Factors That Determine the Sorption of Mineral Elements in Soils and Their Impact on Soil and Water Pollution

Abstract

Soil is an essential ecosystem, delivering valuable services such as the provision of food, energy and raw materials, carbon sequestration, water purification and infiltration, nutrient regulation, pest control and recreation. Therefore, soil is crucial for fighting climate change, protecting human health, safeguarding biodiversity and ecosystems and ensuring food security. Pollution of the soil by organic and inorganic substances is, therefore, detrimental to ecosystem services and/or human health. Heavy metals at harmful concentrations are highly detrimental, and here, mining activities are one of the main sources of soil pollution. According to studies conducted, some of the major soil factors affecting mineral (including P) sorption are time, soil pH, soil organic matter and iron and aluminum oxides of soils. This paper looks at sources of mineral element pollution, including heavy metals, as heavy metals are toxic to all living organisms, including humans. This paper also reviews both cationic heavy metals and inorganic anionic pollutants, such as phosphate and arsenic, as well as cationic, non-heavy-metal pollutants such as nitrogen and potassium.

The interplay between historical land‐use and the distribution of Helichrysum shrubs in an African‐protected grassland

“…Soil disturbance and crop harvesting may have contributed to the loss of soil Mg, P and Ca, which are susceptible to depletion through leaching and crop removal (Allsopp, 1999; Filipovi et al., 2023; Leul et al., 2023). Soil Mg is easily washed out of the soil by infiltrating water (Mengel & Appel, 2001), and soil P can strongly adsorb onto soil particles, resulting in depletion from the soil due to soil erosion and crop removal (Nortjé & Laker, 2021; Reijnders, 2014). Hence, despite long‐term differences in land use, these soil parameters may still reflect the negative impacts of intensive human use.…”

Characteristics of the Properties of Absodan Plus Sorbent and Its Ability to Remove Phosphates and Chromates from Aqueous Solutions

“…They are desirable for their positive effect on plant cultivation, but their transmission to the aquatic environment has an adverse eutrophication effect [ 11 ]. Important point sources of phosphorus pollution are discharges of industrial, municipal, and animal farm wastewater meanwhile, nonpoint pollution is generated by surface runoff from agriculture and urban areas [ 12 , 13 ]. Phosphorus removal from municipal wastewater is efficient at large treatment plants when smaller objects grapple with the lack of effective technology [ 14 ].…”

“…Iron oxides are often used as coatings on mineral carriers and in this form, they adsorb phosphates [ 27 , 28 ]. The common feature is that the adsorption of chromates and phosphates is intensified under acidic conditions due to electrostatic attraction, ion exchange, and complexation with protonated surfaces [ 12 ]. Mineral materials such as indigenous volcanic rock [ 29 ], aluminosilicate rock containing feldspar, montmorillonite, and illite [ 30 ], diatomite, and zeolite [ 31 ], dolomite and opoka [ 32 ], zeolitic tuff [ 33 ] are also used to remove chromates and phosphates.…”

Heavy Metal Concentrations in Roadside Soils on the Białystok-Budzisko Route in Northeastern Poland

“…In addition to industry and agriculture, road transport is a primary source of trace element pollution. In recent years, the number of cars has increased significantly, which is associated with increased contamination of the soil environment and surface and groundwater with heavy metals [4][5][6]. According to the Central Statistical Office, the number of passenger cars in Poland in 2000 was almost 10 million, while in 2020 it was slightly above 25 million [7].…”

“…For a long time, soil was considered a repository of pollutants due to adsorption processes that affect binding to inorganic and organic contaminants [5,22]. The level of heavy metal contamination of soils depends on its type, climate [23], anthropogenic activity [24,25], and atmospheric conditions [13], including wind direction and speed, type of precipitation, type of terrain [14] and type of vegetation [26].…”