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Adnan, M.; Xiao, B.; , .; Bibi, S. Pollution Levels in Various Environmental Compartments. Encyclopedia. Available online: https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/22435 (accessed on 07 July 2024).
Adnan M, Xiao B,  , Bibi S. Pollution Levels in Various Environmental Compartments. Encyclopedia. Available at: https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/22435. Accessed July 07, 2024.
Adnan, Muhammad, Baohua Xiao,  , Shaheen Bibi. "Pollution Levels in Various Environmental Compartments" Encyclopedia, https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/22435 (accessed July 07, 2024).
Adnan, M., Xiao, B., , ., & Bibi, S. (2022, April 28). Pollution Levels in Various Environmental Compartments. In Encyclopedia. https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/22435
Adnan, Muhammad, et al. "Pollution Levels in Various Environmental Compartments." Encyclopedia. Web. 28 April, 2022.
Pollution Levels in Various Environmental Compartments
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This entry is adapted from the peer-reviewed paper 10.3390/su14084746

Population growth is another source of pollution in the environment. Heavy metal pollution wreaks havoc on soil and groundwater, especially in China. COVID-19 has pros and cons. The COVID-19 epidemic has reduced air pollution in China and caused a significant reduction in CO2 releases globally due to the lockdown but has a harmful effect on human health and the economy. Moreover, COVID-19 brings a huge amount of biomedical waste. COVID-19’s biomedical waste appears to be causing different health issues. On the other hand, it was discovered that recycling has become a new source of pollution in south China. Furthermore, heavy metal contamination is the most severe ecological effect. Likewise, every problem has a remedy to create new waste management and pollution monitoring policy. The construction of a modern recycling refinery is an important aspect of national waste disposal. 

heavy metals COVID-19 waste biotoxicity SARS-CoV-2 CO2 circular economy

1. Soil

Toxic heavy metals are deposited in soils from natural and human activities [1]. As a consequence of environmental and health issues, soil heavy metal pollution has a huge interest [2]. The A horizon is called “topsoil”, in this layer, minerals are present which are generated from the parent material with the organic matter accumulating. The B horizon is called “subsoil” or “zone of accumulation”, the mineral seeps down from the A or E horizons and accumulates in this layer. However, the variation of the elemental concentrations is higher in the A and B horizons. The B horizon, or the third layer of soil, contains the majority of heavy metals [3]. This layer comprises components that were dissolved in the higher layer (the A horizon) and subsequently moved down or sidelong into the inferior layer, where they were dumped, and heavy metals are drawn to the B horizon because it has a high content of iron oxyhydroxides and clay, both of which can absorb cationic aspects [3]. Microorganisms cannot degrade heavy metals in the soil; therefore, they accumulate, influence the soil’s properties, and are assimilated and enhanced in biomass [4]. Cadmium (Cd) pollution is a major problem in China’s agriculture [5]. Pb, Cd, polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have appeared in high quantities in rice and organic contaminants have been found in vegetables growing surrounding unmanaged e-waste recycling locations [6]. E-waste soil samples frequently contain persistent organic pollutants (POPs), including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and PBDEs. In 2011 (0.59 mg/kg) and 2016 (0.40 mg/kg), researchers found high molecular weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in paddy soils close to e-waste recycling areas in Taizhou, China [7]. The principal pollutants of concern in e-waste-affected soil are Pb and Cd [7]. According to [6], the maximum Pb (629–7720 mg kg−1) and Cd (3.05–46.8 mg kg−1) contents found in soils around e-waste combustion operations far surpassed Chinese farming soil requirements (Pb: 250 mg kg−1; Cd: 0.3 mg kg−1). Metal concentrations were highest in historic e-waste incineration locations, with an average of 17.1 mg kg−1 of Cd, 11,140 mg kg−1 of Cu, 4500 mg kg−1 of Pb, and 3690 mg kg−1 of Zn. Metals in high amounts could seep out of the locations and contaminate pond water and sediment [6].

2. Water

Apart from soil pollution, which can contribute to water quality degradation and various negative environmental effects, heavy metal replication across the food supply chain has serious health impacts [8]. The global demand for freshwater is steadily increasing. Because arsenic (As) pollution affects such a broad population, the toxicity resulting from As enrichment in sedimentary aquifers beyond prescribed limits, which causes drinking water contamination, is a global concern [9]. Because As species are proven carcinogens, their presence in the environment is a primary public concern and is linked to severe health hazards [10]. The possible polluting roots from agriculture, including fertilizer, urban (such as wastewater), and industrial (including spills and leaks), and groundwater contact with surface water sources including rivers and lakes. This refers to the spread of new infections due to pesticides, and it is a threat to human health [11].
Chronic exposure to harmful contaminants in groundwater has negative health consequences and leads to serious diseases such as cancer, neurological disorders, reproductive system damage, congenital malformations, and, more recently, diabetes mellitus [11]. Enormous amounts of wastewater are released during the liquid and solid separation [12]. Pollutants can enter the groundwater system through karstic soils [11]. Karst covers around 30% of China’s land surface, and karst aquifers provide a quarter of the country’s groundwater supplies (200 billion m3 per year) [13]. Many karst locations worldwide have experienced rocky desertification, particularly in southwest China’s karst area, known as the world’s biggest karst area with constant carbonate rock outcrops [14]. Contamination in the atmosphere in the karst area is difficult to dissipate before precipitating again due to its unique geomorphological properties, as the environmental fragility of the karst aquifer in southwestern China is widely recognized [13]. According to [15], currently, no research has been done on the impact of karst water with various chemical properties on dissolved organic matter (DOM) leaching into karst soils. According to the various contaminants, heavy metals are numerous important and dangerous contaminants for groundwater [16]. The Lianjiang River was found to be polluted by As, Cr, molybdenum (Mo), selenium (Se), lithium (Li), and antimony (Sb), whereas the Nanyang River had higher levels of Ni, Zn, Cu, Pb, cobalt (Co), and silver (Ag) [7]. Toxic heavy metals have been found in wastewater discharged from tailing ponds: Pb, Zn, Cu, Cr, Ni, and As at average concentrations of 4.33, 269.90, 2.40, 1.69, 1.04, 11.40, and 24.62 g/L, respectively [17].
In China, 28% of groundwater examinations surpassed the WHO limit contamination level (10 mg N L−1) between 2000 and 2012. Up to 36% of the river sectors and 40% of the main lakes in China did not fulfill the quality standards to be used as drinking water sources in 2010 [18]. Rainwater, surface runoff, and groundwater in karst environments frequently have high Ca2+ levels [15]. Surface waters (from springs and streams to rivers and lakes) can transport heavy metals across long distances, and their chemical structure varies depending on the geological characteristics through which they travel [3]. Furthermore, surplus nutrients in rivers are transferred to seas, resulting in nearly 500 instances of hazardous algae blooms in China’s shore waters between 2006 and 2012, posing a threat to human health and shore ecosystems [18]. For a sustainable future, technologies that improve the efficiency of agriculture irrigation are required to grow more food or biomass with less water [19]. Because of socioeconomic and climate changes, this scenario is predicted to deteriorate in the future [18]. The hydrological cycle can forecast several climate change consequences [20]. In e-waste operations, there is still a severe lack of evidence about the origins and characteristics of heavy metal pollution. Groundwater is quickly depleting due to global climate change, and this process is threatening to overrun the entire water cycle. Because the rain cycle follows a four-step procedure in which groundwater is used in the evaporation and condensation process, the aquifer is an important aspect of the rain cycle. Unfortunately, global warming has disrupted the entire cycle.

References

  1. Elnazer, A.; Salman, S.; Seleem, E.M.; Abu El Ella, E.M. Assessment of Some Heavy Metals Pollution and Bioavailability in Roadside Soil of Alexandria-Marsa Matruh Highway, Egypt. Int. J. Ecol. 2015, 2015, 689420.
  2. Tang, X.-Y.; Cui, Y.-S.; Duan, J.; Tang, L. Pilot study of temporal variations in lead bioaccessibility and chemical fractionation in some Chinese soils. J. Hazard. Mater. 2008, 160, 29–36.
  3. Kobielska, P.A.; Howarth, A.J.; Farha, O.K.; Nayak, S. Metal–organic frameworks for heavy metal removal from water. Co-ord. Chem. Rev. 2018, 358, 92–107.
  4. Chai, Y.; Bai, M.; Chen, A.; Peng, L.; Shao, J.; Shang, C.; Peng, C.; Zhang, J.; Zhou, Y. Thermochemical conversion of heavy metal contaminated biomass: Fate of the metals and their impact on products. Sci. Total Environ. 2022, 822, 153426.
  5. Tan, M.; Li, H.; Huang, Z.; Wang, Z.; Xiong, R.; Jiang, S.; Luo, L. Comparison of atmospheric and gas-pressurized oxidative torrefaction of heavy-metal-polluted rice straw. J. Clean. Prod. 2021, 283, 124636.
  6. Luo, C.; Liu, C.; Wang, Y.; Liu, X.; Li, F.; Zhang, G.; Li, X. Heavy metal contamination in soils and vegetables near an e-waste processing site, south China. J. Hazard. Mater. 2011, 186, 481–490.
  7. Lin, S.; Ali, M.U.; Zheng, C.; Cai, Z.; Wong, M.H. Toxic chemicals from uncontrolled e-waste recycling: Exposure, body burden, health impact. J. Hazard. Mater. 2021, 426, 127792.
  8. Tóth, G.; Hermann, T.; Da Silva, M.; Montanarella, L. Heavy metals in agricultural soils of the European Union with implications for food safety. Environ. Int. 2016, 88, 299–309.
  9. Singh, P.; Borthakur, A.; Singh, R.; Bhadouria, R.; Singh, V.K.; Devi, P. A critical review on the research trends and emerging technologies for arsenic decontamination from water. Groundw. Sustain. Dev. 2021, 14, 100607.
  10. Yin, N.; Zhang, Z.; Cai, X.; Du, H.; Sun, G.; Cui, Y. In Vitro Method to Assess Soil Arsenic Metabolism by Human Gut Microbiota: Arsenic Speciation and Distribution. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2015, 49, 10675–10681.
  11. Rodriguez, A.G.P.; López, M.I.R.; Casillas, D.; León, J.A.A.; Banik, S.D. Impact of pesticides in karst groundwater. Review of recent trends in Yucatan, Mexico. Groundw. Sustain. Dev. 2018, 7, 20–29.
  12. Kim, M.-H.; Kim, J.-W. Comparison through a LCA evaluation analysis of food waste disposal options from the perspective of global warming and resource recovery. Sci. Total Environ. 2010, 408, 3998–4006.
  13. Wang, Y.; Xu, Y.; Qi, S.; Li, X.; Kong, X.; Yuan, D.; Theodore, O.I. Distribution and potential sources of organochlorine pesticides in the karst soils of a tiankeng in southwest China. Environ. Earth Sci. 2013, 70, 2873–2881.
  14. Di, X.; Xiao, B.; Dong, H.; Wang, S. Implication of different humic acid fractions in soils under karst rocky desertification. CATENA 2018, 174, 308–315.
  15. Xiao, P.; Xiao, B.; Adnan, M. Effects of Ca 2+ on migration of dissolved organic matter in limestone soils of the southwest China karst area. Land Degrad. Dev. 2021, 32, 5069–5082.
  16. Yang, M.; Chen, L.; Msigwa, G.; Tang, K.H.D.; Yap, P.-S. Implications of COVID-19 on global environmental pollution and carbon emissions with strategies for sustainability in the COVID-19 era. Sci. Total Environ. 2021, 809, 151657.
  17. Liang, Y.; Yi, X.; Dang, Z.; Wang, Q.; Luo, H.; Tang, J. Heavy Metal Contamination and Health Risk Assessment in the Vicinity of a Tailing Pond in Guangdong, China. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2017, 14, 1557.
  18. Wang, M.; Janssen, A.B.G.; Bazin, J.; Strokal, M.; Ma, L.; Kroeze, C. Accounting for interactions between Sustainable Development Goals is essential for water pollution control in China. Nat. Commun. 2022, 13, 730.
  19. Gallo, A., Jr.; Odokonyero, K.; Mousa, M.A.; Reihmer, J.; Al-Mashharawi, S.; Marasco, R.; Mishra, H. Nature-Inspired Superhydrophobic Sand Mulches Increase Agricultural Productivity and Water-Use Efficiency in Arid Regions. ACS Agric. Sci. Technol. 2022.
  20. Martínez-Retureta, R.; Aguayo, M.; Abreu, N.; Stehr, A.; Duran-Llacer, I.; Rodríguez-López, L.; Sauvage, S.; Sánchez-Pérez, J.-M. Estimation of the Climate Change Impact on the Hydrological Balance in Basins of South-Central Chile. Water 2021, 13, 794.
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Subjects: Environmental Sciences
Contributors MDPI registered users' name will be linked to their SciProfiles pages. To register with us, please refer to https://encyclopedia.pub/register :
Muhammad Adnan
,
Baohua Xiao
,
,
Shaheen Bibi
View Times: 384
Revisions: 2 times (View History)
Update Date: 29 Apr 2022
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