Article
Infectious Diseases
Baocheng Dong, Wei Li, Wenyong Xu
Summary: Substituting organic fertilizer for chemical fertilizer can improve soil quality but also increase antibiotic residues in agricultural soil, leading to a tradeoff between benefits and risks. Proper management practices of organic fertilizers are needed to balance the effects of soil quality improvement and antibiotic contamination.
Review
Environmental Sciences
H. Binner, T. Sullivan, M. A. K. Jansen, M. E. McNamara
Summary: Metal contamination of soils in Europe is widespread and of great concern due to its potential impact on food production, drinking water supply, and human health. However, current knowledge of urban soil metal contamination in Europe, particularly in recreational areas, is limited. This study conducted a systematic analysis of metal contamination in European urban soils based on 174 peer-reviewed studies, revealing highly heterogeneous reporting of data across the study area. Anthropogenic sources, such as traffic and industry, contribute to elevated levels of metals like Pb, Zn, Cu, Cr, and Ni in urban soils, while geogenic factors also play a role. Future research should focus on key knowledge gaps, standardize study methods, and identify European safety thresholds for key elements.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Jennifer R. Balacco, Bhagyashree P. Vaidya, Diane F. Hagmann, Nina M. Goodey, Jennifer Adams Krumins
Summary: This study evaluated the role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in facilitating plant production in post-industrial soils. The findings showed that AMF inoculation increased plant biomass and root/shoot ratio, improving plant growth in contaminated soils.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Matthias J. J. Salomon, Timothy R. R. Cavagnaro
Summary: This article discusses the importance of urban agriculture and presents management principles to improve soil functioning and mitigate potential risk factors. These principles can be used as recommendations for urban farmers to engage in sustainable food production, while educational and governance approaches are proposed to assist in implementing these measures.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Melanie Malone, Samantha Hamlin, Simon I. Richard
Summary: Contamination in urban community gardens is widespread, with physical sources and sociopolitical factors contributing to persistent contamination. This study used a mixed methods approach to investigate widespread contamination issues in soil, compost mixtures, and vegetables in the Seattle metropolitan region and the U.S. Results showed that contaminants in all community gardens exceeded health standards, and physical practices and perceptions influenced contaminant concentrations. The study emphasized the need for intervention on local and regulatory levels, as well as strategies to address environmental injustices and empower communities.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & POLICY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Arkajyoti Mukherjee, Sudin Pal, Papita Das, Subhra Kumar Mukhopadhyay
Summary: This study evaluated the exposure risk of Northern Pintail waterfowl wintering in two wetland habitats in the Purulia district of West Bengal. The study found that exposure through food plants ingestion and food-associated sediment consumption were the main sources of heavy metal exposure for the waterfowl. At one of the sites, the total exposure dose of all four metals exceeded the tolerable daily intake, posing a threat to the wintering herbivorous waterfowl populations.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Raluca Elena Enescu, Lucian Dinca, Mihai Zup, Serban Davidescu, Diana Vasile
Summary: Cities are affected by the impact of rapid urbanization on changes to soil properties. This study assessed the physical and chemical properties of urban and peri-urban forests in Brasov, Romania, revealing significant differences in soil properties between these two types of forests.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Elizaveta M. Kolosova, Oleg S. Sutormin, Ludmila V. Stepanova, Aleksandr A. Shpedt, Nadezhda V. Rimatskaya, Irina E. Sukovataya, Valentina A. Kratasyuk
Summary: The study aimed to assess the potential toxicity of industrial urbostratozems in Krasnoyarsk using a combined enzyme system of luminescent bacteria. The sensitivity of the enzyme system to soil pollutants depend on soil properties, with arsenic-contaminated soil showing a correlation between enzyme activity reduction and arsenic concentration variations. Soil sample preparation and properties should be considered for accurate enzymatic bioassays in soil toxicity testing.
ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Prince Chapman Agyeman, Ndiye Michael Kebonye, Kingsley John, Lubos Boruvka, Radim Vasat, Olufadekemi Fajemisim
Summary: Soil pollution caused by human activities is a significant issue, and predicting the spatial distribution of potentially toxic elements in urban and peri-urban soil is challenging. The empirical bayesian kriging-support vector machine regression (EBK-SVMR) model is found to be the optimal model for effectively predicting nickel concentrations in the soil.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Meenakshi Chaurasia, Kajal Patel, Rahul Bhadouria, K. S. Rao
Summary: The study investigated the spatial variability in soil physicochemical parameters of the surface soil in the peri-urban landscape of Ghaziabad district in India. The research found significant differences in soil properties across land use types and their distribution across different sites. The results suggest that anthropogenic disturbances significantly affect soil characteristics and may have serious implications on soil structure and function.
ENVIRONMENT DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Xueqian Zhong, Sophie Joimel, Christophe Schwartz, Thibault Sterckeman
Summary: Soil trace metal concentrations in vegetable gardens often exceed background levels, posing a threat to soil, plant functioning, and human health. If current gardening practices continue, concentrations of Cd, Cu, and Zn are predicted to increase after a century, with organic amendments being the major source. Increasing pH may decrease metal solubility and prevent mobility and bioavailability increase.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Environmental Studies
Hongbin Liu, Jie Lyu
Summary: The study reveals that farmers' land use behavior has distinct impacts on soil quality in terms of both temporal and spatial aspects. The target of FLUB has shifted over time, and there is a greater spatial variation of soil quality in areas further away from the city center.
Article
Plant Sciences
Michelle A. Otieno, Harun Gitari, Benjamin Danga, Ann N. Karuma
Summary: The study assessed soil fertility status in peri-urban counties of Nairobi for Capsicum production, generating a soil fertility map and developing a fertilizer program. Variations in soil nutrients across counties were identified, with recommendations for addressing deficiencies in nitrogen, organic carbon, and phosphorus. The fertility index was rated as medium with most nutrients optimal, except for nitrogen and organic carbon, leading to the creation of a fertilizer program to aid farmers in planning schedules for Capsicum production.
JOURNAL OF SOIL SCIENCE AND PLANT NUTRITION
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Ada Baldi, Stefano Cecchi, Chiara Grassi, Camillo A. Zanchi, Simone Orlandini, Marco Napoli
Summary: This study evaluated the potential risks to human health posed by growing crops such as barley, castor bean, and common bean in Pb-contaminated soil, as well as the potential of these plants to remediate Pb in soil. The results showed that these crops could grow to maturity in Pb-contaminated soil, but Pb would accumulate in the edible parts.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Anna Augustsson, Maria Lundgren, Anna Qvarforth, Rupert Hough, Emma Engstrom, Cora Paulukat, Ilia Rodushkin
Summary: This study analyzed samples of urban vegetables grown near a heavily trafficked road in Sweden. The results show that the efficiency of washing in removing contaminants varies among different elements, emphasizing the importance of washing vegetables for food safety and reducing health risks.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ana de Santiago-Martin, Raffaella Meffe, Gloria Teijon, Virtudes Martinez Hernandez, Isabel Lopez-Heras, Covadonga Alonso Alonso, Marta Arenas Romasanta, Irene de Bustamante
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2020)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Virtudes Martinez-Hernandez, Raffaella Meffe, Jorge Hernandez-Martin, Adriana Alonso Gonzalez, Ana de Santiago-Martin, Irene de Bustamante
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2020)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Inmaculada Valverde-Asenjo, Ana Dieguez-Anton, Juan Pedro Martin-Sanz, Jose Antonio Molina, Jose Ramon Quintana
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2020)
Article
Plant Sciences
Cristina Vaquero Perea, Inmaculada Valverde-Asenjo, Antonio Vazquez de la Cueva, Juan Pedro Martin-Sanz, Jose Antonio Molina, Jose Ramon Quintana
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jose Ramon Quintana, Jose Antonio Molina, Ana Dieguez-Anton, Inmaculada Valverde-Asenjo
Summary: Recent studies in Mediterranean abandoned vineyards showed an increase in soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, enzyme activities, and plant species density over time, but they are also affected by interannual climate variability. Extreme drought events increased enzyme activity related to carbon and nitrogen cycles, resulting in increased TOC after favorable conditions. However, longer abandoned lands experienced a more negative impact from extreme drought events.
LAND DEGRADATION & DEVELOPMENT
(2021)
Article
Forestry
Isabel Aullo-Maestro, Cristina Gomez, Eva Marino, Miguel Cabrera, Antonio Vazquez De la Cueva, Fernando Montes
Summary: The study compared universal kriging with the area-based approach for estimating forest inventory variables using LiDAR data, finding that universal kriging performed better in the presence of spatial autocorrelation.
ANNALS OF FOREST SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Raffaella Meffe, Ana de Santiago-Martin, Gloria Teijon, Virtudes Martinez Hernandez, Isabel Lopez-Heras, Leonor Nozal, Irene de Bustamante
Summary: The study reveals that agricultural soils irrigated with surface water contaminated by wastewater treatment plant effluents can lead to the accumulation of pharmaceuticals in plants, posing a potential health risk to human consumption. While the concentrations of pharmaceuticals in soil are high, natural attenuation processes are observed during soil infiltration, reducing the levels of contaminants transferred to crops.
ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Juan Pedro Martin-Sanz, Ana de Santiago-Martin, Inmaculada Valverde-Asenjo, Jose Ramon Quintana-Nieto, Concepcion Gonzalez-Huecas, Antonio L. Lopez-Lafuente
Summary: This study compared the effectiveness of different methods in calculating the soil quality index (SQI) and found that the SQI generated by network analysis (NTA) was more useful than that generated by principal component analysis (PCA), as it was able to better differentiate the soil uses.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jose Antonio Molina, Juan Pedro Martin-Sanz, Inmaculada Valverde-Asenjo, Abel Sanchez-Jimenez, Jose Ramon Quintana
Summary: The abandonment of agricultural lands leads to a secondary succession of plant species and significant changes in soil quality. Mediterranean grasslands, which persist on abandoned agriculture lands, serve as an important indicator for monitoring biodiversity and soil fertility. The study found that early-stage grasslands and late-stage grasslands exhibited differences in plant communities, growth forms, functional traits, and soil functionality. The findings highlight the conservation value of late-stage grasslands characterized by enriched bryophyte coverage and specific plant species.
BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Antonio Vazquez de la Cueva, Isabel Aullo Maestro, Fernando Montes Pita
Summary: This study mapped the coverage of Acacia dealbata using multispectral and RGB images and evaluated their behavior during different seasons. The results showed that the Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) models were effective in identifying species distribution patterns, with better performance using summer images.
Article
Plant Sciences
Jose Antonio Molina, Juan Pedro Martin-Sanz, Miguel angel Casermeiro, Jose Ramon Quintana
Summary: The study found that there is a clear relationship between the type of vegetation and the degree of soil disturbance. Roadside vegetation grows on soils with higher phenoloxidase activity, while perennial forbs grow on soils with the highest organic carbon and available phosphorus. Soil compaction, nutrient cycling, and organic matter content are important factors that affect the distribution of plant communities and ecosystem functions.
APPLIED VEGETATION SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Jose Ramon Quintana, Juan Pedro Martin-Sanz, Inmaculada Valverde-Asenjo, Jose Antonio Molina
Summary: Climate change causes increased frequency and severity of drought, affecting the global carbon cycle. This study examines the effects of an extreme drought event on soil stability in abandoned vineyards. The event led to soil structural destabilization and had major impacts on the carbon and nitrogen cycles. It resulted in the release and rapid mineralization of a large amount of organic matter, turning abandoned ecosystems from carbon sinks to sources.
Article
Forestry
Antonio Vazquez de la Cueva, Fernando Montes Pita, Isabel Aullo-Maestro
Summary: This study aims to classify and validate the coverage of Acacia dealbata by stratifying its area into three different flowering stages using remotely piloted aircraft (RPA)-derived image orthomosaics. The study selected three sites in the west of Ourense province, which represents the eastern cluster of A. dealbata populations in Galicia, Spain.