Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Xu Zhang, Guoyan Zou, Huaqiang Chu, Zheng Shen, Yalei Zhang, Mohamed H. H. Abbas, Bader Z. Albogami, Li Zhou, Ahmed A. Abdelhafez
Summary: Environmental pollution due to potentially toxic elements (PTEs) is a critical global issue, with concentrations increasing as a result of human activities. PTEs are highly toxic even at low concentrations and cause negative ecological impacts. Recycling agricultural wastes, particularly biochar, is a promising and cost-effective approach for the remediation of polluted soils and water, offering a sustainable solution for a healthy environment.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Horticulture
Yingjie Pan, Xiangnan Xu, Qianqian Lang, Shangqiang Liao, Yanmei Li
Summary: This study investigated the effects of peach branch derived fertilizer (PB), cow manure derived fertilizer (CM), and silicon liquid fertilizer (Si) on the growth and Cd uptake of Spinacia oleracea L. in Cd contaminated soil. Results showed that PB and CM significantly increased shoot dry mass and reduced shoot Cd accumulation, while Si had no effect on plant biomass but reduced root Cd uptake. CM also significantly decreased soil-available Cd.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Oana Cadar, Zamfira Dinca, Marin Senila, Anamaria Iulia Torok, Florin Todor, Erika Andrea Levei
Summary: The rehabilitation of contaminated soils is a complex and time-consuming process. Using amendments to stabilize the potential toxic elements in soil is a cost-effective method. The study found that the appropriate amendments can reduce the mobility of toxic elements and enhance immobilization effect.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Ran Xiao, Amjad Ali, Yaqiong Xu, Hamada Abdelrahman, Ronghua Li, Yanbing Lin, Nanthi Bolan, Sabry M. Shaheen, Jorg Rinklebe, Zengqiang Zhang
Summary: Earthworms have the potential to remediate soils contaminated with potentially toxic elements (PTEs), but thorough research and reviews on this topic are currently lacking. This review provides insights into the distribution and abundance of earthworms in PTEs contaminated soils, the influence of PTEs on earthworm communities, factors affecting earthworm PTEs accumulation and elimination, and the dynamics of PTEs in earthworm-amended soils.
ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL
(2022)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Xiao Yang, Miao You, Siyan Liu, Binoy Sarkar, Zhaoshu Liu, Xiulan Yan
Summary: Soil is crucial for supporting microbial diversity and serves as the foundation for human civilization. Potentially toxic elements (PTEs) are hazardous contaminants in soil that can cause stress to indigenous microorganisms and severely jeopardize soil health. Biochar technology has emerged as a promising approach to alleviate PTE toxicity and benefit soil health management. However, current literature on biochar-amended soil has focused more on the physical and chemical responses of the soil system, neglecting the importance of microbiological attributes.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Kunting Xie, Nangeng Xie, Zhiyang Liao, Xiaoshan Luo, Weijie Peng, Yong Yuan
Summary: This study examined the feasibility of deriving Soil Environment Criteria (SEC) using the bio-accessibility of pollutants. Soil samples from 33 locations at 12 mining/smelting sites in China were collected and analyzed for soil properties, chemical fraction distributions, and bioaccessibilities of cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and arsenic (As). The measured and predicted bioaccessibilities of these potentially hazardous trace elements (PHEs) were found to be feasible for deriving SEC. This research will contribute to the development of regional soil environmental standards for mining/smelting soils contaminated with Cd, Pb, and As based on bioaccessibility.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Giorgos Thalassinos, Efi Levizou, Vasileios Antoniadis, Wanting Ling
Summary: In a pot experiment, the phytostabilization capacity of purslane was tested in soil heavily contaminated with Cd, Pb, and Zn. Various soil improvers were used, both organic and inorganic. The results showed that the organic amendments had some effect in increasing the extractability of Cd, Pb, and Zn but were not able to reduce the levels to a satisfactory extent for phytostabilization.
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Yasir Hamid, Lin Tang, Bilal Hussain, Muhammad Usman, Lei Liu, Zaid Ulhassan, Zhenli He, Xiaoe Yang
Summary: Sepiolite clay is a significant adsorbent for soil and water applications due to its high reactivity, reliable properties, and positive environmental impacts. Research has shown that it is effective in adsorbing toxic metals such as cadmium and lead, with the potential to improve soil quality and plant growth. Further studies are needed to explore ways to modify sepiolite for increased efficiency under field conditions.
ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Valentina Pidlisnyuk, Aigerim Mamirova, Robert Ato Newton, Tatyana Stefanovska, Oleksandr Zhukov, Viktoria Tsygankova, Pavlo Shapoval
Summary: The effect of different plant growth regulators on the growth of Miscanthus x giganteus in soils contaminated with trace elements was compared. The results showed that the new PGR Kamethur increased the leaf and stem biomass of Miscanthus x giganteus in heavily contaminated soil, while the conventional Charkor only increased the leaf biomass. Charkor inhibited the stem accumulation of essential elements and potentially toxic elements, while Kamethur increased the accumulation of potentially toxic elements.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jian Hu, Wei-ping Chen, Zhi-Qi Zhao, Ran Lu, Meng Cui, Wen-jing Dai, Wen-min Ma, Xue Feng, Xiao-ming Wan, Ning Wang
Summary: This study found that the concentration of mercury inside the coking plant and cadmium in the agricultural land around the plant were relatively high. The main sources of lead in the soil inside and outside the coking plant were found to be coal combustion. Pollution emission sources with significant influence on the soil outside the coking plant were diesel vehicles, gas tanks, and coke ovens. Inside the plant, pollution sources included quenching sections, atmospheric deposition, coke oven sections, and diesel vehicles.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Andres Rodriguez-Seijo, Cristiano Soares, Sonia Ribeiro, Berta Ferreiro Amil, Carla Patinha, Anabela Cachada, Fernanda Fidalgo, Ruth Pereira
Summary: The study demonstrated that nano-Fe2O3 can protect the growth of barley plants under contaminated soils, alleviating oxidative damage induced by PTEs.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Soil Science
Matteo Garau, Giovanni Garau, Tom Sizmur, Sean Coole, Paola Castaldi, Maria Vittoria Pinna
Summary: The addition of biochar and earthworms can enhance the phytostabilisation of heavy metals by Sorghum vulgare. The combination of 5% biochar and earthworms significantly reduced the mobility of heavy metals in the soil, while promoting the growth of sorghum. The joint action of biochar and earthworms increased the efficiency of heavy metal removal by sorghum.
APPLIED SOIL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Mohini Yadav, Nancy George, Vagish Dwibedi
Summary: The emergence of trace elements at potentially toxic concentrations in the environment has become a global issue. Factors such as rapid population growth, unregulated industrialization, intensive farming practices, and excessive mining activities contribute to the accumulation of these elements in high toxic concentrations. The exposure of plants to metal-contaminated environments severely affects their reproductive and vegetative growth, thus impacting crop performance and production.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Matteo Garau, Paola Castaldi, Giacomo Patteri, Pier Paolo Roggero, Giovanni Garau
Summary: The study found that the addition of municipal solid waste compost can significantly improve the growth of Cynara cardunculus, reduce the uptake of toxic elements in the soil by plants, and increase the metabolic activity of soil microbes.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Biology
Maria Custodio, Richard Penaloza, Salome Ochoa, Walter Cuadrado
Summary: The study evaluated the human risk associated with the intake of artichokes grown in soils irrigated with PTE contaminated water. The concentrations of Pb and As exceeded permissible levels, but the ingestion of artichoke heads does not represent a health risk.
SAUDI JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Faiza Rehman, Arshid Pervez, Bahadar Nawab Khattak, Rafiq Ahmad
CLEAN-SOIL AIR WATER
(2018)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Michael Dare Asemoloye, Rafiq Ahmad, Segun Gbolagade Jonathan
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2018)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Saddaf Rashid, Muhammad Arshad, Maryam Siddiqa, Rafiq Ahmad
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2018)
Article
Toxicology
Shah Jehan, Seema Anjum Khattak, Said Muhammad, Rafiq Ahmad, Muhammad Farooq, Sardar Khan, Abdullah Khan, Liaqat Ali
Article
Environmental Sciences
Shahida Shaheen, Rafiq Ahmad, Qaisar Mahmood, Hussani Mubarak, Nosheen Mirza, Malik Tahir Hayat
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYTOREMEDIATION
(2018)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Michael Dare Asemoloye, Segun Gbolagade Jonathan, Rafiq Ahmad
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYTOREMEDIATION
(2019)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Michael Dare Asemoloye, Segun Gbolagade Jonathan, Rafiq Ahmad
Review
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Mahnoor Asif, Arshid Pervez, Rafiq Ahmad
CLEAN-SOIL AIR WATER
(2019)
Article
Biophysics
Saddaf Rashid, Muhammad Azeem, Sabaz Ali Khan, Mohammad Maroof Shah, Rafiq Ahmad
COLLOIDS AND SURFACES B-BIOINTERFACES
(2019)
Article
Biology
Hafiz Muhammad Ansab Jamil, Awais Ahmed, Usman Irshad, Abdullah Ahmed Al-Ghamdi, Mohamed S. Elshikh, Ibrahim A. Alaraidh, Monerah A. Al-Dosary, Arshad Mehmood Abbasi, Rafiq Ahmad
SAUDI JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2020)
Article
Plant Sciences
Muhammad Shahzad, Haris Usman, Rafiq Ahmad, Sabaz Ali Khan, Zulfiqar A. Saqib, Karl-Hermann Muehling
JOURNAL OF APPLIED BOTANY AND FOOD QUALITY
(2019)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Saeed Ahmad Asad, Masood-ur-Rehman, Rafiq Ahmad, Muhammad Umer
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE AND BIOLOGY
(2018)
Article
Plant Sciences
Muhammad Awais, Rafiq Ahmad, Nadeem Khan, Prashanth Garapati, Muhammad Shahzad, Amber Afroz, Umer Rashid, Sabaz Ali Khan
PAKISTAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY
(2018)
Review
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Saeed Ahmad Asad, Rafiq Ahmad, Muhammad Shahzad
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE AND BIOLOGY
(2018)