A Review on Remediation Technology and the Remediation Evaluation of Heavy Metal-Contaminated Soils

Summary

Heavy metals from industrial activities, mining, and vehicle emissions contaminate agricultural soils and pose health risks to humans through the food chain. This review summarizes different methods to clean contaminated soils, ranging from physical removal to using plants and microorganisms to absorb metals. The most promising approaches combine multiple techniques and use biological methods like planting metal-accumulating plants, which are cheaper and less damaging to soil ecology than traditional chemical or thermal treatments.

Background

Soil contamination from heavy metals has become a significant environmental issue due to rapid industrial and agricultural development. Heavy metal contamination is characterized by concealment, long-term persistence, and irreversibility, making remediation challenging and resource-intensive.

Objective

This review examines sources and hazards of heavy metals in soils, evaluates remediation technologies available for heavy metal-contaminated soils, discusses remediation standards, and assesses post-remediation evaluation methods to provide guidance for future soil remediation research.

Results

The review identifies multiple sources of soil heavy metals including wastewater irrigation, mining/smelting, vehicular emissions, and fertilizer application. Remediation technologies vary in effectiveness and applicability, with combined remediation approaches showing promise. Remediation standards differ significantly across countries based on economic and social factors.

Conclusion

Future soil remediation should emphasize efficient, low-cost biological approaches such as phytoremediation and microbial remediation, integrated with combined remediation technologies. Establishing comprehensive remediation assessment systems and region-specific remediation standards is essential for effective heavy metal-contaminated soil management.
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