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Soil Deterioration and Risk Assessment of Heavy Metal Contamination

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Heavy Metal Toxicity: Environmental Concerns, Remediation and Opportunities

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Abstract

Soils establish an understructure of ecological processes such as nutrient cycling, primary production, climate variables, biophysical habitats, species interaction, etc. Such an important part is vulnerable to various kinds of pollution, and one of them is heavy metal contamination. Soil gets contaminated with heavy metals through natural as well as anthropogenic sources. The former one includes weathering, volcanoes, wind, soil erosion, and wind storms, while the latter one includes mining, dumping of waste having heavy metals into landfills, fertilizer and pesticide application, coal combustion, sewage sludge, and petrochemicals. Almost 80% of heavy metal wastes in India are contributed by Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra. Heavy metals such as Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn, and Co are essential for improving soil health, but their excess amount could lead to contamination which affects soil hydrology, chemistry, and biota. Factors such as geoaccumulation index methods, ecological risk index (RI), and contamination factor (CF) are used to assess the anthropogenic influence of heavy metals on the soil. Physicochemical parameters such as pH, TOC, and texture govern the mobility and retention of heavy metals into agricultural soils. Phytoextraction is proven to be a realistic approach for mining heavy metals from soil. For instance, alkalinity decreases mobility and retention of heavy metals in soil, while loamy soils show better drainage and lower retention of heavy metals than clay soils. This chapter aims to yield decision-making information regarding agricultural soil quality in relation to risks associated with human health and the environment.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Sciences, Central University of South Bihar, Gaya, Bihar, India

    Akriti Ashesh & Ningombam Linthoingambi Devi

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  1. Akriti Ashesh
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  2. Ningombam Linthoingambi Devi
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Correspondence to Ningombam Linthoingambi Devi .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India

    Rajeev Pratap Singh

  2. Department of Science, Institute of Computer Science and Technology, SHEPA, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India

    Pooja Singh

  3. Department of Life Science, Central University of South Bihar, Gaya, Bihar, India

    Amrita Srivastava

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Ashesh, A., Devi, N.L. (2023). Soil Deterioration and Risk Assessment of Heavy Metal Contamination. In: Singh, R.P., Singh, P., Srivastava, A. (eds) Heavy Metal Toxicity: Environmental Concerns, Remediation and Opportunities. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-0397-9_6

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