Hazardous pollutants in agricultural soil and their entry into the food chain are a major threat to both food safety and security. This special issue will focus on the effects and potential remediation strategies for minimizing the impact of hazardous pollutants like heavy metals, hydrocarbons, pesticides, and microplastics in agricultural soil, plants, and related environments. These pollutants impact plant productivity and soil nutrient status negatively. Accumulation of toxic pollutants in agriculture produce further makes the situation worse. These hazardous chemicals also perturb the natural soil and rhizosphere microbiome which leads to changes in microbial processes related to the soil geochemical cycle and greenhouse gas emission. The role of these pollutants concerning climate change will also be discussed.
This research topic will highlight problems associated with the hazardous pollutants in agricultural soil and recent advancements to tackle their remediation. The presence of heavy metals in agricultural soil leads to their accumulation in food commodities which acts as a major route for the dissemination of these toxic metals in humans. Herbicides and pesticides used in agricultural fields for crop protection contain halogenated hydrocarbons which have a long-term effect on the environment and human health. Other hazardous soil pollutants like microplastics are gaining their entry into cropland through composite pesticides and fertilizers, mulch films, wastewater irrigation, and atmospheric deposition. Intensive research is being conducted to tackle the problem of these hazardous pollutants in agricultural soil and relate environment in a cost-effective and environment-friendly manner. Microbial and plant-based remediation strategies, application of biosurfactants and nanoparticles, and alteration in agricultural management practices are being evaluated and standardized to effectively reduce the uptake of these hazardous pollutants in plants. Therefore, recent advancements and scientific efforts in this regard need to be documented and disseminated for their proper implementation and execution.
The scope contains laboratory and in-situ studies based on the applications of microorganisms and plants for the remediation of hazardous pollutants in agricultural soil and related environment. Remediation strategies based on microbial biosurfactants, nanoparticles, genetic engineering, and PGPR are most welcomed in the form of original research articles, reviews, and mini-reviews. Studies focusing on hazardous pollutants in agricultural soil and their impact on soil microbial diversity, changes in soil geochemical cycle, greenhouse gas emission, and climate resilience are also encouraged.
Hazardous pollutants in agricultural soil and their entry into the food chain are a major threat to both food safety and security. This special issue will focus on the effects and potential remediation strategies for minimizing the impact of hazardous pollutants like heavy metals, hydrocarbons, pesticides, and microplastics in agricultural soil, plants, and related environments. These pollutants impact plant productivity and soil nutrient status negatively. Accumulation of toxic pollutants in agriculture produce further makes the situation worse. These hazardous chemicals also perturb the natural soil and rhizosphere microbiome which leads to changes in microbial processes related to the soil geochemical cycle and greenhouse gas emission. The role of these pollutants concerning climate change will also be discussed.
This research topic will highlight problems associated with the hazardous pollutants in agricultural soil and recent advancements to tackle their remediation. The presence of heavy metals in agricultural soil leads to their accumulation in food commodities which acts as a major route for the dissemination of these toxic metals in humans. Herbicides and pesticides used in agricultural fields for crop protection contain halogenated hydrocarbons which have a long-term effect on the environment and human health. Other hazardous soil pollutants like microplastics are gaining their entry into cropland through composite pesticides and fertilizers, mulch films, wastewater irrigation, and atmospheric deposition. Intensive research is being conducted to tackle the problem of these hazardous pollutants in agricultural soil and relate environment in a cost-effective and environment-friendly manner. Microbial and plant-based remediation strategies, application of biosurfactants and nanoparticles, and alteration in agricultural management practices are being evaluated and standardized to effectively reduce the uptake of these hazardous pollutants in plants. Therefore, recent advancements and scientific efforts in this regard need to be documented and disseminated for their proper implementation and execution.
The scope contains laboratory and in-situ studies based on the applications of microorganisms and plants for the remediation of hazardous pollutants in agricultural soil and related environment. Remediation strategies based on microbial biosurfactants, nanoparticles, genetic engineering, and PGPR are most welcomed in the form of original research articles, reviews, and mini-reviews. Studies focusing on hazardous pollutants in agricultural soil and their impact on soil microbial diversity, changes in soil geochemical cycle, greenhouse gas emission, and climate resilience are also encouraged.