), redox potential (for Cr), dissolution–precipitation (for Mn), and ion exchange (for Cu, Pb, and Zn). The results of this study affirm that drying–wetting cycles and spatial distribution affect the bioavailability of heavy metals in coastal salt-affected soils of arid regions. These findings imply that seasonality (wet and dry) and spatiality should be considered for monitoring and rehabilitation of degraded soils under similar ecological conditions. Full article

Finding ways to enhance the resilience of soil ecosystems in the context of heavy metal contamination remains an important and urgent challenge. This work is devoted to assessing the impact of the soil composition in Primorsky Krai on the efficiency of using hydroxyapatite to decrease lead intake into plants. The physicochemical characteristics of Luvic Anthrosol and Gleyic Cambisol and their absorption properties with respect to lead have been studied. Adsorption, distribution of forms, and biotesting were carried out under lead saturation of soils conditions. It has been found that soil composition determines sorption properties and the proportion of mobile lead. The high organic carbon content in Gleyic Cambisol explains its high adsorption capacity and low content of water-soluble lead fraction. The addition of hydroxyapatite reduces the water solubility of lead in Luvic Anthrosol by three orders of magnitude and in the ion mobile form by one order. The capacity of hydroxyapatite decreases by more than thirty times when added to Luvic Anthrosol. With a ratio of hydroxyapatite/soil 0.2, oat germination increases by 18.7%, average seedling length increases by 7 cm, and lead uptake into tissues decreases by 83%. Full article

Previous studies have indicated that enriching litter composition with natural minerals can not only alter the biochemical activity of specific groups of microorganisms inhabiting the poultry manure, but also affect its functional properties, including the content of mobile forms of cadmium (Cd) and zinc (Zn). A study was therefore conducted to determine the effect of natural sprinkles made from diatomite (DT), enriched with bentonite (BN) or dolomite (DL), on the sorption capacity towards Cd(II) and Zn(II) and on the immobilization of these elements in the litter during the rearing of chicken broilers. The experiment was conducted with four experimental groups, each comprising six coops of 80 Ross 308 chickens (240 chickens per group). The birds were maintained on wood shavings and peat moss litter. Two groups were not administered litter additives, while the other two groups received the DTBN mixture (75/25; wt/wt, 280 g/m² L) prior to being placed in the facility. In addition, a mixture of DTDL (75/25; wt/wt; 100 g/m² L) was applied on the 10th and 26th days of rearing in selected groups, creating four experimental designs: −/−, +/−, −/+, and +/+. Litter samples for testing were collected on days (D) 0, 10, and 35 of the experiment. The results of the sorption of Cd(II) and Zn(II) indicated that both experimental mixtures exhibited a greater ability to bind these elements than pure diatomite. It was found that the use of diatomite-based mineral sprinkles reduced the mobility of Cd and Zn in the litter at the stage of animal rearing. In the litter analyzed after 35 days of rearing (D35), the content of water-extracted forms of cadmium was not determined. In contrast, a 50% reduction in the content of water-extracted forms of zinc was observed in combinations in which mineral sprinkles were applied compared to the control. The use of such additives, in addition to enhancing zoohygienic conditions, can facilitate the reduction of environmental risks subsequent to the soil application of poultry manure as a fertilizer. Full article

The growing use of tungsten (W) in industrial applications has made it a critical element in modern production processes. This increasing demand is also contributing to the element’s wider dispersion in the environment, including in soil. In addition to mining areas, it is necessary to evaluate the possible environmental effects of tungsten even in non-contaminated areas. The mobility and bioavailability of W in soil are essentially determined by the sorption processes that regulate its distribution between the liquid and solid phases of the soil. In this study, the effect of different land uses—natural, agricultural, and urban—on the sorption of W in soils of the same geographical area was addressed. The results showed that the maximum sorption can be found in natural soils, with a value of 528 mg/kg, while for agricultural and urban soils, the mean values are 486 and 392 mg/kg, respectively. Anthropic interventions seem to reduce this capacity in agricultural soils by about 8%, probably due to agronomic practices, and by even more, 26%, in urban soils, where the use of different materials can modify the original characteristics of the soils. These results show that variations in some of the main characteristics of soils, such as pH and organic matter content, also derived from different land uses, influence the sorptive properties of the soils. Full article

The study of the influence of geological structure (e.g., faults) on radon emanations is usually applicable provided that there are conditionally background (control) territories with which radon indicators will be compared. In the presented study, we selected an area where pre-Cenozoic faults that could potentially be associated with the radon hazard of the Kuznetsk coal basin were not identified. The cover deposits in the study area are represented by loamy and clayey strata overlying the Paleozoic sedimentary cycles. The radon field was estimated based on the radon flux density (RFD) and radon activity concentration (RAC) in the soil gas. The RAC was measured in two ways—by the sorption method on activated carbon and by the method of active sampling of soil gas from a borehole. At the same time, the role of meteorological conditions and the physical properties of the soil in the radon field was assessed. Our study shows that local variations in the physical properties of the soil are insignificant and do not have a significant effect on the RAC in the soil gas of the Kuznetsk coal basin, with the exception of soil moisture. High values of RAC in the territory considered as conditionally background, in the absence of pre-Cenozoic faults, suggest other causes (the presence of the latest Neogene–Quaternary faults, high concentrations of ²²⁶Ra, or other insufficiently studied causes). Due to the absence of faults, it is possible to assume a diffusion type of radon transfer in the geological environment, which indicates a shallow source of radon in such high concentrations. Our results indicate that studies of the ²²⁶Ra content and additional studies of the radon hazard of similar areas should also be carried out. Full article

The full potential of glauconite-based nanocomposites as micronutrient fertilizers remains underexplored, particularly their interaction with Zn, Cu, and B. Despite the promising applications, the mechanisms of nutrient sorption and their effects on plant growth require further investigation, especially concerning structural changes and nutrient delivery efficiency. This study investigates the modification of glauconite with Zn, Cu, and B solutions to create multifunctional nanocomposites with enhanced properties. It was established that the activation process preserves the primary globular–lamellar morphology of glauconite while introducing structural changes. Nanocomposites were synthesized using chemical activation and characterized using XRD, SEM-EDS, TEM, FTIR, and BET analyses. Agrochemical tests evaluated their effects on oat growth under controlled conditions. Nanocomposites with zinc sulfate exhibited an increase in specific surface area and mesoporosity, enhancing sorption capacity and facilitating the formation of inner-sphere complexes on the mineral’s basal surface. Modification with copper led to the formation of secondary phases, such as sulfates, on the surfaces of microflakes and globules while preserving the crystalline structure with inner-sphere coordination of Cu²⁺. Boron-modified nanocomposites were characterized by localized restructuring, pore channeling, and an increase in mesopore diameter, along with the formation of outer-sphere complexes relative to the basal surface of glauconite. Thermogravimetric and calorimetric analyses with mass spectrometry revealed specific endothermic and exothermic effects, particularly in Zn-modified samples, confirming changes in dehydration energetics. Agricultural tests on oats (Avena sativa) demonstrated the effectiveness of Cu- and B-modified nanocomposites in improving plant growth parameters, including a 7% increase in plant height and a 6.4% increase in dry weight. Zn-modified nanocomposites showed high germination rates (up to 100%) at low dosages but require optimization to avoid phytotoxicity at higher concentrations. The findings highlight the potential of adapting nanocomposites for targeted nutrient release. Additionally, glauconite nanocomposites have potential applications in restoring degraded soils, treating polluted runoff, and developing slow-release agrochemical systems. Full article