When the presence of a chemical in soil affects humans, or other living organisms, producing undesired effects, that soil is considered polluted. Some of these chemicals are human-made, such as organic xenobiotics (e.g., pesticides), while others may have both a natural and anthropogenic origin, such as trace elements (e.g., metals and metalloids). In addition to these usually known pollutants, soils can be also affected by emerging contaminants (e.g., nanoparticles, human and veterinary drugs, microplastics), knowledge of which is still scarce. These pollutants will not only affect the soil but, ultimately, different resources and environmental compartments, which will represent a major risk. To control this risk, measures must be taken on the polluted soil, which can range from the sole isolation of the affected area, to its full decontamination. Of course, confinement and remediation actions are costly, and sometimes, pollution affects countries that lack legislation, and the extension of the affected area makes the costs of soil remediation high and, certainly, not considered as a priority. Nevertheless, there are solutions for the management of contaminated soils, controlling risks, and promoting their remediation using sustainable practices. This is true for biological methods, bioremediation and phytoremediation, which can be used both singly or combined, allowing the immobilization, extraction or degradation of different soil contaminants, contributing to the control of the risk of exposure to the pollutant, or to soil decontamination, through the continuous reduction of their concentration. This Special Issue welcomes studies on different soil pollutants: concentrations and soil-plant-water interactions, bioavailability assessment, risks to human health, negative effects on the environment (e.g., freshwater and groundwater, soil organisms, soil functions, ecosystem services), soil quality evaluation, and sustainable soil remediation strategies. Studies in real soil pollution scenarios and remediation in long-term field studies are encouraged.
Keywords: soil pollutants; potentially toxic trace elements; persistent organic pollutants; soil emerging pollutants; bioavailability assessment; risk assessment; soil quality; soil remediation; phytoremediation; bioremediation.