soil contamination – Page 2

Advancements in Biochar for Soil Remediation of Heavy Metals and/or Organic Pollutants

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Biochar, a carbon-rich material made from burning plant waste with limited oxygen, can effectively clean polluted soil by trapping harmful chemicals and metals. When mixed into contaminated soil, biochar’s porous structure acts like a sponge to capture pesticides, petroleum products, and toxic metals, preventing them from spreading into groundwater or being absorbed by plants. Scientists have found that combining biochar with plants and beneficial bacteria creates an even more effective cleaning system that can remediate severely contaminated sites.

The impact of novel bacterial strains and their consortium on diflufenican degradation in the mineral medium and soil

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Scientists isolated four types of bacteria from agricultural soil that can break down diflufenican, a persistent weed-killer chemical that normally takes years to degrade. When these four bacteria work together as a team, they can eliminate over 82% of the herbicide in soil within four weeks. This discovery could provide a practical solution for cleaning up farmland contaminated with this stubborn chemical pollutant.

Heavy Metal-Contaminated Soils and Gastric Cancer Risk: Molecular Insights and the Relevance of a One Health Perspective

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Heavy metals like cadmium, arsenic, and lead contaminate agricultural soils and accumulate in crops such as rice and vegetables, which people consume as part of their daily diet. These metals damage stomach cell DNA and trigger inflammation, increasing cancer risk, especially when combined with bacterial infections like H. pylori. A comprehensive approach monitoring soil quality, crop safety, and human health together can help prevent this disease and protect communities from contamination.

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

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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.

Impact of energy metabolism pathways in promoting phytoremediation of cadmium contamination by Bacillus amyloliquefaciens Bam1

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Researchers developed genetically modified bacteria (Bacillus amyloliquefaciens) that produce more energy to better survive in cadmium-contaminated soil. These enhanced bacteria can then help tomato plants absorb and remove cadmium pollution from the soil more effectively. The best-performing modified strain increased cadmium accumulation in tomatoes by nearly 1.9 times compared to the original bacteria, offering a promising biological solution for cleaning contaminated agricultural soils.

Potential biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and petroleum hydrocarbons by indigenous fungi recovered from crude oil-contaminated soil in Iran

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Scientists isolated fungi from oil-contaminated soil in Iran to find species that can break down petroleum pollutants. Two fungi species, Alternaria tenuissima and Epicoccum nigrum, showed exceptional ability to degrade harmful oil compounds called PAHs. When applied to contaminated soil in the laboratory, these fungi successfully eliminated over 70% of the long-chain hydrocarbons. This research offers a natural and cost-effective way to clean up oil-spilled soil without using harsh chemicals.

Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Agricultural Soils: A Comprehensive Review of the Hidden Crisis and Exploring Control Strategies

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Antibiotics used in farming and medicine are creating resistant bacteria that accumulate in soil, threatening food safety and human health through the food chain. This review explains how these resistant genes spread through soil microorganisms and presents practical solutions including special soil treatments, chemical processes, and beneficial microorganisms to reduce the problem. The authors emphasize the need for stricter regulations on antibiotic use in agriculture and better management of farm manure to protect both soil health and public health.

Shotgun metagenomics analysis indicates Bradyrhizobium spp. as the predominant genera for heavy metal resistance and bioremediation in a long-term heavy metal-contaminated ecosystem

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Scientists collected soil samples from a contaminated nuclear facility and used advanced DNA sequencing techniques to identify which bacteria live in the polluted soil. They found that a bacterium called Bradyrhizobium dominates the soil and appears to be naturally resistant to heavy metals like uranium and nickel. This suggests that this specific bacterium could be used to help clean up and restore contaminated environments.

Synergistic Effects of Lavandula angustifolia and a Bacterial Consortium on Bioremediation of a Heavy Metal-Contaminated Soil

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This study demonstrates how planting lavender combined with beneficial soil bacteria can effectively clean industrial contaminated soil. Over 90 days, this combined approach significantly reduced toxic lead and tin in the soil while improving overall soil health. The lavender plant works synergistically with the bacteria to create an ideal environment for metal removal and soil recovery, offering a sustainable and cost-effective alternative to traditional soil cleanup methods.

Phytoremediation of Heavy Metal-Contaminated Soil Using Drought-Adapted Sweet Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) in Arid Regions of Kazakhstan

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Researchers found that sweet sorghum, a drought-tolerant crop, can effectively clean soil contaminated with toxic metals in Kazakhstan’s dry regions. By carefully selecting genotypes that were both adapted to harsh conditions and showed strong growth in laboratory tests, they demonstrated that the plants accumulate lead, cadmium, and cobalt primarily in their roots, making them safe for harvesting. This plant-based approach offers an affordable and environmentally friendly alternative to expensive traditional soil cleanup methods.

Research Keyword: soil contamination