Soil & Environmental Health最新文献

{"title":"Calcium as a confounding variable in phosphorus attribution: A commentary on Hu et al. (2025)","authors":"Xiaoming Zou","doi":"10.1016/j.seh.2025.100172","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seh.2025.100172","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This letter questions the sole attribution of enhanced plant growth and arsenic accumulation to P availability in Hu et al. (2025), arguing that Ca, a co-delivered nutrient in all treatments, may be a confounding factor. Emerging evidence highlights Ca's critical role in plant growth, water use efficiency, and arsenic uptake, necessitating careful consideration in experimental designs. The letter recommends experimental designs that disentangle P and Ca effects to strengthen the mechanistic understanding of nutrient-driven phytoremediation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":94356,"journal":{"name":"Soil & Environmental Health","volume":"3 4","pages":"Article 100172"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144750637","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Corrigendum regarding missing ethics approval statements in previously published articles","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.seh.2025.100163","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seh.2025.100163","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":94356,"journal":{"name":"Soil & Environmental Health","volume":"3 3","pages":"Article 100163"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144614310","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Stabilizing organic matter and reducing methane emissions during manure composting with biochar to strengthen the role of compost in soil health","authors":"Keiji Jindo ,&nbsp;Tomonori Sonoki ,&nbsp;Miguel A. Sánchez-Monedero","doi":"10.1016/j.seh.2025.100164","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seh.2025.100164","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Biochar is a promising additive for enhancing composting efficiency and long-term compost quality. This study investigated its effects on greenhouse gas emissions and organic matter stabilization during the composting of poultry (PM) and cattle manure (CM). Biochar addition significantly reduced methane emissions during the thermophilic phase—by 4.6-fold in PM+B and 3.7-fold in CM+B compared to PM and CM without biochar amendment, respectively—indicating improved aeration and microbial activity, as supported by higher CO₂ emissions. A novel aspect of this study is the focus on lignin, a recalcitrant carbon fraction. Biochar-amended composts showed 1.5-fold greater lignin degradation (29.0 ​% in PM ​+ ​B and 10.8 ​% in CM ​+ ​B) than controls, along with enhanced lignin stability, as evidenced by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy and thermal analysis. We assessed labile carbon fractions (e.g., water-soluble carbon and carbohydrates), ATP, and enzymes involved in carbon and nutrient cycling. PM and CM retained more labile carbon through the final stage, showing higher ATP, dehydrogenase, and β-glucosidase than their biochar-treated counterparts. Redundancy analysis indicated that microbial communities and structural traits influenced gas emissions during the thermophilic stage and compost stabilization at the final stage. CH₄ emissions were associated with <em>mcrA</em>, fungi, and total nitrogen, while CO₂ correlated with bulk density and Gram-negative bacteria. In the final stage, maturity indices were linked with microbial and physicochemical variables, underscoring their combined role in compost stabilization. Biochar amendment enhanced compost quality by reducing CH₄ emission and promoting selective carbon transformation, particularly lignin. These findings support biochar-amended composting as a strategy for producing composts with improved agronomic and environmental value.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":94356,"journal":{"name":"Soil & Environmental Health","volume":"3 4","pages":"Article 100164"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144714388","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Rhizosphere microbiota alleviate As accumulation in maize intercropped with peanut in long-term Cd and As co-contaminated farmland","authors":"Tong Wu ,&nbsp;Hong-Xin Sun ,&nbsp;Li-Ping Geng ,&nbsp;Shu-Shen Yang ,&nbsp;Pei-Ying Xue ,&nbsp;Pei-Pei Gao ,&nbsp;Meng-Zhen Han ,&nbsp;Wen-Ju Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.seh.2025.100162","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seh.2025.100162","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Root-associated microbiota play an important role in regulating heavy metal transfter from soil to crops in contaminated areas. Maize-peanut intercropping is a cultivation pattern that directly influences the composition and function of the root-associated microbiota in farmland. However, it remains unclear whether this intercropping affects the accumulation of As and Cd in the edible parts of crops by altering the root microbial community in long-term As and Cd co-contaminated farmland. A field experiment was conducted to explore the mechanisms of intercropping maize-peanut on regulating the behaviors of As and Cd in soil-crop system by recruiting the specific root-associated microbial communities. The results demonstrated that intercropping maize-peanut significantly decreased the As concentration in the grains of intercropped maize (IM) up to 61.0 ​% compared with monocropping maize. Specifically, at the jointing stage, IM recruited the distinct root-associated microorganisms, including Actinobacteria <em>Lechevalieria</em>, <em>Nocardioides</em>, <em>Agromyces</em>, and <em>Blastococcus</em>, and Alphaproteobacteria <em>norank_f__Geminicoccaceae</em>. These microbial communities were closely associated with the As bioavailability in the rhizosphere soil and As accumulation in maize tissues, especially grain-As of IM. However, intercropping maize-peanut had no significant effect on Cd concentrations in the grains of either maize or peanut. This study verified that the intercropping maize-peanut might be a better approach to guarantee the safety of crop products in As-contaminated soil, but not in Cd- or Cd-As co-contaminated farmland.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":94356,"journal":{"name":"Soil & Environmental Health","volume":"3 3","pages":"Article 100162"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144482402","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An integrated approach for determining the spatial distribution, source apportionment and human health risks of PAHs in soils of rapidly-urbanized areas","authors":"Lingzhi Luo ,&nbsp;Xiaoyong Liao ,&nbsp;Huan Tao ,&nbsp;You Li ,&nbsp;Liang Wang ,&nbsp;Hongying Cao ,&nbsp;Yonghua Li ,&nbsp;Weiwei Shi ,&nbsp;Tianyi Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.seh.2025.100161","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seh.2025.100161","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The rise of large urban agglomerations has exacerbated pollutant emissions, resulting in regional soil contamination with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which jeopardizes the development of urban agglomerations and affects human health. There is a lack of research in this area in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, with the existing studies on PAHs in soil in the larger region often neglecting the spatial heterogeneity of the pollution sources and systematic analysis of risk assessment. This study introduces the Distribution-Source-Risk framework, analyzed soil PAH pollutants in the region, and examined PAH sources, distribution patterns, and associated health risks. Random forest modeling was employed to map PAH distribution in the BTH soils. City classification analysis was conducted based on the derived pollution levels and urbanization degree, resulting in four city types: high urbanization and high pollution, high urbanization and low pollution, low urbanization and high pollution, and low urbanization and low pollution. Primary PAH sources include coal-burning (29%), coking (25%), traffic (25%), and biomass-burning (21%), with varying contributions based on city types. The overall order of human health risks was coal-burning ​&gt; ​traffic ​&gt; ​coking ​&gt; ​biomass-burning sources. Finally, differen policies for soil PAH PAH management (such as energy transition and green infrastructure) were elaborated to promote coordinated development of regional urbanization environment. In summary, this research offers a comprehensive approach, linking processes to provide a precise understanding of pollution across different entities (cities, sources, and populations). Our findings reveal distinct pollution patterns across city types and highlight targeted mitigation priorities and provide a systematic, data-driven framework for regional soil PAH management and public health protection.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":94356,"journal":{"name":"Soil & Environmental Health","volume":"3 3","pages":"Article 100161"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144239695","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Navigating the challenges of spectral soil sensing: Key solutions for success","authors":"Amin Sharififar ,&nbsp;Nicolas Francos ,&nbsp;Wartini Ng ,&nbsp;Budiman Minasny ,&nbsp;Asa Gholizadeh ,&nbsp;Senani Karunaratne ,&nbsp;Alex McBratney","doi":"10.1016/j.seh.2025.100160","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seh.2025.100160","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy has emerged as a powerful tool in soil science, providing detailed soil information across diverse landscapes. Its potential to revolutionise soil assessment is immense; however, the path to fully globalise soil spectroscopy is challenging. Researchers aim to harness a global soil spectral library for rapid, accurate, and cost-effective soil evaluation. Yet, there are still operational challenges to be addressed to operationalise soil spectroscopy for routine analysis. We categorise these challenges into four fundamental topics: the standardisation of spectra acquisition, representation and modelling of soil diversity, complexities of soil matrix overlapping effects, and need for temporal monitoring of soils through spectroscopy. First, the variability in measurement protocols and equipment across studies hinders the comparability of results. Establishing standardised methods for spectra acquisition will enhance reproducibility and foster collaboration across the global scientific community. Second, soils are inherently diverse, reflecting a vast array of physical and chemical properties. Capturing this diversity in soil spectral libraries poses a modelling challenge. Comprehensive representation of various soil types and conditions is crucial for the successful application of spectral techniques. Third, the spectral signatures of different soil properties often overlap, complicating the interpretation of spectral data. Understanding and mitigating the effects of matrix interactions are essential for improving the accuracy of soil properties prediction. Fourth, monitoring soil conditions over time is vital for sustainable land management. Developing methodologies that allow for effective temporal assessments using spectroscopy will enhance our understanding of soil dynamics. We explore the advancements made in tackling these challenges and propose innovative solutions aimed at optimising and operationalising soil spectroscopy. By addressing these critical issues, we can pave the way for a future where soil spectroscopy is an integral part of routine soil analysis, enabling scientists and land managers to make informed decisions that promote soil security.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":94356,"journal":{"name":"Soil & Environmental Health","volume":"3 3","pages":"Article 100160"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144365648","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Climate-management interactions drive soil organic carbon sequestration potential in China's croplands during 2020–2060","authors":"Wenfang Jiang ,&nbsp;Ziqi Lin ,&nbsp;Zhangcai Qin ,&nbsp;Xinqing Lu ,&nbsp;Wen Zhang ,&nbsp;Qing Zhang ,&nbsp;Sijing Ye ,&nbsp;Huirong Li ,&nbsp;Huilin Ge ,&nbsp;Guocheng Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.seh.2025.100159","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seh.2025.100159","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration in croplands plays a vital role in mitigating climate change and enhancing soil fertility. As one of the world's leading agricultural nations, China's croplands exhibit highly representative climate types, soil conditions, crop varieties, and farming systems on a global scale. Despite extensive studies on SOC dynamics, the spatial variability of SOC sequestration potential remains insufficiently quantified across China's diverse agricultural regions, which adopt varying straw management practices. This study employs a process-based modeling approach to systematically assess the dynamics and sequestration potential of SOC in China's croplands (122 ​Mha) from 2020 to 2060. We found that by sustaining a moderate historical management during 2015–2020 (i.e., an average of ∼37% residue retention rate in addition to traditional root residue retention and farmyard manure application), China's croplands SOC stock is projected to increase by more than 25% by 2060, corresponding to total SOC sequestration of ∼ 1650 ​Tg ​C at the national scale. Regional variability exists, with southern China (e.g., east and central, south and central, and southwest regions) contributing to ∼84% of total SOC sequestration, while northeast region has minimal sequestration potential. Carbon inputs, temperature, and precipitation are positively correlated with SOC dynamics, while initial SOC density shows a negative partial correlation with changes in SOC. This study not only characterizes the dynamics of SOC in China's croplands over the next 40 years under different carbon management practices and climate change scenarios, but also presents the pathways for achieving sustainable carbon sequestration in future croplands. Our findings highlight the importance of sustaining and optimizing straw return practices, alongside region-specific strategies, to maximize SOC sequestration and support global climate mitigation goals.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":94356,"journal":{"name":"Soil & Environmental Health","volume":"3 3","pages":"Article 100159"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144239694","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Phosphorus limitation enhances plant growth and arsenic accumulation in As-hyperaccumulator Pteris vittata: insights from insoluble calcium phytate and phosphate rock","authors":"Chun-Yan Hu ,&nbsp;Shufen Xiao ,&nbsp;Daniel Menezes-Blackburn ,&nbsp;Benjamin L. Turner ,&nbsp;Yue Cao ,&nbsp;Chenjing Liu ,&nbsp;Lena Q. Ma","doi":"10.1016/j.seh.2025.100158","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seh.2025.100158","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Phosphorus (P) is an essential macronutrient for plant growth, but its availability in soil is often insufficient to achieve optimum crop yield. The As-hyperaccumulator <em>Pteris vittata</em> thrives under low-P condition, with the underlying mechanisms remaining unclear. To understand the P-scavenging traits of <em>P. vittata,</em> we grew <em>P vittata</em> under three P-limiting conditions, low soluble-P, calcium phytate (insoluble organic P), and phosphate rock (PR; insoluble inorganic P), to quantify plant growth, As and P uptake, root exudates, and the gene expression of P transporters. Plants were grown under hydroponics with 50 ​μM As and 20 ​μM soluble-P, 2000 ​μM phytate-P, or 2000 ​μM PR-P, with 200 ​μM soluble-P as a sufficient P control. <em>P. vittata</em> efficiently acquired P when growing under all three low-P sources, with 76–85% greater P in its biomass compared to the sufficient P control. To acquire P from insoluble source, <em>P. vittata</em> secreted 1.7−2.9 fold more organic acids, including malic acid, succinic acid, oxalic acid, and phytic acid as root exudates under phytate and PR treatments. Further, <em>P. vittata</em> increased phytase activity to hydrolyze phytate, showing 6.5- and 3.3-fold greater phytase activity in <em>P. vittata</em> roots and root exudates under phytate treatment. Besides, the frond As content rose by 275–384% when growing under three low-P conditions, possibly attributing to 1.2−5.6 fold upregulation of P-transporters <em>PvPht1;</em><em>3/</em><em>1;</em><em>4</em> in <em>P. vittata</em> roots. Overall, this study suggests that the effective P and As accumulation by <em>P. vittata</em> under P-limiting conditions is associated with its increased root exudation of organic acids and phytase, and the upregulation of its P-transporters. These findings help to enhance the effectiveness of <em>P. vittata</em> in phytoremediation of As-contaminated soil and improve soil P utilization by crop plants.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":94356,"journal":{"name":"Soil & Environmental Health","volume":"3 3","pages":"Article 100158"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144170468","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Accurate detection of low concentrations of microplastics in soils via short-wave infrared hyperspectral imaging","authors":"Huan Chen ,&nbsp;Taesung Shin ,&nbsp;Bosoon Park ,&nbsp;Kyoung Ro ,&nbsp;Changyoon Jeong ,&nbsp;Hwang-Ju Jeon ,&nbsp;Pei-Lin Tan","doi":"10.1016/j.seh.2025.100157","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seh.2025.100157","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study evaluated the effectiveness of coupling machine learning algorithms with short-wave infrared hyperspectral imaging in detecting two types of microplastics - polyamide and polyethylene - with the maximum particle sizes of 50 and 300 ​μm, respectively, across three concentration ranges (0.01–0.10, 0.10–1.0, and 1.0–12 ​%) in soils. Using indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs; 800–1600 ​nm) and mercury cadmium telluride (MCT; 1000–2500 ​nm) sensors, we applied logistic regression and support vector machines by employing both linear and nonlinear kernels to analyze spectral features extracted via principal component analysis and partial least squares. The results demonstrated that the overall accuracy for detecting 0.01–12% microplastics was 93.8 ​± ​1.47% using the MCT sensor, which was higher than 68.8 ​± ​3.76 ​% using the InGaAs sensor. Both sensors showed high accuracy (&gt;94 ​%) when detecting high levels at 1.0–12%) of microplastics in soil. But these accuracies greatly declined as the spiked microplastics concentrations decreased from 1.0–12 to 0.10–1.0% and further to 0.01–0.10%. Moreover, this decline was more pronounced for the InGaAs sensor compared to the MCT sensor and for sub-wavelength spans compared to the full wavelength span under each sensor. The MCT sensor consistently outperformed the InGaAs sensor across all three concentration ranges, potentially due to its extended coverage of 1600–2500 ​nm and high sensitivity of the detector. Our study highlights the feasibility of the MCT hyperspectral imaging system for rapid and effective detection of microplastics in soils non-invasively at concentrations as low as 0.01%.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":94356,"journal":{"name":"Soil & Environmental Health","volume":"3 3","pages":"Article 100157"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144115249","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enhancing whole-profile soil organic carbon predictions in croplands through a depth-resolved modelling approach","authors":"Hangxin Zhou ,&nbsp;Yuchen Wei ,&nbsp;Mingming Wang ,&nbsp;Liujun Xiao ,&nbsp;Zhongkui Luo","doi":"10.1016/j.seh.2025.100156","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.seh.2025.100156","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soil organic carbon (SOC) enrichment in agricultural soils plays a vital role in supporting climate-smart sustainable crop production. Process-based agricultural system models are key tools for assessing the whole-profile SOC dynamics to help identify proper agricultural management practices. However, the depth-dependent characteristics of SOC turnover are often overlooked in these models, leading to substantial uncertainties in SOC predictions. Here, we evaluated the capabilities of the Agricultural Production System sIMulator (APSIM) to predict multi-layer SOC dynamics using data from five long-term field experiments across the main wheat and maize producing regions in China. Our results suggested that incorporating a depth-modifier for SOC decay rates significantly improved APSIM's performance in predicting the vertical distribution and temporal dynamics of SOC, with the coefficient of determination (R²) being increased from 0.75 to 0.93 and relative root mean square error being decreased from 0.2 to 0.07. Specifically, the maximum SOC decay rates were predicted to decrease with increasing soil depth, though the decreasing rate varied widely across the experimental sites. This depth-resolved modelling approach has implications for predicting whole-profile SOC dynamics in response to nitrogen fertilization, tillage and residue management scenarios. Our findings demonstrate the importance of depth-resolved modelling approach to enhance the reliability of whole-profile SOC predictions, thereby informing effective management strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":94356,"journal":{"name":"Soil & Environmental Health","volume":"3 3","pages":"Article 100156"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144090229","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}