The origin of metals in the environment such as soil, water, and sediment may be either from natural or anthropogenic procedures. Natural procedures include mineral weathering, volcano eruptions, and erosion. Anthropogenic inputs are related mainly to industrial activities, such as mining, smelting, wastewater discharge, and agriculture, which are the major causes of metal accumulation in the environment. Concerns have thus been increasingly raised regarding its associated ecological risks, and furthermore on human health risks due to their transferability to the food chain.
The metal transformations in the environments with the pathways and mechanisms are potential for contamination remediation. The toxicity, mobility, and fate of metals in the environment are largely determined by their speciation, and the speciation changes are driven by biotic or abiotic processes. The transfer of metal within the soil-plant system is a part of the biochemical cycling. Microorganisms are also involved in metal biogeochemistry with a variety of processes determining mobility, and therefore, bioavailability. We hope to help develop cost-effective technologies to control metal bioavailability and mobility in contaminated environments, using the related theories, methods, and technologies in metal biogeochemistry.
Manuscripts in the forms of Original Research, Review, Opinion, Perspective, and Methods are all welcome. Manuscripts focus on the following aspects are highly recommended:
(a) Metal distribution in the contaminated environments;
(b) Metal speciation and availability affected by various environmental parameters, such as environmental redox processes;
(c) The mechanism of metal uptake and translocation in the soil-plant system;
(d) Microorganisms’ role in metal transformation in the environment;
(e) Metal biogeochemical cycles’ impact on other elements including carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorous;
(f) Challenges and potentials of the bioremediation for metal contaminations. Long-term spatial and temporal studies to establish a global biogeochemical cycle, as well as laboratory studies of metal interactions are all welcome.
The origin of metals in the environment such as soil, water, and sediment may be either from natural or anthropogenic procedures. Natural procedures include mineral weathering, volcano eruptions, and erosion. Anthropogenic inputs are related mainly to industrial activities, such as mining, smelting, wastewater discharge, and agriculture, which are the major causes of metal accumulation in the environment. Concerns have thus been increasingly raised regarding its associated ecological risks, and furthermore on human health risks due to their transferability to the food chain.
The metal transformations in the environments with the pathways and mechanisms are potential for contamination remediation. The toxicity, mobility, and fate of metals in the environment are largely determined by their speciation, and the speciation changes are driven by biotic or abiotic processes. The transfer of metal within the soil-plant system is a part of the biochemical cycling. Microorganisms are also involved in metal biogeochemistry with a variety of processes determining mobility, and therefore, bioavailability. We hope to help develop cost-effective technologies to control metal bioavailability and mobility in contaminated environments, using the related theories, methods, and technologies in metal biogeochemistry.
Manuscripts in the forms of Original Research, Review, Opinion, Perspective, and Methods are all welcome. Manuscripts focus on the following aspects are highly recommended:
(a) Metal distribution in the contaminated environments;
(b) Metal speciation and availability affected by various environmental parameters, such as environmental redox processes;
(c) The mechanism of metal uptake and translocation in the soil-plant system;
(d) Microorganisms’ role in metal transformation in the environment;
(e) Metal biogeochemical cycles’ impact on other elements including carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorous;
(f) Challenges and potentials of the bioremediation for metal contaminations. Long-term spatial and temporal studies to establish a global biogeochemical cycle, as well as laboratory studies of metal interactions are all welcome.